Growing Up Veg

Double Chocolate Mini Bundt Cake with Fresh Raspberries

2012-02-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Today is a special day for our family. It was our firstborn son Oliver's birthday. We are blessed with two living children, but sadly he died six years ago on his due date. He was born still.

While it is a day which brings back memories of deep sorrow, today we focus on the precious gifts he bestowed upon us. Our family has learned to live each day to the fullest, appreciate each other, and treat others gently during trying times.

Since our children are little, they associate birthdays with cake, so each year we make one in Oliver's honor. We go to Westwood Nature Center to visit his memorial bench, and read stories from books our family has donated there. It is our way of acknowledging and remembering his life.

If you have children, be they furry or not, give them a kiss and hug today. Snuggle up and enjoy the moment. These times are the highlights of our days.

The cake was made using the wacky/crazy cake recipe. I haven't tried it with a full size bundt cake yet, but it worked well for four mini ones.

Double Chocolate Bundt Mini Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat pans with a layer of shortening sprinkled with flour or baking spray. Sift together dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Fill pan 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool ten minutes, and then flip out of the pan.

Chocolate Glaze

1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. chocolate soy/coconut/almond/hemp milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together ingredients until it has the consistency of thick syrup. If it is too runny, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar, and if too thick add a little more non-dairy milk. Drizzle over the cake and add fresh washed raspberries in the middle.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie for your Vegan Valentine

2012-02-10T19:06:00.000-06:00

Our eldest can't get enough lemonade, and the youngest raspberries. I took both of them and put them together. They slurped it right up (literally they are still little).

You could add some flax meal or chia seeds to up the protein content of the smoothie if you so desire. This was our answer to sweet tooth dessert requests.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

1 10 oz. bag of frozen organic raspberries
1/2 cup almond milk
1 6 oz. cup of vanilla yogurt
Juice of two meyer lemons
1-2 Tbsp. agave nectar (optional)

Why Meyer lemons? They are a bit sweeter and in season right now. During other times of the year it would be fine to substitute. Tomorrow I am making some vegan chocolates. Stay tuned!

And the Winners of Gardein Contest Are....

2012-02-06T21:32:00.001-06:00

My husband kept asking if he could enter the giveaway, and while we'd both love to win, obviously that couldn't happen. He's got his eyes on some of their new products.

In the meantime, Gardein is having their own contest, and I highly recommend you go enter.

Yesterday we had a nice time chowing on chunkamole, Crisp Seven Grain Tenders, and spicy hummus. I had grand plans for making all this delicious food to share, but went and got sick the day before. I'll spare you the details and get down to the business at hand.

And the two lucky winner are (drum roll)................Rachael and Michele P.

They both won three free product coupons and a "Cheat on Meat" t-shirt. I've contacted them for their addresses, and unless I don't hear from them by Saturday, February 11th, the giveaway is officially closed. Otherwise I'll use my handy dandy random number generator to select a new winner.

Right now, Circle of Moms is running a top 25 Vegetarian and Vegan Mom Blogs. I'd be ever so grateful if you supported me there. There is no need to sign up for anything.

My Vegan Valentine's Gift

2012-02-03T15:57:00.000-06:00

What better way to show you care, than to prepare a special dessert or meal for your loved one(s). Over the past few years, I've always made different treats for my family. Strawberries are the perfect way to naturally color and better yet, flavor Valentine treats.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Strawberry Almond Iced Sugar Cookies

Strawberry Iced or Powdered Donuts

It's time to break out of the strawberry fixation, and move on to raspberries or something else pink/red. I've made truffles for vegan bake sales before. This year, I'll make them for my family and friends. That or a raspberry chocolate tart. Oh, it is hard to decide. We definitely don't need both around.

Vegan Super Bowl Foods & Gardein Giveaway

2012-01-30T23:06:00.000-06:00

The Super Bowl is almost upon us. What better way to celebrate than with a giveaway, a list of easy pre-prepared vegan food, and a list of recipes.

Gardein was so generous to provide free product coupons as well as "Cheat on Meat" t-shirts. Please see details at the end of this post.

Easy Pre-prepared Vegan Food

1) Gardein Sweet and Tangy Barbeque Wings, Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers or Classic Buffalo Wings

2) Trader Joe's Vegetable Bird's Nests (ie tempura shredded vegetables)

3) Gardein Beefless Sliders

4) Annie Chun's Spicy Vegetable Wontons

5) Veggie Meatballs (Trader Joe's, Nate's Meatless Meatballs)

If you are willing to put a little more work into preparing your Super Bowl food, below is a list of delectable options. Or check VegWeb to search over 15,000 recipes.

List of Vegan Recipes for the Super Bowl

1) Vegan Cream Cheese Wontons

2) Chunkamole Dip

3) Basil Fritters (Foglie Di Basilico Fritte)

4) Roasted Kale Chips

5) Breaded Crispy Tofu Fingers

6) Easily Veganized Brownie Mix

There will be two winners of this giveaway. Each will receive 3 free product coupons and a "Cheat on Meat" t-shirt (see picture of the shirt below). Giveaway entries must be received by this Saturday, February 4th. The winners will be announced on the big game day. United States shipping only.

To enter, share in the comments which Gardein product(s) you would like to try. For an extra entry to the contest: like Growing Up Veg on Facebook, Tweet the contest @vegan_momma, and/or share it on your Tumble/Stumble Upon blog. Good luck!

Banana Nut Butter Flax Muffins (No added fat)

2012-01-29T20:12:00.004-06:00

Like many folks do at the beginning the year, I am trying to focus on healthier foods. While I still like a treat every now and then, I hoped to make one with solely healthy fats.

Before anyone gets all up in arms, I am aware nut butters and flax seeds have fat in them. When I say "no added fat," I mean there is no vegetable oil or margarine.

Bananas offer so much in the way of moisture, I decided to try "Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich Muffins." You could use any nut butter here, but may need to adjust if you are using the non-separating kinds. Sun butter would work for those with allergies.

An important note is the nut/sun butter is a substitute for an oil, therefore it isn't as discernible in the taste. Banana is pretty overpowering. Just wanted you to be forewarned.

I'd like to try adjusting the baking temperature to 375 degrees with a shorter baking time. If you try it out, please share the results. Regardless, the combination I used worked well too.

Banana Flax Nut Butter Muffins

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
2 mashed bananas (mine were frozen)
2 Tbsp. ground flax (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 nut butter (I used natural peanut butter)
3/4 cup almond, hemp, soy, or coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin tin with liners or lightly spray with oil.

In a mixing bowl add dry ingredients and mix well. Add in all wet ingredients, and mashed banana. If using a frozen banana, thaw in advance or heat in microwave for 30 seconds to soften them.

Mix on slowest speed until just combined. Fill muffin liners or pan 3/4 full. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown with a toothpick coming out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool 5 minutes and remove from the pan. Once completely cooled, store in am airtight container until ready to serve.

Simple Avocado Sandwich

2012-01-26T19:11:00.002-06:00

Before becoming vegan, I had a deep, dark secret. I'd never eaten an avocado. Sad, I know. When my then boyfriend (now spouse) would eat one, I always thought they looked squishy and gross.

Once I finally tasted one, it was ridiculous. I.simply.could.not.get.enough. What followed was my preparing Chunkamole dip more than I care to admit. When we went on our honeymoon, I had my first avocado sandwich. It was pure heaven in my mouth.

When I was pregnant with our first, I probably ate one of these every other day. It wasn't until recently I found out they were rich in omegas. I always take a supplement, but prefer to go to the source, such as flax seed, walnuts or hemp seeds. Sometimes our body just knows what we need.

Avocado Sandwich

1/2 medium sized avocado
3-4 slices of tomato
4-6 slices of onion
2 slices of whole grain bread
spinach or lettuce
Vegenaise or Nayonaise (optional)
1/2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
pepper to taste
salt to taste

If you prefer a warm sandwich, toast the bread prior to assembling. First spread on vegan mayo and then sprinkle with yeast flakes if desired. Next add a layer of sliced avocados, then tomato, and onions. Sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste. Lastly add any greens you desire. Press gently down onto the sandwich to help it stay together. Enjoy!

Top Five Vegan Peanut Desserts

2012-01-24T17:11:00.001-06:00

In celebration of National Peanut Butter Day, here are my top five favorite peanut butter desserts.

1) Peanut Buttercup Cupcakes

2) Peanut Butter Blossoms

3) Tiger Chocolate Peanut Butter Brittle

4) Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

5) Classic Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

In case you haven't noticed, I have a slight affliction with chocolate and peanut butter. Happy Peanut Butter Day!

A Tea Party with Valentine's Day Strawberry Powdered or Iced Donuts

2012-01-19T19:17:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago I promised a recipe for some delectable doughnuts, and oh man, these were worth the wait! I needed to tweak the recipe, and apparently the third time was a charm. These would make a nice Valentine's Day treat.

They have a nice fluffy and delicate texture. My kids are always eager samplers. We decided to make a little tea party out of it. They had raspberry herbal tea and a strawberry powdered doughnut.

Can you tell what they were thinking? Mom, please hurry up and take the picture already, so I can eat my doughnut!

Baked Doughnuts (Powdered, Strawberry Powdered or Strawberry Iced)

2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. tapioca starch or corn starch
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks.
1 cup coconut milk beverage (not from a can)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure out coconut milk and add vinegar. Lightly grease the doughnut pan with oil.

Sift all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add coconut milk mixture, melted margarine, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix on low setting until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool five minutes before removing them from the pan.

Makes 1 dozen doughnuts.

Note: the amounts listed below are for a dozen, adjust accordingly if making multiple kinds.

Powdered Donuts: In a bowl or zip lock bag gently place doughnut to coat it with powdered sugar, and then flip to coat the other side. DO NOT shake it in the bag, they are delicate doughnuts. I was able to shake with previous recipes, but they weren't the correct texture.

Tip: Double coat if serving right away, by allowing them to sit 5 minutes and then coating them again. If serving later, only apply one coating, and add second right before serving.

Strawberry Powdered Donuts:
1/2 cup strawberry powder (make using freeze dried strawberries and rubbing them on a fine mesh strainer)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Sift together strawberry powder and sugar, then follow directions above for powdered donuts.

Strawberry Iced Donuts
1/2 cup strawberry powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 -2 Tbsp. vanilla coconut milk beverage

Whisk together all ingredients until completely mixed. The frosting should be thick and not runny (similar to molasses). Using a pastry brush paint on icing. Allow to dry before storing in an air tight container until serving.

Ridiculously Easy Homemade Two Ingredient Baked Tofu

2012-01-15T20:29:00.001-06:00

Our family simply can't get enough baked tofu. It tastes fantastic on salads, on a wrap, or simply as a main dish. Yesterday when I was at Trader Joe's, I noticed something new (to me at least).

My discovery was Soyaki marinade with soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds.. I've always wanted to take a stab at homemade tofu, but had been a little lazy about until that moment. Into the cart it went to try at home.

When I explained the idea to my hubby, he warned that I better not waste a whole block of tofu. After trying it, he started to sprout ideas on other types of baked tofu.

Homemade Teriyaki Baked Tofu

1 package of firm tofu (the kind which comes in a plastic tub)
vegan marinade (I used Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce)

Drain the tofu, and press out the water. Since I don't have a press, I put it between two plates and put a cookbook on top (not too heavy). It sat for a couple minutes, and I drained off the water.

Next I sliced the tofu into four large squares, and then again into rectangles. It should equal eight slices of baked tofu.

In a 9 x 13 glass dish I placed the tofu, and added 1/2 cup marinade. It should be about 1/2 centimeter deep. I covered and left it overnight, flipping it over in the morning.

Lastly, I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, flipping it once after 15 minutes of baking. Serve hot or store refrigerated in container before use.

Strawberry Powdered Donuts

2012-01-05T20:18:00.002-06:00

No artificial coloring here, just delicious strawberry powdered donuts, traditional powdered donuts, and strawberry iced donuts.

It is the perfect Valentine treat to bake for your true love and/or kids. Mine gobbled these down right quick. The donut recipe requires a bit of tweaking, but I should have it up shortly.

In the meantime, I'm tempting you with this teaser. What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

Happy Holidays and Exciting News!

2011-12-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

The past couple weeks have been a whirl wind, so I haven't been on here except to quick post the peanut brittle recipe.

It is hard to believe, but a couple weeks ago, I was bestowed with some very exciting news. Two of the recipes I submitted to the VegNews holiday cookie contest were in the group of top ten finalists! Winners were to be announced a week later.

On the day the results were promised, I neurotically checked for them more times than I care to admit. It was my husband who first saw the announcement.

I won the VegNews holiday cookie contest! Many happy dances later.........I calmed down enough to see for myself.

All the recipes sounded absolutely amazing, I was so blown away to be chosen. It was an honor to be a finalist, let alone win. I wish they shared the rest of the finalist recipes as they all sound delicious!

The winning recipe was my chocolate sugar cookies iced with crushed candy cane topping. Since the VegNews staff are sent all sorts of vegan treats to test, it made the win all the more sweet.

Still pinching myself that I'll soon be whipping up treats with the Kitchen Aid stand mixer that I won. I've dreamed of having one, but t'was not in the family budget. Thank you, thank you VegNews!

This momma can hardly wait for the next vegan bake sale to utilize this wonderful prize for a good cause other than making treats for the family.

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

2011-12-22T14:30:00.000-06:00

My great aunt Doris gave me this recipe. She was near and dear to my heart. When she passed away this year, the world lost a kind and generous woman. Each time I make one of her recipes, I am transported back to my childhood and nostalgic memories.

If you were looking for a simple, easy to prepare dessert to give as a gift, you've found it. No candy thermometers required here. In just 15 minutes, you'll have peanut brittle cooling on a pan.

This is a recipe you need to prepare for in advance, and by that I mean: have all your ingredients, bowl, measuring spoons and cups at the ready.

You could easily mix this up and use different types of nuts with it. I've used pecan and cashews in it with great success.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar

1/2 light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts

1 Tbsp. vegan "butter" (I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and salt in a 2 quart glass dish. Microwave ingredients covered with wax paper on high for 5 minutes. Stir in peanuts and microwave for 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from microwave using oven mitts and stir in vegan margarine, vanilla, and baking soda until foamy.

Immediately pour onto buttered baking sheet. Spread 1/4 inch thick with a spoon. Let is cool completely and break into pieces.

Third Annual Vegan Cookie Exchange

2011-12-15T18:57:00.001-06:00

Each year just seems to get better and better. I love trying new recipes, as well as a few of the classics. This year did not fail to impress.

Starting at the top going clockwise are: Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls, Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate dipped Coconut Cranberry Pistachio Bars, Chocolate Powdered Sugar Coated Cookies, Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies, Almond Toffee Bars, and Chocolate Sugar Cookies Iced with Candy Cane Coating Topping. For a more closer view, feast your eyes below.

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

White Chocolate dipped Coconut Cranberry Pistachio Bars

Chocolate Powdered Sugar Coated Cookies

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Almond Toffee Bars

Chocolate Sugar Cookies Iced with Candy Cane Coating Topping

As I am writing this post, I am lamenting the fact that these are all long gone. Quickly devoured by my family, but as the holiday season continues on there will be more holiday goodies to feast upon. Until next year!

Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

2011-12-11T15:33:00.000-06:00

My snickerdoodles were legendary at the office way back when I was working. If I sent out an email saying that I brought some into share, four dozen cookies disappeared within a couple hours. They are also often requested by family, and vanish just as rapidly.

It is an oldie but goody. I'm not quite sure what took me so long to share it. They are soft and chewy. Depending on how long they are baked, they also can be crunchy just around the edge. Exactly how I prefer my cookies.

Be careful with the baking time on these. They do not get golden brown on the edges or they'll end up crunchy (unless that is your goal). Once out of the oven they need to cool and set, so have patience. You will be rewarded!

Snickerdoodles
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks of Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2 Ener-G egg equivalents
2 tsp. vanilla

Cookie Coating
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream margarine and sugars together. Next add egg equivalent, vanilla, and baking soda, then mix well. Last, add in flour and mix until well combined.

In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping. Pour it out onto a large plate and gently shake to spread an even mixture on the plate. Roll cookie dough into balls sized 1 inch in diameter (about the size of a ping pong ball). Roll the balls in coating until completely covered.

Place onto very lightly greased cookie sheet one inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the sides are set. Unlike most cookies you aren't baking until golden brown, as that will make them crunchy and not chewy.

Please allow 6-8 minutes to cool before lifting off of the cookie sheet with a spatula.

Iced Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

2011-12-08T00:43:00.005-06:00

My inspiration for this recipe initially came from Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joes. I.cannot.stop.eating.them.

Chocolate, pepermint, and candy canes are a combination made for each other. I adapted my sugar cookie recipe from my Grandma that I veganized awhile back.

Chocolate cut-out sugar cookies are where it's at you have my word. I can always gauge a new recipe by how much dough my hubby continues to steal and gobble down. There was a lot of that going on this time.

Iced Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Candy Cane Topping

3 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
3 tsp baking powder
2 "eggs" using Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 Tbsp. coconut beverage (soy, almond, hemp, or rice work too)
2 tsp. vanilla

Peppermint Icing

1 ½ cups Powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. coconut beverage milk (or other milk alternative)
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

Candy Cane Topping

6 Small sized or 2 large candy canes crushed

Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar and margarine (I recommend using a non-hydrogenated one). Mix together the Ener-G egg replacer with a whisk until creamy. Add it to the mixture, along with vanilla, baking powder, coconut milk and mix well.

Combine with the flour to make dough. Separate into 3 sections, and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or if you are in a rush about a half hour in the freezer. Roll out dough to 1/3 " thick and cut out shapes. Bake in oven 9-12 minutes or until edges are set. Transfer from pan to cooling rack until completely cooled.

Icing:
In the meantime, mix together the icing. Whisk together peppermint extract, powdered sugar and coconut milk, alternately adding coconut milk and powdered sugar. Once desired consistency is reached you are ready to decorate your cookies. I shoot for a maple syrup type thickness when you pout the icing.

Decorating:
I recommend using a pastry brush to "paint" the icing onto the cookies. You can also add sprinkles or crushed candy cane pieces onto the cookies after icing, but need to do it immediately after icing a cookie before it starts to dry.

Crushed Candy Cane Topping:
The simplest way to do this is in a food processor/blender, but you can crush them with a rolling pin.

Green Bean Casserole

2011-11-30T22:52:00.000-06:00

I must admit that green bean casserole did not grace my plate until I finally joined the grown-up club. Now I wouldn't pass it up. This is a fairly simple recipe, and it would be easy to add your own touch if you so desire.

Green Bean Casserole

4 cups of non-dairy cream of mushroom soup (I used Imagine Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup)
2 lbs. harticort vert green beans
6 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3 tbsp. corn starch
1 8 oz. can of fried onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut or snap off ends of green beans and steam. While steaming green beans, sautee garlic in canola oil. Mix together with cream of mushroom soup, almonds, and corn starch.

Layer the green beans into a well sprayed 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with fried onions. Bake 20 minutes, and then cover with foil. Bake another 30-40 minutes until the casserole is set (doesn't slosh too much in pan).

Squash Casserole

2011-11-28T10:09:00.000-06:00

Since it was my first year cooking the majority of the meal, I needed to veganize my family's classic Thanksgiving recipes. One of my hubby's favorites is squash casserole. This one is topped with ritz crackers, but it has also been done with potato chips.

I love making recipes for vegans and people with allergies. While the recipe typically has dairy and eggs, this one is dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free.

Squash Casserole

3 cups cooked and strained yellow squash
1 can of cream of corn or creamy butternut squash (equivalent of 2 cups)
2 cups grated soy-free cheese (I used Cheezly soy-free cheddar)
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1 medium onion sauteed
1.5 cups crushed crackers or potato chips (note: ritz crackers ARE NOT soy-free)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. First steam the squash until well cooked. While it is steaming, chop and sautee the onion in oil. Next put steamed squash into a strainer and press excess water out. In a mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except cracker crumbs).

Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish liberally with oil. Add mixture from bowl and press into pan. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs or potato chips. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden, and then cover with foil for the remainder of baking time. Total bake time is 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven when set (ie doesn't slosh around in pan).

Another Very Vegan Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:18:00.001-06:00

Our threshold was where our family gathered again this year for Thanksgiving. Now that my wee ones are getting older, I decided to take the majority of cooking on.

This year I made tofurky, a field roast, squash casserole, maple roasted baby carrots, green bean casserole, roasted butternut squash, stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, and pecan pie.

My mom brought a sweet potato casserole, my mother-in-law fruit salad, and my sister cranberry sauce. Our family won't need to cook anything for the remainder of the weekend. Woohoo!

It must be noted that both of my parents went back for seconds on the tofurky.. That speaks volumes to their enjoying it. We tried it many years back and didn't care for it. Either it has been improved or our method was better this time, either way it'll be making a regular appearance now.

Tomorrow is my hubby's birthday, so we'll be picking up food from his favorite local restaurant Evergreen Chinese Restaurant. We're baking him a delicious cake tomorrow, and the kid's have a surprise for him. I'll also start getting recipes posted from our tasty holiday dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!

Seed Mania: Home Roasted Sunflower Seeds

2011-11-19T15:07:00.002-06:00

I've started to feel like a furry little mouse preparing for the winter with all the seeds we've been roasting and noshing on around here. Maybe I was a little brown mouse in a former life.

My friend Melody was so kind to give us one of the mammoth sunflower seed heads she grew last summer. Seeds have already been set aside to grow some ourselves next year. I think the flower head ripe with seeds is beautiful in itself, don't you?

Things were crazy busy these past few month with starting work, mofo, and both kids starting school. Finally some time to soak and roast these!

Roasted Sunflower Seeds

3 cups of sunflower seeds
canola spray
salted water for soaking (1/2 cup salt per quart of water)

First you need to allow the seeds to properly dry out. I left ours out for a few weeks, to be sure they would be sufficiently dried out. They come out of the seed head much easier too.

Next I soaked them in salt water for 48 hours. I used 1/2 cup salt for a quart of water. The soaking for a longer period make the shells softer and easier to eat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly spray a baking sheet. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Place them into an air tight container to enjoy for some time. Please note soaking them in the salt sufficiently flavors them and there is no need to salt again before roasting.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2011-11-17T23:15:00.003-06:00

Well I still had leftover pumpkin in my fridge screaming to be made into something delicious. The kids decided it would be cookies. These are a bit more soft and cakey than the traditional style cookie. If you bake them until the edges are a little crunchy, the result is really nice.

I tried to make a swirled cookie version (see above), but need to play with the recipe more before sharing it. The swirled ones I tried were an epic fail. The pictured one is the single one that made it off the pan, due to the filling sticking to the pan.

Luckily, the cookie recipe itself was not! Once I get the swirl recipe worked out, I'll post it.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 and 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1 and 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 - 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (less is more subtle, and more a spice explosion)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
2 "egg" replacer equivalents

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit First cream together the sugars and margarine. Then add vanilla, spices, baking soda, and pumpkin, then mix well. Lastly, add the flour and combine. Please see below for swirl cookie directions, or continue for other kinds. Once mixed, spoon one Tbsp. onto the cookie sheet an inch and a half apart. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Pecan Butter Whipped Creme Topping

2011-11-10T22:16:00.000-06:00

If you've got house guests who you need to feed this upcoming holidays, here's a delicious recipe for breakfast. You won't spend all morning in the kitchen preparing it either. Bonus!

While both types of Bisquick are vegan, one has trans fats that our family avoids. The Heart Smart Bisquick is the type I recommend. It also makes some really tasty biscuits, which I plan to post.

Bisquick Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

2 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 3/4 cup almond milk
2 tsp. pumpkin spice mix
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Whisk together all the ingredients until just combined. Turn on non-stick skillet or griddle to medium heat.

Once it is warm, pour batter into pan to create the size pancakes you prefer. They will start to bubble and look cooked around the edge when ready to flip. Cook on other side until golden brown. Remove and serve hot.

I REALLY recommend making Pecan Butter Whipped Creme Topping to put on the pancakes, but if you are pressed for time maple syrup will do just fine.

Easy Pumpkin Pie Bites with Pecan Butter Creme Topping

2011-11-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

If you've been around on my blog awhile, it is clear I've got a bit of a sweet tooth. Even still, I like to come up with delicious treats which can be enjoyed without adding to that holiday weight surplus so many of us gain.

These little two bite goodies are just the thing to get a sweet shot without going overboard. They are pretty easy to make with a food processor, but should work well in a blender as well.

Whipped Pecan Butter Creme Topping
1 package of vegan whipped cream (I used Soyatoo Whipped Topping)
1/2 cup pecan butter

First add whipped topping into a mixing bowl or blender/food processor and whip until thick and creamy. Next add the pecan butter and cream for 5 minutes. Place the pecan creme into the fridge to set overnight.

Pumpkin Pie Bites or Mini Pumpkin Pies
2 packages of mini phyllo shells or 6 mini pie shells or make your own
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup silken tofu
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine pumpkin puree, silken tofu, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar in mixing bowl/blender/food processor. Mix until creamy and smooth.

Put mini fillo shells or mini pie crusts onto cookie sheet spaced so they are not touching. Spoon one tablespoon (or until almost full) into shells. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until edges are golden brown and pie is set for fillo shells or 18-20 minutes for mini pie crusts.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Place whipped pecan topping into a piping bag and swirl a layer onto the pumpkin bites or mini pies. Add a small pecan for garnish. For the pecan bites I broke then pecans in half for garnish.

Roasted Spiced Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

You can never go wrong with simply roasting pumpkin seeds lightly oiled and salted. This time I wanted to take a sweet version for a spin, and oh, how sweet it was!

If you are looking for perfect blend of sweet and savoury, this should hit the spot.

Since you don't always know how much you'll get for a pumpkin seeds, I provided the amount needed for each 1/2 cup of seeds. For example, if you have 1 1/2 cups, you should triple the recipe.

Spiced Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1Tbsp. natural sugar (larger sugar crystals)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly wash off pumpkin seeds in colander, and allow to air dry or pat dry. Melt margarine in microwave, and then toss the seeds to coat them with it.

Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet, then sprinkle spiced sugar over the seeds. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are crunchy and start to turn golden brown.

Pumpkin and Cat Halloween Cake Pops

2011-10-28T23:52:00.005-05:00

Recently I heard a rumor about preparing "accidentally" vegan cake mixes using pumpkin puree in lieu of oil and eggs. Since it sounded interesting, I gave it a whirl. It worked pretty well, and I decided to make Halloween cake pops using the cake.

It was an extremely moist cake and the result is rather tasty and fun to decorate. Next time I would probably make the crazy cake recipe for cake pops and save the pumpkin recipe for cake or cupcakes. My sister came over and we came up with a couple design ideas and below is the result.

Pretty cute huh?

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Pops

1 package of vegan chocolate cake mix
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
amount of water called for in recipe
3/4 to 1 1/4 cup chocolate frosting (see below for recipe) or use vegan Duncan Hines Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven to recommended temperature on box. I used the Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix. Combine water and can of pumpkin puree to cake mix. Follow instructions on box for preparation.

Once baked, allow to cool and flip cake into a mixing bowl. Break apart cake into crumbs, and add chocolate frosting (see recipe below). Mix until it looks like the picture below. Start with less frosting first since you can't go back once it is added.

Roll it into balls, and add paper sticks. Place in freezer for 3-4 hours. Start to prepare the chocolate coating (see instructions below), add the ears onto the cake pop by dabbing a bit of melted chocolate onto a chocolate chip to make the ears stick. Put them back into the freezer until you are ready to coat them.

It is important to lay out your decorating materials before starting the coating, because the chocolate will dry pretty quickly. Once ready, roll pop in melted chocolate, decorate, and stick into a Styrofoam base to allow it to harden.

Chocolate Coating

1 package of E. Guittard semi-sweet wafers
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
1 Tbsp. Coconut oil

Melting the chocolate, margarine, and coconut oil in a double broiler. You could experiment and probably eliminate the margarine by adjusting the amount of coconut oil.

Here is the chocolate I used, which I found at Williams Sonoma:

Chocolate Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 - 1/3 cup coconut milk beverage
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup powdered cocoa

First cream together the shortening and margarine, and then add in the vanilla and cocoa powder. Next add the powdered sugar and coconut milk by alternating between the two and mixing in between additions. Do this until it is all added.

Then beat the frosting for 10 minutes, it will give it the light fluffiness. Don't skimp on the time, trust me on this one. If it doesn't seem creamy enough after everything is added, you can put in a little extra coconut milk beverage.

Happy Halloween!

In the meantime, don't forget to go enter the giveaway this week for a chance to win vegan butterscotch chips or a copy of The 30 Day Vegan Challenge.

Liebster Awards: Feeling the Love

2011-10-27T23:55:00.002-05:00

Liebster Award!

What? Huh? I tried to track down the origin of this Liebster Award, but alas tired quickly. It appears to be the blog form of a "chain letter." Regardless, I think it is an excellent opportunity to share my new favorite blogs.

Thanks to Dawn from VeganAm and Kelly fromThree and a Half Vegans for each awarding me a Liebster award. It really made my day to have that acknowledgement! Below is the spiel that is circulating about it.

“Liebster” is German and means ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’. The idea behind this award is to bring attention to bloggers who have less than 200 followers and show your support during Vegan Mofo!

The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to those who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!

My top five new blogs I've been so lucky to find, thanks to Vegan Mofo are:

1) Chubby Vegan Mom

2) Cooking Vegan Food Up North

3) Vegan and So Forth

4) Fork and Beans

5) Lita's World

How about you? Have any new favorites?

Pecan Butter Truffle Pumpkins

2011-10-26T23:16:00.002-05:00

Lately I can't seem to get enough pecan butter, so these delectable chocolate confections were born. It is coated in white chocolate colored orange. Since pecan butter has a thinner consistency, it was necessary to freeze them to keep the filling from melting into the chocolate.

The recipe still requires a little tweaking, but they are definitely worth making. Once I get it perfected, I'll post the revisions. I wish these weren't still in my kitchen tempting me to snack way too late at night.

Pecan Butter Truffles "Pumpkins"

1 bag of vegan white chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. canola oil
orange food coloring

1 cup pecan butter
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker or cookie crumbs
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2-3 cups powdered sugar

In mix together the pecan butter, graham cracker/cookie crumbs, softened margarine (not melted), and powdered sugar. Start with 2 cups of powdered sugar and add more if it is hard to roll into balls. I made it in the food processor, but you don't need to. Roll into balls and store in freezer overnight.

Prepare coating by melting white chocolate chips in a double broiler. Add in the food coloring and oil to thin out the chocolate. You could try using margarine too. Once chocolate is melted, remove pecan balls from the freezer and roll in chocolate until coated well. Place them on wax paper to harden. Add a pretzel rod split into thirds for the pumpkin stem.

Vegan Camping!

2011-10-26T00:27:00.002-05:00

Recently we took the plunge and went on our first family camping trip. In order to test the waters, we stuck close to home in case the whole thing blew up in our face. Luckily it didn't and fun was had by all.

Any vegan camping trip would not be complete without veggie dogs and roasted veggies. As evidenced by the photo above and below, they REALLY enjoyed roasting the veggie dogs. To prevent them from blistering, lightly spray with canola oil before roasting. We used baskets to roast the veggies, and it worked best when they were wrapped in foil.

You can see my son eating his without a bun, and man does he ever have a tight grip on it. This vegan kiddo loves himself a veggie dog.

While on our trip we made scrumptious vegan s'mores. We even bastardized them a bit, by using candy bars on a couple instead of chocolate. Unfortunately, they didn't last long enough to photograph, but I made some s'mores with peanut butter cups at home later.

We couldn't leave our "dooger" Polly behind, our affectionate nickname for the sweetest Beagle in the whole wide world. She loved being outside and snuggling up in the tent.

If we didn't have little kids, I probably would've tried a more challenging breakfast, but for our first time bagels worked quite nicely.

All in all, we had a super time, and the kids are already asking to go again. Mission camping with two small children was a success!

Vegan Vegkins Halloween Party Part Deux

2011-10-23T20:46:00.001-05:00

The second annual vegan Vegkins Halloween party was a success. Twin cities represent! To keep it simple for food, we did a potluck again. I can't think of a more perfect way to learn new family friendly recipes, than having parents make their favorites at a potluck. If you are looking for other party ideas, check out my previous posts on Easy Vegan Halloween Food, White Chocolate Ghosts, and Homemade Halloween Candy.

There were a few Halloween themed goodies I just have to share with you. The first was a mom's first time baking vegan, and boy did it turn out delicious and festive! She told me that the recipe came from Veg News, which was linked up to Chef Chloe's recipe for Witches Fingers, you know the one that won Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. Yep, a vegan cupcake took the cake so to speak!

The next thematic dish was spaghetti worms with veggie meat eyeballs. Not only was it eye-catching (get it, eye catching), but it was a festive dish for our event. This was made by Betsy, who also shared her technique for peanut butter blossoms. She has some mad talent!

Not only did she make the kid-friendly spaghetti dish, she also carved this awesome brain watermelon. It looked fabulous!

I could go on and on about the other food, but lets get on to the fun had all around, with a craft, games, and a costume contest. Here is Anna from These Little Piggies have Tofu working on a Halloween mobile.

Between meal time and games, the kids all created a kid "mosh pit" type of game inside at folded up gymnastic floor mat. Kids really can have fun with just about anything!

Al and his wife Jen from These Little Piggies Had Tofu, planned the games for the party. They did not disappoint! The first was a musical shapes game. The kid's danced to music, when it stopped they needed to find an animal to stand on. Everyone played until they all had a chance to win.

The kid's loved Pin the Tail on the Cat, and some wanted multiple turns. Look how cute the kitty cat blind fold glasses were for the game!

At the end, we announced winners of the costume contest and then everyone got a treat bag full of vegan goodies to take home.

Do you attend or throw a vegan Halloween party for your kiddos? If not, you can always start up your own group. A fine place to start is Meetup.com online. There are vegan meet up groups all over the country on there, a perfect place to meet other parents. Our group is linked in with the Animal Rights Coalition, which send prospective families our way as well. Happy Party Planning

Don't forget to enter the contest to win either some butterscotch chips or a copy of 30 Day Vegan Challenge.

Vegan Mofo Giveaway Number 4: 30 Day Vegan Challenge, Butterscotch Chips

2011-10-22T01:30:00.004-05:00

For newbie vegans or those of you are interested in trying it out, The 30 Day Vegan Challenge, is the perfect book. If you haven't looked out any of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's books, please do. I use The Joy of Vegan Baking frequently. The gingerbread scones are my favorite holiday treat. For a chance to win this book, or some delicious butterscotch chips from Vegan Essentials, please see details below.

~~The two winners will be chosen next Saturday, October the 29th. One for the 30 Day Vegan Challenge and one for butterscotch chips.~~

The winners are: Kala (Vegan Craftastic) won butterscotch chips and Ashley F. won a copy of 30 Day Vegan Challenge. Congratulations!

Here is how you enter:

1) First subscribe to my blog. If you are already a follower, skip to step 2
2) Write in the comments what you would make with vegan butterscotch chips
3) For extra entries into the contest, like Growing Up Veg on FB, follow me on tumblr (http://veganmomma.tumblr.com), and twitter (@Vegan_Momma).
4) You can get an extra entry for tweeting or reblogging this contest too!

Please note shipping to domestic addressees only.

Easy Vegan Halloween Party Food

2011-10-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Halloween themed food need not be complicated. As parents of young children, it is more of a challenge to get things done while trying to keep an eye on your kids. Some of these options are fun for them to help out preparing, which is a double win - getting stuff done and the kids are involved.

Above is a simple plate with crackers and pumpkin cheese using your favorite vegan cheese. The other crackers have cream cheese on them with veggie ham bats. The kids liked to help cut out the shapes, as well as eating the scraps.

These are Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting, hands down my favorite Halloween treat. If you want to use a boxed cake mix, follow the instructions on the mix substituting 1/3 apple sauce for each egg, and add a Tablespoon of vinegar. I've done that with a Duncan Hines spice cake, and it worked perfectly.

Not into spice cake (really?) or maybe you just prefer chocolate. You really can't go wrong with chocolate, can't argue with that. Make some owl cupcakes using vegan creme filled cookies for the owl eyes, a runt for beaks, and chocolate chops for pupils.

If you'd rather use a pre-made mix to save time, I've got instructions on how to veganize this Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix. You could try rolling them out and cutting them into shapes.

These white chocolate ghost pops are a cute treat to serve. If you need help getting started with home candy making, check out my post on homemade Halloween chocolates.

Don't feel like baking? Trader Joe's Halloween Joes Joes have got you covered. They are chocolate pumpkin cookies with vanilla creme filling. There are a variety of pumpkin faces, which are really cute.

I hope this helps get your party rocking. More Halloween themed posts coming up too!

In the meantime, don't forget to go enter the giveaway this week for a chance to win Go Max Go candy bars or a copy of Appetite for Reduction.

Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

2011-10-18T16:30:00.001-05:00

I always love this time of year, particularly for the squash and pumpkin dishes. Roasted butternut squash is a household favorite with second, third, and forth helpings requested.

Wait don't throw those seeds away! Oh my, these are so nummy! There were a couple squabbles over this treat, since there aren't as many seeds as a good size pumpkin would have inside it.

They are so divine just roasted in the oven until golden brown. All you need to do is: lightly spray a pan, spread out rinsed seeds on pan, lightly spray tops with oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast in oven on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they cook faster than pumpkin seeds.

It would make a tasty treat for a small Halloween party, but if there are a lot of people coming they'll disappear too fast for everyone to get some. Enjoy!

Easy Vegan Cream Cheese Wontons

2011-10-17T17:06:00.000-05:00

What is that you say, there is vegan cream cheese? Of course there is, but most people count it out without even trying it. In fact, there are multiple brands to choose from including: Galaxy Foods Cream Cheese, Better Than Cream Cheese by Tofutti, Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese, Creamy Sheese, and Dr. Cow's Cashew Nut Cream Cheese. Which is your favorite?

Every person I know who've tried it says the EXACT same thing: "this tastes just like cream cheese," to which I laugh, because it IS cream cheese - just not from cow's milk.

These were so simple to prepare, and my hubby would make "the last batch" only to determine another round needed to be fried up. He is a lucky man, in that he has an extraordinary metabolism of which I am extremely envious. He could.not.stop.eating.them!

Guess I know what to make for his birthday dinner coming up. At the store, I didn't see wonton wraps, and just picked up pot sticker wraps. They worked out perfectly.

Vegan Fried Cream Cheese Wontons

1 package of wonton wraps or pot sticks wraps
1 package of vegan cream cheese
1 bunch of green onions chopped
Canola or vegetable oil for frying.

First chop up the green onions. Pre-heat oil in small frying pan or deep fryer if you so choose on between medium-low and medium heat. A 1/4" layer of oil in the frying pan worked well for us.

Assemble wontons by adding 1/2 tsp. green onions to each and 3/4 tsp. vegan cream cheese. wet the edges of the wrapper by dipping your fingers in a bowl of water. Pinch together and add to frying pan.

Cook until brown on one side, and flip to brown other sides. Warning: they cook fast, but that is a good thing right?

Remove from oil and let cool on a towel to soak up excess oil. Serve hot, and just try to keep them around for longer than a few minutes. They won't last I promise you!

Vegan White Chocolate Halloween Ghosts

2011-10-16T19:25:00.003-05:00

Every year for Halloween I make some homemade vegan chocolates. A couple autumns ago, I posted about making pumpkin peanut butter cups, chocolate bats, white and dark chocolate acorns with maple filling, and white chocolate ghosts.

The past couple years I've always been involved in planning Halloween parties for the kids. Last fall was the first Vegkins Halloween party. It is a group of vegan/vegetarian families that meet monthly. My friend Al, over at These Little Piggies have Tofu also posted about last year's party.

We are keeping the tradition going with the second annual Vegkins Halloween party this coming weekend. It should be a hoot for the kids. They will be noshing on an all vegan potluck meal and treats, working on a Halloween craft, and playing a couple games.

In celebration of the upcoming holiday, most of this week's posts will be Halloween related.

In the meantime, don't forget to go enter the giveaway this week for a chance to win Go Max Go candy bars or a copy of Appetite for Reduction.

Vegan Mofo Giveaway Number 3: Go Max Go Candy Bars & Appetite for Reduction

2011-10-13T21:48:00.002-05:00

Go Max Go was so generous as to offer up 6 candy bars to give away for vegan mofo. If you miss candy bars from your childhood, these are the answer. In fact, I think these versions are actually much better. They are so fresh and delicious. They've got Jokerz like a Snickers, Twilight a Milky Way, Buccaneer a 3 Muskateers, Mahalo an Almond Joy, Cleo's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and Snap is like a Krackel or Nestle Crunch. If you haven't tried these, do yourself a favor and get yourself one or two or three.

Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the second book I'm giving away for Mofo. If you are unfamiliar with her books, you REALLY need to check them out. From Veganomicon, to Cupcakes Take Over the World, Vegan Brunch, to the new Vegan Pie in the Sky (of how I want this so bad!), she has solidified her name as a vegan chef to be reckoned with so many marvelous cookbooks under her belt. If you aren't able to buy one, please go to your library (after entering this contest), and also check out the Post Punk Kitchen.

The winners will be choosen next Thursday, October 20th. Two winners of 3 Go Max Go each, and one winner of Appetite for Destruction. Three chances to win!

Contest closed, and the winners are: Appetite For Reduction: Oliver Danni, aka “choirqueer” and winners of 3 Go Max Go candy bars each: SillyKittyGirl and Lizzie Bordello. Congratulations to the lucky winners!

Here is how you enter:

1) First subscribe to my blog (i.e. must be a blog follower to win). If you are already a follower, skip to step 2.
2) Write in the comments which candy bar you'd like to try most from Go Max Go.
3) For an extra entry into the contest, like Growing Up Veg on FB, follow me on tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/veganmomma), and twitter (@Vegan_Momma).
4) You can get an extra entry for tweeting or reblogging this contest too!

Please note shipping to domestic addressees only.

Vegan Spaghettios with Veggie Dogs (Gluten free option)

2011-10-13T14:49:00.002-05:00

Back in college, my boyfriend (now hubby) and I went on a month long road trip out east. There was a lot of camping, or sleeping in the bed of my truck to keep costs down. One of our easy go to meals was vegan spaghettios. When you are just using a small camping stove for each meal, it is all about simplicity.

Sadly, they no longer make those tasty spaghettios, which is too bad for vegan kiddos everywhere. For that reason, I decided to try making some at home. It is a pretty simple meal, but had the kids asking for seconds.

It would be very simple to make this recipe gluten free, by simply using quinoa or rice pasta. This version is much healthier than what you'd find in a can. It has carrots and nutritional yeast, along with whole wheat pasta.

Vegan Spaghettios

1 large 24 oz. jar of tomato sauce with no salt
1 1/4 cup whole wheat alphabet pasta
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt (optional, only if your tomato sauce is no salt)
1/2 cup pureed carrots or 1 jar of pureed carrot baby food
3-4 veggie dogs sliced into chunks

First bring a large sauce pan half full of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package. While the pasta is cooking, heat the tomato sauce with the remaining ingredients (except veggie dog slices) until it just starts to bubble.

Turn down the heat to a simmer. You will need to wisk the sauce intermittently to incorporate all the seasonings. Add veggie dogs a couple minutes before the pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta and mix with sauce. Yum!

"Chunkamole" or Chunky Avocado Chip Dip

2011-10-12T20:55:00.001-05:00

Honestly this recipe is so simple I'm almost embarrassed to post it, but decided to after being asked for the recipe a few times. Sometimes simplicity is just perfect when it comes to food.

My hubby was out of town, which is why I've been flagging on my blogging. Two little kids, two cats, and a dog require a lot of time when there is only one person to do everything. Now it is back on, well after this simple recipe that is.....

Chunky Avocado Chip Dip

3 medium avocados
1 small onion or 1/2 a medium sized ones
1 small tomato
1 Tbsp. lime juice (option)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Classic Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

2011-10-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

As I've said before, I veganized a few recipes while transitioning to being vegan many years ago. This was the first one I converted. It is a recipe I've got memorized in my head and isn't written down anywhere. Now it finally will be.

The new addition to the recipe are the peanut butter chips I recently developed a simple recipe for last spring. These are so delicious, and I hope you enjoy them!

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sitcks

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 egg replacer equivalents or 1/2 cup applesauce

2 1/4 flour

1 bag of vegan chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups vegan peanut butter chips

First pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl cream together the sugars and non-hydrogenated margarine. Next add vanilla and egg replacer and mix well. Then add the flour and mix until fully combined. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips by hand.

Scoop out 1-2 tbsp. of cookie dough and space 1-2 inches apart, depending on the size of the cookies you are making. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 5 minutes before removing them to eat.

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores

2011-10-08T16:36:00.001-05:00

Recently our family went camping for the first time. The idea for peanut butter cup s'mores was born on that trip. I've been slightly obsessed with creating them since, and feel sated now I've gotten my fix. And yes, it is as good as it looks.

There is no complicated baking or instructions here, sometimes simple is all you need for a scrumptious outcome.

Today I was at Ethique Nouveau, our lovely twin cities vegan store, and picked up some Go Max Go Cleo Peanut Butter Cups. Oh man, are they ever good!

You can also grab some Dandies vegan marshmallows there too, or at Whole Foods. All I did was roast up some marshmallows, and toss the peanut butter cup on some graham crackers, and sandwich in the warm marshmallows. Melty, ooey, gooey deliciousness followed.

Honestly it was a challenge to stop and photograph it. I wanted to eat it RIGHT AWAY. The second I was done, this was polished off in no time!

Below is a s'mores bar I made in last fall, so I'd have a good recipe to enjoy s'mores when the snow flies. It is more work than pb cup s'moes, but I promise it won't disappoint! Just an idea to file away for a later date.

Don't forget to enter the two Mofo giveaways I've got going now. The first is for a $25 gift certificate at Vegan Essentials (ends today, Saturday October 8th). The second is for 18 Eli's Earth Bars (2 winners) and a copy of Vegan Lunch Box (1 winner), which ends next Wednesday, October 12th.

Crispy Seitan Bites and Rainbow Chard Mushroom Stir Fry

2011-10-08T00:20:00.003-05:00

I wish that I could take credit for these, but this meal was completely prepared by my hubby while I baked 5 dozens cupcakes. It was so darn good, I wish there was more left. None of it lasted long.

Since I'm pretty sure most people can handle grapes and rolls, the recipes for the crispy seitan bites and rainbow chard mushroom stir fry is bekow.

Crispy Seitan Bites

1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 c water (approx.)
canola oil (1/4-1/3 cup for frying)
1 package (8 oz) seitan

Add the oil to a small pan to a depth of 1/4-1/2" and heat on medium.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl then whisk in the water, adding more as necessary to make a thick batter.

Cut the seitan into small strips or cubes, then dip in the batter and place in the heated oil. Fry for a few minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook a few more minutes on the other side. Remove the seitan from the oil and dry on a paper towel-lined plate and serve hot.

If you have any batter left over, slice up some dill pickles and fry them the same way.

Rainbow Chard Mushroom Stir Fry

1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped
2 medium onions, diced
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat, then add all ingredients. Cook covered for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Remove the cover and cook a few more minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off. Salt to taste and serve hot.

Vegan Black Bean Juicy Lucy

2011-10-06T19:51:00.004-05:00

Yep, I dared to bastardize the carnivore version of a juicy lucy. Guess what, it was pretty darn tasty too. The thing is I didn't stop eating meat, dairy, and eggs because it tasted bad. On the contrary, it tastes good, but I refuse to accept all that comes with it for the simple pleasure of my taste buds.

That being said, when I saw an advertisement for a juicy lucy, I knew there needed to be a vegan version of it. Sometimes a thing so wrong, is just oh so right. It wasn't my first foray in re-creating an healthier version of a animal product laden food. Just check out the Vegan Sausage Bacon Tofu Biscuit with Cheese.

Below you'll find a recipe for a much healthier version of the standard juicy lucy without sacrificing the taste.

Vegan Black Bean Juicy Lucy Buger

1 meduim size onion
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup carrots
2 cans of black beans drain and rinsed well
1 package of seitan ( I used West Soy 8 oz. pkg)
3 tsp. garlic powder or 5-6 minced cloves of garlic
2 tsp. sage
2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. liquid hickory smoke
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 cup corn meal
1 bag Daiya cheese or package of Cheddar Cheezly

Burger Toppings:
tomato, onion and lettuce

Preheat oil in skillet while chopping the onion, then add and saute. While that is cooking, chop up the seitan and add it to the pan.

In a food processor add remaining ingredients with the exception of the Daiya cheese and toppings. Run until all the components are mixed and combined well.

Remove onions and seitan and allow it to cool (in the meantime prepare your tomato, lettuce or any other toppings). Add the onions and seitan and process until smooth.

Heat 2-3 Tbsp. of oil in pan to fry up black bean patty. While it is warming up, line a 4 1/2" glass bowl with saran wrap and lightly spray with oil. Add a bottom layer to shape patty, then add 2-3 Tbsp. of Daiya or Cheezly cheese.

Press cheese into patty, then cover with more black bean patty, and press down firmly on the top.

Flip out patty into your hand, and then into the pan.

Here is what a black bean patty looks like after it is flipped out.

Cook until golden on one side, and then flip and repeat on the other one. Don't forget to lightly spray the glass bowl between patties, or then won't flip out as easily. Here is what they look like done:

We also added other condiments like ketchup, vegenaise, mustard, or hot sauce. My hubby puts hot sauce on EVERYTHING! Then voila'

Don't forget to enter the two Mofo giveaways I've got going now. The first is for a $25 gift certificate at Vegan Essentials (ends Saturday October 8th). The second is for 18 Eli's Earth Bars (2 winners) and a copy of Vegan Lunch Box (1 winner), which ends next Wednesday, October 12th.

Vegan Mofo Giveaway Number Two: Eli's Earth Bars and Vegan Lunch Box

2011-10-05T12:42:00.003-05:00

Time to get started on giving away goodies. This giveaway is for 9 Eli's Earth bars, 3 of each kind to be exact. The best news is there will be two winners! That is right, two lucky winners will get to partake in 9 Eli's Earth Bars (18 bars given away total). Just in time for Halloween!

Along with the candy bars, you will be entered to win a copy of "Vegan Lunch Box," by Jennifer McCann. I don't have a child in elementary school to pack lunches for yet, but after getting this book, I can't wait to start next year! A winner will be choosen next Wednesday, October 12th.

There is still time to enter the contest to win a $25 gift certificate to Vegan Essentials, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already (ends October 8th).

Here is how you enter:

1) First subscribe to this blog, i.e. must be a blog follower to win.
2) Write in the comments what your favorite candy bar was when you were a kid.
3) For an extra entry into the contest, like Growing Up Veg on FB, follow me on tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/veganmomma), and twitter (@Vegan_Momma).
4) You can get an extra entry for tweeting or reblogging this contest too!

Please note shipping to domestic addressees only.

And the winners are:

Jenny from Vegan and So Forth won Vegan Lunch Box
Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) won 9 Eli's Earth Bars
Jen from Lita's World won 9 Eli's Earth Bars

Congratulations to the winners!

French Toast Sandwich with "Cheezly" Hashbrowns and Spinach Chips

2011-10-04T22:51:00.001-05:00

Awhile back my son randomly threw out a comment about making a french toast sandwich. It sounded interesting, so I shelved it in my brain to revisit at a later date. Today became that day.

Our "go to" recipe for french toast is in a past post, so I'll focus on how we made the tofu and "cheezly" hash browns in this one. Once I made homemade hash browns, we were struck with how simple it is to do. Really it is not hard. For the record, we worked on preparing everything all at the same time, so the food would finish approximately at the same time.

Vegan "Cheesy" Hash Browns

4-10 red baby potatoes, washed and unpeeled
1/2-1 cups vegan cheese (we use Cheezly)
2-4 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

Prepare 2 potatoes per person you plan to serve. Wash the potatoes, then start to heat the oil in the frying pan using 1 tablespoon per 2 to 3 potatoes.

Shred the potatoes in a food processor leaving the skins on (there is great vitamins in there). Remove the shredded potatoes and dry with a paper towels, and put into hot pan with shredded cheese added on top of the potatoes.

Cook on medium heat until browned on one side, flip, and repeat for the second side. Remove when fully browned and eat hot!

Now onto this french toast sandwich recipe. As state above a great french toast recipe can be found in a previous post. The same process for kale chips I made before can be used to make spinach chips. Unfortunately my kids would eat the spinach cooked in the hash browns, so feel free to try that out. For now, they'll eat the spinach chips, and I'll take what we can get.!

Maple Fried Tofu

1 lb. firm tofu
1/4 maple syrup
spray of vegetable oil

To prepare the tofu, we pressed it between two plates (still wishing for a tofu press). Marinate in maple syrup for 10 minutes after pressing it, making sure to brush the tops with it. Lightly spray and heat a non-stick skillet or griddle on medium.

Add tofu and cook on one side until brown. Before flipping, lightly spray uncooked side, flip it and cook until brown. Place between two slices of french toast and enjoy. If you want a stronger maple flavor then add a little to the top of the tofu.

Don't forget to go and enter the Mofo contest this week for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Vegan Essentials.

Vegan About Town: Caramel Pecan Buns from Breadsmith

2011-10-03T17:13:00.001-05:00

Sometimes a momma just wants to be able to pick up delicious vegan treats. If you are in the midwest and looking for a simple yet tasty way to show off vegan baked goods, stop in at Breadsmith. They've got locations in AZ, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, MO.

These amazing caramel pecan buns are available at some locations on Saturday (see stores for bread schedules). It is an ooey-gooey fresh treat that melts in your mouth when warm. If we're ever in the area we simply have to stop in to pick some up.

Another family favorite is the chocolate babka loaf or rolls. You will not be disappointed, I promise! This is just another example of the ever increasing availability of vegan fare. What is your favorite go to place for vegan goodies?

Don't forget to enter the Vegan Mofo contest this week for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Vegan Essentials!

Purple Hello Kitty Birthday Cake

2011-10-02T16:49:00.001-05:00

Think you can't have a fancy vegan birthday cake? Think again. If you have the time to create a non-vegan one, it will take no longer to do a vegan one.

My daughter LOVES hello kitty, and was thrilled to have that theme for her party. Since purple and pink are her favorite colors (in that order), the castle cake's primary colors were chosen for me.

The cake is covered with fondant. Vegan fondant does exist, and is readily available. The kind which I prefer is Satin Ice. I like that it says directly on their web page "Fondant contains no animal derived ingredients." I've also heard the Wilton version is vegan as well, but that it doesn't taste as good.

If you are still coming up short, I found a recipe over at "Live.Learn.Love.Eat" for vegan marshmallow fondant which sounds delicious. I can't wait to try it!

Don't forget to enter the Vegan Mofo contest this week for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Vegan Essentials!

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Maple Icing

2011-10-01T13:06:00.003-05:00

One of my goals with this blog, is to demonstrate how easy it is to bake without eggs and dairy products. And really, why not? No cholesterol or cruelty involved in making your food. Better for your health, the environment, and your conscience.

Before going vegan over a decade ago, I played around with vegan baking. It was a basic requirement for me to move forward with choosing this lifestyle. Lucky for me, baking vegan is just as easy and delicious.

Typically I bake from scratch, but hoped to help provide an easy resource for people who want a fast, simple, home baked treat. These are tasty without incing, but WAY better with it.

Using the Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix, I simply altered the instructions slightly to veganize them.

Directions:

1/2 cup vegan margarine (I recommend Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. ground flax mixed vigorously with 2 Tbsp. water

Follow directions on package for baking.

Maple Frosting

1 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (depending on desired thickness)

2-3 Tbsp. almond, soy or coconut milk

1 tsp. maple extract or flavoring

Wisk almond/soy/coconut milk and extract into sugar until all lumps are gone. Dip cookies in frosting or paint it on using a pastry brush. These were sprinkled with cinnamon, which was delicious!

Don't forget to go and enter the Mofo contest this week for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Vegan Essentials!

Vegan MOFO Giveaway Vegan Essentials $25 Gift Certificate

2011-09-30T10:34:00.004-05:00

Vegan Essentials was so gracious to provide a $25 gift certificate to giveaway for vegan MOFO. My family orders from their site all the time. Right now they are the only carrier of the infamous Cheezly. If you haven't tried this cheese yet, you REALLY need to. It tastes good all on its own. You heard me: we.eat.it.right.out.of.the.package. End Cheezly rant.

Vegan Essentials carries all sorts of vegan items: food, sweets, clothing, shoes, personal care products, books, household items, etc. Enter this Vegan MOFO giveaway for your chance to win your own little shopping spree! The winner will be announced Saturday, October 8th.

Here is how you enter:

1) First subscribe to this blog, i.e. must be a blog follower to win

2) Write into the comments which product you would like to buy or try if you won the $25 gift certificate.

3) For an extra entry into the contest, like Growing Up Veg on FB, follow me on tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/veganmomma), and twitter (@Vegan_Momma)

Contest is over! Congratulations, you are the lucky winner winner is: Bitt!

Vegan Mofo 2011 Giveaways!

2011-09-29T00:17:00.004-05:00

This year I wanted to pay-it-forward, and decided to do a few give-a-ways. They'll be happening each week, so stop in often to enter.

There will be cook books, Go Max Go candy bars, Eli's Earth Bars, $25 Gift Certificate from Vegan Essentials, Dandies marshmallows, Lieber's butterscotch chips, and a vegan children's book. If you are interested in participating, look for more details soon. I'll be giving away one treat and book each week.

In the meantime, check out the loot below!

Vegan Mofo 2011 Get Ready for a Vegan Blogging Storm!

2011-09-27T20:43:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Vegan Mofo is almost upon us! What the heck is Vegan Mofo you say? It stands for Vegan Month of Food. Instead of trying to give you the full run down, I'll simply send y'all on over to Vegan Mofo headquarters.

They've got a sign-up sheet, if you plan to participate. There is a handy dandy FAQ if you still need more info. The only requirement is that all your blogs include vegan content. The goal is to blog five days a week, which breaks down to about twenty times a month.

So if you haven't signed up yet, get your tail on over to the site, because the deadline is tomorrow!

Pecan Butter Frosting on "Butter" Cupcake

2011-09-13T14:07:00.000-05:00

As I've shared before, I hark from Georgia. The fresh pecans from down there just can't be beat. I am lucky enough to have family who ship them to us sometimes.

The pecan frosting for this recipe was from scratch, and the cake was from a box. We had recently had my aunt and cousins up to visit, so I made these for dessert one night.

Veganizing box cake recipes is actually relatively simple. For this one, I substituted the eggs in the recipe with apple sauce, used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for the butter. Lastly, I added a tablespoon of vinegar to help the cake rise.

Here is the break down for a vegan version of Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake.

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup applesauce

1 Tsbp. vinegar

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

Other than the couple of changes to the ingredients, follow the directions on the box for cooking times, etc. See below for the pecan butter frosting recipe.

Pecan Butter Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

3/4 cup pecan butter (follow link to previous recipe)

3-4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla or maple flavoring

2-3 Tbsp. soy or almond milk

Cream together the margarine and pecan butter. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and almond milk, alternating between the two. Once mixed well, beat for about five minutes until frosting is nice and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or soy milk to obtained desired texture.

Pre-school Season Vegan Snack Time

2011-09-11T23:56:00.002-05:00

It is that time of year again, and the kids start pre-school tomorrow. It will be Elliott's second year and Evelyn's first. They always have a snack in the mornings and it is provided by the parents on a rotating schedule. I always send vegan options like hemp, soy, or almond milk and vegan cheese crackers.

If you are interested in some guidelines for what worked for our family communicating about vegan options, see our list/instructions below.

How does your school do it? What does your family do for snack time and treats at school?

List of Vegan Snacks He/She Can Eat

Fruit (fresh and dried)
Veggies
Graham Crackers
Teddy Grahams
Pretzels
Stauffer’s and Barnum and Bailey’s Animal Crackers
Cheerios, Kix, Life, Chex Cereal
Veggie Booty
Earth’s Best Organic Smiley Snacks
Wheat Thins (All kinds EXCLUDING Parmesan Basil, Cream Cheese & Chives, Ranch)
Triscuits (All kinds EXCLUDING Parmesan Garlic and Quattro Formaggio
Soy or Coconut Yogurt
Hummus
Stacy’s Pita Chips (All kinds EXCLUDING Parmesan Garlic)
Stacy’s Bagel Bites
Ritz Crackers
Sesame Sticks
Trader Joe’s Bagel Chips: Whole Wheat, Everything, or Sea Salt
Popcorn (Without butter or cheese)
Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Cakes
Pita Chips: Cinnamon & Sugar, w/Sea Salt, w/ Sesame Seeds
Pirate’s Veggie Booty
Eco Planet’s Pretzel Crackers and Cheddar Non-Dairy Crackers
Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks
Applesauce

Non-Vegan Item’s He/She Should Not Eat

Any meat, chicken, fish products
Dairy Products (Cheese, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese)
Eggs
Pepperidge Farm Fish Crackers (all kinds contain dairy)
Gelatin

Helpful Hint: at the end of all ingredient lists manufacturers are required to list if common allergens in the product. This includes milk, milk products, and eggs. (see red arrow in example picture below).

Note: We DO eat products labeled like the label on the right, where the product was manufactured or may contain trace amounts of milk or eggs.

Basil Fritters (Foglie Di Basilico Fritte)

2011-08-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since we've prepared this dish. Our first time trying it was at a friend's wedding in Italy. Upon arriving home from our trip a few years back, we immediately began to search for a recipe. Our efforts did not go unrewarded.

The kids we more reluctant about this dish, but as with anything they learn to eat, we'll try again. Next time we will have them help prepare it. That is always a sure way to have them chowing something down.

Thanks to my green thumb gardening friend, we had a had bunch to cook up. I believe we owe her a batch of these. So get on out to your gardens, down to your farmer's market, or best place to score some fresh basil.

Basil Fritters

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 cup club soda or mineral water (approx.)
canola oil

20 large basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Combine flour, salt, and corn starch in a small bowl. Add the club soda slowly, until you have a thick batter (I had to add a few more tablespoons). Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Add oil to a small pan to 1/2" depth, then heat on medium until warm.

On a large plate, put down paper towels to help soak up excess oil after cooking, plus have more set aside to cover the finished leaves.

Dip a few leaves in the batter until they are completely covered (swirling works well), then place them in the pan. Cook for a few minutes, flip with a fork or tongs, and cook a few more minutes until crispy and golden.

Place the finished leaves on the towel-lined plate, then cover with paper towels to remove extra oil and keep them warm (though they are best consumed right away).

Berries, Berries, Berries

2011-08-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

We love our berries here at the veg household. Naturally we decided to plant some blueberry bushes and raspberry canes in our yard. By far these have been the most popular and fruitful endeavor in our gardening (bad pun intended).

The kids absolutely love to pick them, no mind that a large portion never make it inside. There are a few things I've noticed after tending to these berries, which I hope help you in your gardening.

First is that raspberries love water. It doesn't have to be a lot, but a frequent, shallow watering led to much larger berries this year. Second, don't make the same mistake I did and skip pruning at the end of the season. They are the shoots which produce berries should be cut back to the ground, otherwise they are prone to pest issues.

Blueberries love an acidic environment, and also did much better with more frequent shallow watering. We are still getting berries off of the bushes, and it has been producing for about a month. Another tip, is to plant more than one variety for cross-pollination, which will yield larger berries. If you are planting highbush blueberries, two varieties are not necessary, but still recommended. It also helps to have native flowers to attract pollinators to your yard.

If you are looking for some delicious recipes for berries, try lemon blueberry muffins or chia raspberry muffins. We also love to add raspberries or blueberries to our pancakes, but go the lazy route with Healthy Smart Heart Bisquick. I've heard at Food Snobbery is my Hobbery there is a nice vegan pancake recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance, which I'd love to try out.

Wild Black Raspberry Chia Muffins

2011-07-28T00:27:00.000-05:00

Finally getting around to sharing the recipe I created for the wild black raspberries we picked. We ate about half, and then they rest went into these. Loving foraged food!

The kids enjoyed the muffins and insisted on sharing with the world just how much. They requested I take a picture, which is a rare occasion. It has been awhile since I've baked "just because." Their response was a reminder (ie excuse) to do it more often.

If you don't have chia seeds feel free to substitute with flax, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Wild Black Raspberry Chia Muffins

3/4 cup white wheat flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 -3 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup almond, soy, hemp, coconut or rice milk
1/3 cup oil
1 cup wild raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Mix together dry ingredients in bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the raspberries and add batter to lined muffin tins. Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Wild Black Raspberry Picking

2011-07-24T22:39:00.002-05:00

The past couple weeks I've been harvesting a lot of raspberries from the canes we planted in our yard. It got me to thinking about wild raspberry patches I've seen on some of our walks. We decided to go check it out.

As you can see we lucked out! I'd brought a pint carton along and had no trouble filling it up. The kids were so excited to help us find them along the trail. Repeatedly their little faces would light up each time they found more.

It was a bit hot and buggy, so I paid for these babies in sweat and blood (mosquitoes). Once we got home and had a taste though, it was worth it! We polished off half of the container and the rest we plan to use for muffins or pancakes tomorrow.

Yummy wild berry treat and recipe soon to follow.

Garden Salad with Lettuce Fresh from the Garden

2011-06-18T01:01:00.000-05:00

Last year there was a lot of trial and error with our raised bed garden. It has been a lot more rewarding with a little experience to guide us. So far, we've gotten strawberries, onions, and red leaf lettuce from the garden this spring.

Here is a salad I made tonight with the lettuce fresh from our garden. It had lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and walnuts. I simply love just walking out to the garden to harvest the food we'll be eating. Gardening is addictive! I've already been scheming on where to do more beds this fall.

There will be more to come as the season progresses. Stay tuned!

Maple Pecan Butter Cookies

2011-06-11T23:02:00.001-05:00

When experimenting in the kitchen you never know what you are going to get, so it is always a good day when you hit a home run. Honestly, I have no idea why this idea didn't cross my mind sooner. Either way I am excited to share this new treat with you.

It is whipped together pretty quickly with a food processor, and I think you will love the results. Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Maple Pecan Butter Cookies

3/4 cup pecan butter (see below for instructions)

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg "equivalents" (2 Ener-G Egg Replacer or 2/3 cup applesauce)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Throw 1 cup of pecans into the food processor, and run for 4-6 minutes. Stop every couple minutes to scrape the sides. It is done when the butter is smooth and runny like natural peanut butter.

Cream together sugars and margarine. Next add vanilla, pecan butter and egg replacer and beat until creamy. Add the baking powder and flour and combine well.

Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press down with a fork to flatten the cookie in one direction, and in another to create the "tic tac toe" pattern.

Bake in oven for 10-14 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Quick Muffins

2011-06-01T19:17:00.001-05:00

While we were on vacation I was working in a kitchen with limited resources (ie no muffin pan). I really missed my kitchen at home! Anyways, cooking in the kitchen successfully is all about improvising, so that is exactly what I did with these.

At home I've got all the baking ingredients I need at arms length, so I had to make up something on the fly when deciding to make muffins for the family. Now that I've tried this quick method, I'll definitely be using it again. Being a mom of two little kids, sometimes you just need a good shortcut!

A little Heart Smart Bisquick and few other ingredients, and there were mouth watering smells coming from the kitchen. Both kinds of Bisquick are vegan, but the original contains trans fat, which our family avoids for health reasons.

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Bisquick Muffins

2 cups of Heart Smart Bisquick
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large banana mashed
1 cup chocolate chips or walnuts pieces

Mix together all wet ingredients well. Add in sugar and Bisquick, then mix until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in chocolate chips or walnuts.

Lightly spray muffin pan or in our case, 3 inch corning ware bowls for jumbo muffins. Fill until 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on size of muffins) until golden brown on top. Allow to cool about 5 minutes until removing from pan. Gently scrape sides and flip over to release the muffins.

2nd Annual Vegan Waffle Party and Vegan 101 for Newbies

2011-05-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Right now we are on vacation, so that is why you've not heard anything from Growing Up Veg. While we were gone I made up a couple recipes which I'll share once we return. In the meantime, there is an event coming up that needs mention.

Vegan waffles? Check. Tasty Toppings? Check. Good company? Check. What is not to love? This coming Saturday you'll find our crew at the 2nd Annual Vegan Waffle Party at Fuller Park, which is sponsored by ARC. The fun starts at 10 AM, and goes until noon, so get your tail on down there for some good eats.

Afterward if you are new to veganism or vegan-curious, stick around for Help! I'm Going Vegan! Workshop. They will be covering all sorts of informational topics including: shopping tips, Thanksgiving dinner, moral debates, and shoes - they've got it covered.

Afterwards, you can get yourself matched up with a vegan mentor. This workshop will be ran by a Al over at These Little Piggies Had Tofu and Dallas Rising, program director at ARC. What a great resource for newbie vegans out there. Hope to see you there!

Vegan Peanut Butter Chip Recipe

2011-05-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

These were so easy to make, I really wish I'd thought of trying it sooner. They taste like Reese's Pieces without the coating. Yum!

Vegan Peanut Butter Chips

10 oz. White Chocolate

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Put the white chocolate into a microwavable bowl and heat in for 30 seconds, stopping to stir, then repeating until it is fully melted.

Next thoroughly mix in peanut butter, and spread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to 1/8' thickness. Place it into the freezer until solid.

To make the chips, slice with a sharp knife one direction.

Then slice the other direction. Voila, you've got vegan peanut butter chips!

Vegan Naan Bread

2011-04-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

This was my first time making naan bread. It turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. My family gobbled it up in no time, so I know this recipe will be a definite repeat in our household.

Naan Bread

2/3 cup soy, almond, rice, or hemp milk
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. rapid yeast
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2/3 cup plain soy yogurt

In a mixing bowl, add sugar, milk, and yeast and stir well. Let it sit until it starts to activate and becomes frothy looking. In a separate bowl mix in all of the dry ingredients, then add milk mixture, oil, and soy yogurt. Mix until it is formed into a dough ball and knead for about 5 to 7 minutes. Put dough ball into a dry bowl, cover with a cloth and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to broiling temperature. Knead the dough another minute and then divide it into two parts. Oil a baking sheet and roll out one of the parts into an oval shat about 1/4"-1/2" thick. place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until it puffs up and appears golden brown. Watch it closely so it does not burn. Once it puffs up, take it out, flip it, then return it to the oven for another minute. Remove and serve warm.

Vegan White Chocolate Bunny and Lamb Pops

2011-04-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

These were some Easter lamb and Bunny pops I made for Easter. They were made with a Wilton candy mold from vegan white chocolate. On the backside I added pastel colored sprinkles.

This is the backside of the lollipops. The kids really enjoy them and it is a fun and festive treat for the Easter hoilday. Happy Easter!

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Coffee Cake Mix Made Vegan, Egg-free, & Dairy-free

2011-04-19T19:44:00.000-05:00

Since I know many folks don't fancy themselves bakers, I've decided to share some examples on making baking mixes vegan. Clearly the mix itself needs to be free of dairy and eggs, which you can determine by checking the ingredients on the label.

Cake has a different texture from brownies, but I still favor substituting the egg with applesauce. It is a familiar item anyone could find at any grocery store, including Trader Joe's. The cake itself called for butter or oil, and I opted for oil.

A topping mix is included, and all you needed to do is use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Natural Spread. These both can be found at Trader Joe's.

The last modification I made was to add 2 teaspoons of vinegar. You won't be able to taste it afterwards, I promise! It helps the cake to rise.

Here is the list of ingredients for the cake mix:

2/3 cup almond, soy, coconut, or hemp milk

6 Tbsp. oil

2/3 cup applesauce

2 tsp. vinegar

Crumb Topping:

3 1/2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Natural Spread

Vegan Raspberry Swirl Muffins

2011-04-17T21:56:00.001-05:00

I'm a huge Tori Amos fan, therefore I had Raspberry Swirl in my head while I was mixing these up. It was a pretty simple recipe which created a delicious aroma throughout the house.

They were for the next morning, but luckily there were a couple extra to taste test after cooling enough. If you try them out, let me know what you think of them.

Raspberry Swirl Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup almond, soy, hemp, or coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jelly

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Next put the jelly into a covered bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds or until it is melted. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones excluding the raspberry jelly. Line muffin pan with paper liners or lightly spray pan with oil.

Fill muffin well 1/4 full and then add 2-3 tsp. melted jelly. Cover with batter until 1/2 full. Add another 2-3 tsp. melted jelly. Once all the muffin tins are 1/2 full, swirl with a toothpick first clockwise starting at the middle and then counterclockwise. If it appears swirled enough they are ready for the oven. If not, run toothpick through in straight lines like creating a tic tac toe pattern. Bake in oven 15-25 minutes.

Makes 12 regular sized muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.

Baking Mixes Easily Made Vegan, Dairy-free and Egg-free

2011-04-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

While I love to bake, there are times I just want a quick treat made from a baking mix. Everyone has days where simplicity is a necessity.

Being a stay at home parent, it seems there are always calls for bringing treats places. It is always nice to showcase vegan recipes, but I think it is also important to demonstrate how easily it can be done with a pre-made mix. Not everyone wants to start from scratch. From time to time, I'll post about mixes I've made without the dairy or eggs.

My first one is a brownie recipe. While they aren't low-fat, they are not as fattening without eggs and less oil. My husband is really the expert on brownies, as they are his favorite. What we discovered works well, is reversing the oil and water. For example, with the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate mix calls for 1/3 cup oil and 1/4 cup of water. Whenever we've followed the box, it has ended up a gooey mess. See below for how I exchanged the requested amounts.

1/3 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce (subbing for an egg)

I have a bar pan, so it required a significantly decreased amount of cooking time at 20 minutes. If you are baking in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, it will require baking at the amounts recommended on the box.

Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

2011-03-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

Ever since the vegan cookie exchange last December, I've wanted to tackle making these. After getting to scoop on how my friend Betsy made the "hershey" kisses, I decided to try making my own vegan peanut butter blossoms. It is a modification on my peanut butter cookie recipe.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar + 2-3 Tbsp. sugar to coat cookies

1/3 cup apple sauce or 2 Ener-G Egg replacer eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery sticks

2 dozen vegan "hershey" kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the margarine and sugars until creamy. Add in applesauce or egg replacer and vanilla, and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Once cookie dough is ready, roll into 1 inch size balls. Roll in sugar until completely coated. Leave in ball shape and place on cookie sheet two inches apart. Cook in oven for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on edges. After removing from oven, immediately top with vegan "hershey" kisses. The chocolate will melt and attach to the cookie. Allow to cool so chocolate can reset. Place in refrigerator to speed up the process if you like.

Vegan "Hershey" Kisses

2011-03-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

Do you ever miss having delicious "hershey" chocolate kisses? If you are like me and wish you could have them again, look no further. This past Christmas at our vegan cookie exchange, my friend Betsy made peanut butter blossoms. I inquired into how she made the kisses. I've been meaning to try it out, and finally got around to it this week.

Below are instructions to make them yourself using a microwave or stove-top method. You can choose whichever you prefer.

Vegan "Hershey" Kisses

5 oz. Semi-sweet Baker's Chocolate or vegan chocolate chips

Parchment Paper

Stove-top Instructions:

Start by melting three-quarters of the chocolate on the stove using a double broiler. I heat a small amount of water in a larger sauce pan, and melt the chocolate in a smaller pan nested in the larger one. DO NOT let water get into your chocolate, as it will seize up the chocolate. Once it is melted well, take it off of the burner and add the remaining chocolate. This tempers the chocolate, so it dries with a nice shiny finish.

Next add the chocolate to a pastry piping bag. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pipe the kiss onto the paper like you are creating a large dot. Continue to pipe it out of the bag, while slowing lifting up to create the "hershey" kiss shape. Continue with the remaining chocolate until you run out. It will make approximately 2 dozen kisses, depending on the size you make.

Microwave instructions:

Add 3/4 of the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl, and heat for 30 seconds. Take chocolate out and stir. Continue to repeat this step in 30 second increments until the chocolate is completely melted. DO NOT cook in increments longer than 30 seconds or you run the risk of burning the chocolate. Add the remaining chocolate and let it sit for a minute until the warm chocolate has melted it. This tempers the chocolate, so it dries with a nice shiny finish.

Vegan Chocolate Maple Owl Birthday Cake

2011-03-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

Somehow I forgot to share the birthday cake I made for my daughter's first birthday. It was a lot of fun, and was easy to decorate. The only challenge was piping on a the Happy Birthday message vertically. Alas, it wasn't my greatest work, but I don't think my daughter cared.

I found this idea at Parenting, and added my personal touches to it. My daughter loved the cake, and still asks to see pictures of it. Elliott immediately announced that he wanted one for his birthday. Since he has requested construction cakes the past two years, I am not so sure he will stick with his request. Either way, it was a compliment considering his preferences.

If you are interested in the details: the beak and feet are made from runts, the eyes are Oreos with miniature Oreos for the pupils, the bow is marzipan with food coloring worked in, mini pretzels made up the nest, and the ear tufts are Oreos split in half.

Breaded Crispy Tofu Strip Fingers

2011-02-23T16:01:00.001-06:00

We had some leftover tofu in the fridge, which was calling to be made before spoiling. Hence, tofu fingers were born. They were an instant success, and my son could not get enough of them. They are pretty straightforward to make.

Breaded Crispy Tofu Fingers

3 Tbsp. bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2-3 Tbsp. cooking oil

16 oz. fresh firm tofu (not Silken)

First press water out of tofu by putting it onto a plate and stacking another on top of the tofu upside down. Leave for 3-5 minutes for water to drain out, and pour off water when done. Cut the tofu into slabs about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Next slice into three parts (see picture below).

Add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil into the pan and turn onto medium heat. Next, mix all of the dry ingredients into a container, which tofu fits into easily, one tofu finger at a time. Lay the strip down on top of the breading mix. Do not shake it up, but cover it fully using a spoon (see below).

Once you have it covered, gently lift it out of the breading, letting the excess fall off. Lay it into heated pan, and then repeat until all tofu fingers are breaded. Fry on medium until golden brown on each side (about 4-5 minutes per side). I lightly sprayed them with oil before flipping the first time.

Remove from pan and serve hot. It pairs nicely with sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy!

Tiger Chocolate Peanut Butter Brittle

2011-02-20T19:08:00.002-06:00

Want a simple recipe that is sure to please? This was so easy it will become a staple dessert in our household. It has three ingredients, so you don't have to think too hard about whether or not you have everything to make it.

Vegan Tiger Peanut Butter Chocolate Brittle

8 oz. vegan white chocolate
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup peanut butter

Heat white chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments until it is completely melted. Mix in the peanut butter until fully combined. Repeat the same process for melting the semi-sweet chocolate without mixing it with anything. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pour the white chocolate/peanut butter combination onto the parchment paper and spread it around. Next drizzle the chocolate in a stripes across in one direction. To create pattern, run toothpick across the stripes in the same direction, and then the opposite way. Put into freezer for 2-5 minutes to set.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes for Your Vegan Valentine

2011-02-06T22:38:00.001-06:00

Every Valentine's Day I always bake up some goodies. I like to try out new things, so this year I came up with strawberry shortcake cupcakes, which have a vegan whipped creme filling. The kids were really excited to find the surprise filling.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
1 cup almond or soy milk
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Filling:
Soyatoo Whipping Topping.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add vinegar to almond or soy milk and set aside. Sift together all dry ingredients (cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar). Soften margarine in microwave (do not melt it completely), and add to dry ingredients.

Add remaining wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Be careful to not over mix. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once cupcakes are completely cooled. Fill cupcakes using a filling tip or cut cone shaped portions out of the top of the cupcake, add filling, and then return top. Be careful to not overfill if using a tip, as it will cause the cupcake to split.

Strawberry Frosting

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup strawberry powder (run through small weave metal colander to remove larger pieces)
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup shortening
2-3 tsp. almond or soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream together the margarine and shortening. Add in strawberry powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl in between mixing. Add almond milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing in between.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2011-02-03T17:01:00.001-06:00

First, my apologies for the lack of entries the past week and a half, but I was without a camera. Now that I've been reunited, we're back in business.

My kids love this recipe, and it has also been it hit with friends and family. Feel free to switch around the type of fruit and/or type of extract to make your own flavors. These have a nice soft and fluffy texture to them.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup oil
1 cup soy or almond milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
2-3 Tbsp. Natural Sugar (ex. Sugar in the Raw)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add all the wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Be careful to not over mix. Last, fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin tins almost full (more than 3/4 full). Sprinkle tops with about 1/2 tsp. natural sugar. Bake in oven for 18-22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Pecan Butter

2011-01-19T22:27:00.000-06:00

As you can see, there was one big fan of the maple pecan butter I made. You can see her grabbing for the toast "buttered" with the pecan butter below. She was not waiting on the green light for when mommy was finished taking her pictures.

Like the walnut butter I posted about in the fall, this is as easy to make. So simple, I wonder why making your own nut butters isn't more mainstream. It makes those expensive types like cashew, walnut, or almond butter, much more accessible to everyone.

Maple Pecan Butter

1 lb. of pecans

2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast pecans on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, until it has a nice roasted smell. Make sure to spread out the nuts, so they are not layered on top of each other. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Add the pecans to the food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, stop and scrape the sides of the processor. It will look like the picture below.

Next process again for 2-3 minutes, until it has the consistency below, stopping to scrape a couple times. Now add the maple syrup, one tablespoon at a time and mix, keep adding a tablespoon until it is sweetened to your taste. Next do the same for the salt. Be sure to not add too much maple syrup or salt, as it can affect the consistency and flavor of the pecan butter.

Once desired taste is achieved, add to a jar with a secure lid and refrigerate until use. It should be stored in the refrigerator. Below is a picture of how it looked once it was in the jar.

Lastly, I made a toasted maple pecan butter and pumpkin butter sandwich. They are a delicious combination!

Vegan Sausage Bacon Tofu Sandwich with Cheese

2011-01-13T15:04:00.000-06:00

If you find yourself missing the non-vegan version of a sausage, egg, bacon and cheese biscuit, I think this will quell any cravings for it. It is all the better for being cruelty-free.

Now we aren't big proponents of eating a lot of highly processed vegan substitutes. That being said, on rare occasions we may make something like this. My son enjoyed it quite a bit, but preferred eating the components separately.

My hubby joking said he is going to make the vegan version of a "double down." If you have no idea what that is, imagine a fast food creation which eliminates buns made of bread and replaces them with fried chicken patties. Even a vegan version sounds over the top to me.

The biscuit sandwich was made pretty easy by frying 1/4 inch thick slabs of tofu on both sides in canola oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat. The vegan sausage here is made by Lite Life and is called Gimmie Lean Sausage. The vegan bacon was made by the same company, and is called Smart Bacon. They were prepared following the instructions on the package.

The cheese is made by Bute Island and is the Sheese Smoked Cheddar variety. To make the biscuits, we use a Bisquick Heart Start mix, since we're often short on time with two young kids. If you decide to try it, just be sure to get the Heart Start kind of Bisquick, as the regular kind has trans fat in it.

Vegan Pizza Day

2011-01-11T22:58:00.003-06:00

We're looking forward to participating in Vegan Pizza Day. I haven't decided whether we'll use it as an excuse to go out to eat or if we will make our own.

I'm not going to lie, when I began the steps towards becoming vegan, I saved cheese as the last non-vegan item to eliminate from my diet. That was over a decade ago, and boy has vegan cheese options improved leaps and bounds since then.

I'm about to commit blasphemy in the vegan blogosphere. Our family likes Cheezly better than, well if your vegan you know what cheese I'm referring to. There I said it. While Daiya seems to be a front-runner for many vegans, I've found that it really depends on what I'm making what brand of cheese I use.

Daiya is perfect for pizza, since it melts well and has the texture of cheese. My skeptical sister has deemed pizza we ordered at ZPizza with Daiya as tasty. Whenever we make english muffin or bagel pizzas, Tofutti slices are our cheese of choice. They fit perfectly and melt well.

When looking for more developed, strong flavor, we like to use Sheese Smoked Cheddar. In casseroles or calzones, we prefer Cheezly. In my humble opinion Cheezly really comes the closest to "cheese" taste if that is what you seek. My non-vegan family members like to eat it plain, as do we. I appreciate a cheese that stands alone for taste.

There are a couple of types of cheese that we haven't tried yet, that I am looking forward to testing out. The first is Dr. Cow's cheese made from a variety of nuts. These sound like they'd be great with crackers. The other brand is Teese. They've recently released a new product, vegan mozzarella sticks, which I am excited to try. Vegan Essentials keeps selling out of them so fast!

These are among our favorites, what are yours? Any you recommend trying?

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

2011-01-09T22:22:00.007-06:00

If you've read my previous blog entries, you're aware of my not-so-secret love affair with chocolate and peanut butter. Last week, I was thinking about what to make for my son's birthday and suddenly it popped into my head, vegan chocolate peanut butter cup cupcakes.

As in chocolate peanut butter cups baked right into the cupcake. It took longer than your average cupcake to make, but it was well worth it. The vegan peanut butter cups were homemade, but you could buy them already made by Sjaak's or Allison's Gourmet if it suits your fancy.

The peanut butter cups were made using this recipe from a friend's vegan family blog. I used a peanut butter cup mold and filled it with the absolutely delicious filling.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

1 jar natural peanut butter

1 package of graham crackers (there are usually 3 packages per box, the Keebler original are vegan)

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 stick of softened Earth Balance Buttery Sticks margarine (not melted)

1 1/2 Boxes of Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate

Crush the graham crackers into crumbs in a food processor or in between two pieces of wax paper, rolled over with a rolling pin. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, softened margarine, and powdered sugar. Depending on the thickness, you may need to kneed it with your hands.

Using a peanut butter cup mold, coat the mold to create the cup for the filling. Put it into the freezer a couple minutes. take it out once it is hardened, and fill with the peanut butter filling. Coat the top of the coat with a layer of chocolate then put in freezer a couple minutes again. Remove when it is completely hard and shake out of mold.

Lately I've been using the crazy cake recipe that originates back to WWI, and I did for these as well. It made just over a couple dozen cupcakes. As always, I altered the recipe, but only a couple minor changes.

Crazy Cake

3 cups unbleached flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 heaping cup cocoa

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup vegetable Oil

2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add remaining wet ingredients with dry ones and mix. Do not over mix. Fill cupcake liners halfway full and add peanut butter cup to the center of the cupcake batter. Bake in oven for 11-14 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to not stab the peanut butter cup when checking with a toothpick, it should be done on the side of it. Once cooled frost with peanut butter frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

1/4 plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

2/3 cup peanut butter

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2-3 Tbsp. soy or almond milk

Cream together the margarine, shortening, and peanut butter. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and soy milk, alternating between the two. Once mixed well, beat for about five minutes until frosting is nice and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or soy milk to obtained desired texture.

Vegan and Vegetarian Family 101

2011-01-03T19:48:00.015-06:00

A friend told me her son was refusing to eat chicken when he understood what it really was. She is being supportive of his decision and exploration of his personal self, and asked for my help on some vegetarian alternatives that aren't all highly processed soy-based foods.

This got me to thinking about compiling a list of resources, which have been helpful to our family. These are merely a drop in the bucket, but a great place to start.

First and foremost, I wanted to share a site I came across, which chronicles real vegan babies and children's lives. It it a more detailed look at a vegan lifestyle, and demonstrates how a well-balanced vegan diet is a healthy option for children and babies.

The most common concerns for parents feeding their children a vegan or vegetarian diet are: nutrition, healthy recipes, and social implications.

My favorite books I have returned to time and again for raising my children vegan are: Raising Vegetarian Children by Joanne Stepaniak and Raising Vegan Children in a Non-Vegan World by Erin Pavlina.

The second book is unfortunately out of print, but there are some used copies available. If you are having trouble tracking down a copy, I recommend checking the library first or local animal rights groups which may have a copy to loan or sell. Lastly, check around with friends to see if they have one you could borrow.

While my kids are not in school yet, I couldn't resist ordering Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann. It contains many great recipes and fun ideas to spruce up lunch time for your kids. There are recipes for quick meals and more involved ones - something for everyone. In fact, sometime soon I'm going to give away a copy on here, so stay tuned.

Along with books for adults, I highly recommend Happy, Healthy Vegan Kids by Tracie DeMotte. It is loaded with lots of colorful pictures of animals, and my kids really enjoy it. I do edit it to keep it appropriate for the age. For example, there are a couple longer pages that give more detail than I think my children are ready for at their age.

Another favorite of my children is Victor's Picnic with the Vegetarian Animals by Radha Vignola. I like this one a lot, because it does a great job illustrating the myriad of vegetarian animals, from mice to gorillas to elephants.

I help run a local vegan and vegetarian family group called Vegkins, through the Animal Rights Coalition. They helped to organize a story time conducted by Teaching Compassion MN for our group. It is an excellent local resource for teachers and parents. My favorite story from that event was Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose.

For older children, I recommend That's Why We Don't Eat Animals by Ruby Roth. The pictures are somewhat darker in nature at times, and I personally decided to save this one for when my kids are school age.

There are numerous web resources available. Here are a few of my favorites:

http://spawnbetter.com/ - run by a Council of Vegan Parents, covers nutrition and social aspects
http://www.vegfamily.com/ - online magazine for vegan families, recipes, nutritional info, etc.
http://www.kidsgethealthy.org/ - everything from how to go veg, recipes, meal plans, i-phone apps, nutrition, etc.
http://vegweb.com/ - superb recipe site, which is user reviewed (weeds out blah recipes)
http://www.vegguide.org/ - community-maintained, world-wide guide to veg restaurants, grocers, etc.

Akara Black-eyed Pea Fritters

2011-01-02T20:28:00.005-06:00

Below is the recipe I promised from New Year's Eve fondue night. The ingredients are from a recipe I cut out of VegNews, but since I didn't get the next page with the instructions, I had to make it up. They were delicious, and the recipe will now join our rotation of foods.

My son Elliott couldn't get enough of these. Evelyn was more ambivalent, but it was only our first go at it. We did alter the recipe a little, because we didn't have a hot chile or fresh ginger. Instead we used a jalapeno pepper, and ground ginger.

Akara Black-eyed Pea Fritters

1 can of black-eyed peas drained

1/2 cup onion

3-4 garlic cloves minced

1 jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup red bell pepper

1 tsp. ginger

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 cup cornmeal

oil for deep frying

We threw it all into the food processor until it was well mixed, after stopping and scraping the sides a few times. The batter stuck to the spoon and had to be shaken off, so add more corn meal if it seems too runny. Deep fry for 3-5 minutes on 300 degrees.

Vegan Fondue Part Deux

2010-12-31T21:57:00.010-06:00

Last year we decided to try fondue out with the kids on New Year's Eve. After enjoying ourselves so plentifully, we elected to make a tradition out of it.

This year we tried a few new things. We did broccoli, tofu, bread, bananas, and marshmallows again, but added seitan, black eyed pea fritters, and polenta.

We learned a couple of things. Seitan cooks much faster than tofu, so we'll skip the tofu next year. Little kids don't have a whole lot of patience for waiting. Polenta was more finicky and just crumbled with the first batch we made. It was best to cut it into larger chunks and fry it on a higher setting separate from the other food. In the future, I'd save it for last or single it our for its own pot.

To keep it more simple, we had three fondue pots going verses four (thanks to Auntie Camille for the loan). One pot contained Baker's Semi-Sweet chocolate, another had Leahy's Vegan Cheese Sauce, and the last was canola oil. We did bread and broccoli in the vegan "cheese." The oil worked well for the fritters, tofu, seitan, and polenta (you can do broccoli too).

Lastly, we dipped bananas and Dandies vegan marshmallows into the chocolate. This was by far the kids favorite, which was no surprise. You can see by the look on Elliott's face, he is pretty darn happy about the chocolate covered banana.

To celebrate the New Year's, we set a clock ahead and rang in the New Year with the kids at 7:45. They really got into the toasting part of tapping your cups/glasses together. It is always the small things.

If you are interested in making the Black-eyed Pea Fritters, I'll be posting the recipe soon. Happy New Year!

Jamaican Stuffed Savory Pastries

2010-12-30T20:27:00.012-06:00

Although it was my first time making these, awhile back my husband made them, and I remembered them being quite tasty. I was eager for a shot at making them myself.

This isn't an appetizer you'll whip up quickly, if that is what you seek. I was lucky to have my hubby around this week, so I could work on these during the kids' afternoon nap.

Next time around, I've got a few ideas for speeding up the process. First, I'd probably chop it all in the food processor versus hand chopping it all. You have to let the filling cool after cooking it, which does add to the preparation time.

The adapted recipe originally comes from Cooking with Peta: Great Vegan Recipes for a Compassionate Kitchen. Although I am not a huge fan of PETA (I think the publicity stunts more hinder than help animals rights cause), the cookbooks we've received as gifts have been good.

Jamaican Stuffed Savory Pastries

Filling:

2 large onions
2 Tbsp jalapeno peppers
3-4 cloves garlic
1 large tomato
1/2 cup green onions
2 tsp. curry
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) reconstituted in 1 cup hot water and 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

For brushing on top:

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. curry
9-11 sheets of phyllo pastry (depending on size you make them)

In food processor, combine onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers. Cook in frying pan with a very light coating of oil (less than a Tbsp) on medium heat until water cooks off. In processor combine the remaining ingredients, except for the TVP. Add to cooked mixture, and cook off the water again. Remove from stove and stir in the TVP. Let mixture cool.

For brushing the tops, combine vegetable broth and curry powder in the microwave until it dissolves well. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
Cut phyllo pastry into rectangles approximately 6 inches x 5 inches. Layer 3 to 4 rectangles on top of each other, then spoon 2-3 Tbsp. of filling onto the corner. Start to roll the pastry until you have rolled it halfway. Fold in the corners like an envelope and finish rolling (like an eggroll). Place seam down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush tops with veggie broth mixture. Cook in oven 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown.

Vegan Cookie Exchange

2010-12-25T16:38:00.013-06:00

Last weekend I organized a vegan cookie exchange and have added treats to my ever growing list of favorites. My contributions were Tea Lime Pistachio and Cinnamon Pecan Swirl cookies.

The other participants brought Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtles, Soft Chewy Molasses, and Lime Shortbread cookies. Lastly there were Chocolate Peanut Marshmallow bars, which were so rich and delicious.

Our greatest dilemma was determining which kind to eat whenever we had one or two or three. They were all quite good and a nice variety. The kids loved them all and gave their thumbs up to all the treats we brought home.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtles

Tea Lime Cookies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Cinnamon Pecan Swirl

Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies

Lime Shortbread Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

Drooling yet? They were as good as they look. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Vegan BBQ Wings

2010-12-12T23:12:00.011-06:00

Sometimes you just need a quick meal. Despite your desire to turn to take out, there is probably a quick healthy option available at home. For us it was this one. It took less than 15 minutes to have it ready and on the table. We tried both Gardein's BBQ Wings and Alexia's Red Potatoes & Italian Vegetables for the first time.

The potato medley was pretty darn good considering it was frozen food. We'll definitely have these in the freezer for a night we need something really quick. We also had a wild rice pilaf (already cooked earlier in the day) which we re-heated. To top it off, we had pineapple which seemed like a nice compliment to the BBQ "Wings."

Chick Pea Loaf

2010-12-09T23:10:00.010-06:00

Something about winter makes me wish for a nice chickpea loaf. It was one of my son's favorite foods when he was a baby. It had been awhile since we had made it, so I wasn't sure of the reception it would receive.

Luckily it was a success! Once they tried that first bite, they both ate it all up. We adapted this recipe from, "The New Soul Vegetarian Cookbook."

Chickpea Loaf

2 cans of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) drained

3/4 to 1 1/2 cup croutons, bread crumbs or stuffing mix

1/3 cup canola oil

1 small onion

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. sage

1 Tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 325 F

Mix all ingredients excluding the pasta sauce in a food processor or grinder. Start out with less croutons/bread crumbs/stuffing mix, and add more to obtain a thick consistency, where it has to be spooned into the pan (it should stick to the spoon and have to be shaken off). Once it is well mixed, put it into a lightly greased 8 x 8 pan. Cook it for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add 1/2 a jar of pasta sauce on top of the loaf. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until the water cooks off the pasta sauce.

Savory Seitan Pot Pie

2010-12-02T23:08:00.013-06:00

Every year, I make this for my husband's birthday. It is his favorite dish. Since this year was Thanksgiving, I shelved it for this weekend. It is one the recipes I used to make my way into his heart. As a man with a high metabolism, he loves good ole classic comfort food.

Since it takes a little more time to make, I've doubled the recipe. We always freeze the second one for a rainy day. You can cut in half to make only one pot pie. To simplify things, I buy store made crusts and only make the tops myself. You could certainly double the crust recipe and make the bottom crust yourself.

Pot Pie

1 lb. seitan
2 cups potatoes
1 bag frozen peas, carrots, and corn
1 medium onion chopped
1 3/4 cup water1
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 ready-made pie crusts

Pie covering
2-3 cups flour
1/3 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1/4- 1/2 cup water as needed

Boil cubed potatoes and save cooking water.

In a separate large stew pot, on medium low, saute onions in oil until they are tender. Next add the flour, and yeast. Whisk until creamy. Add 1 3/4 cup of cooking water and soy milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spices, potatoes, tofu or seitan, and frozen vegetables and continue to simmer. Simmer until the consistency desired is achieved (thicker pot pie sauce), then pour mix into the two ready-made crusts. Cover with pie crust dough (see preparation instructions below).

In bowl mix margarine into flour using a fork to press it down. Do this until the margarine is well mixed and starts to become doughy. Add water as needed to get mix to stick together, but use only a small amount (1/4 cup at most). Knead into a ball, then separate it to make two balls. Roll out with rolling pin, then cover pie. Slit a few lines in top crust and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Dairy Free Vegan Advent Calendar

2010-12-02T14:33:00.006-06:00

Yesterday we got to start our vegan advent calendars we got from Vegan Essentials. The kids were so excited! Of course they were ready to eat the second day's chocolate as well. It will take a couple days for them to get the concept down.

In the meantime, I've had to put theirs into a locked cabinet, as Elliott already tried to burglarize his. I can't say I blame him, but it does take the fun out of it if you eat them all up right away.

If you missed the boat on getting one this year, order in early November next year as I've noticed they run out fast. Another option is to make your own or buy one you can put your own treats into each year.

There is a really cute log cabin one, which has a different forest animal behind each door at Gardener's, but the price has always been limiting to our purchasing it. This year I plan to see if it goes on sale after the holidays. It is always the best time to get any holidays decorations.

Vegan Mofo: Last Day, Simply Spaghetti

2010-11-29T23:14:00.007-06:00

Well today I'm wrapping up my last post for vegan Mofo. While I didn't get in my five posts a week, I still feel that I did pretty well.

I will do my best to continue providing information about the cost of each meal I post. It illustrates how easy it is to feed your family vegan. Check out the USDA's four different meal plans, for an idea of the average cost to feed a family. In October this year, the low-cost to moderate plans ranged from spending $148.80 to $183.70 per week for meals. Our family easily falls into this range.

Many of the meals I made this month, would be great options for public school system's cafeteria food, which is often unhealthy. There is a great campaign led by PCRM to revolutionize the lunch program to provide more healthy options to our children. Fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and protein variety, what a concept!

Items Used for Meal:

1) Organic Spaghetti ($1.00, Trader Joe's)

2) Pre-made Falafel ($2.00, Costco)

3) Organic Marinara Sauce ($2.00, Trader Joe's))

4) 1/3 Package Organic Steamed Broccoli ($1.00, Trader Joe's)

5) 2 Organic Apples, ($1.00, Trader Joe's)

Total Time Spent Making Meal: 20 minutes

Total Cost of Meal for Family of Four: $7.00, or $1.75 per person

White Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

2010-11-29T23:00:00.007-06:00

Last summer my husband made an adapted version of these for my birthday, his first attempt at making cupcakes, and they turned out incredible. There were rave reviews all around from these tasty treats.

Every 7 years, my husband's birthday falls on Thanksgiving. This year happens to be one of those times, so we had cupcakes alongside the pecan pie and pumpkin pie truffles I made.

If you are living in the twin cities like me, you can pick up some vegan white chocolate at Ethique Nouveau, an all vegan store in town. If not, it available at many co-ops or Whole Foods. Still no luck? Try online from Pangea, Vegan Essentials, or try making your own. My adapted recipe is below. It will not disappoint!

White Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 ounces white chocolate, melted

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 Tbsp vinegar

Filling:

1/2 cup melted seedless raspberry jelly

1/2 cup frosting (see recipe below)

Frosting:

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or margarine, softened

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 Tbsp soy milk or coconut milk

8 ounces white chocolate, melted

1-2 Tbsp. raspberry powder

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F

First, mix the soy milk and coconut milk (beverage, not from a can) with vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and mix. Whisk together remaining curdled milk mixture with the lemon extract, oil and vanilla. Melt the white chocolate slowly in the microwave, heating it 30 seconds at a time, then stirring, and repeat until it has a smooth texture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with 2/3 cup of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make filling, combine raspberry jelly and frosting until creamy. You can fill the cupcakes using a special tip made for filling baked goods, or cut out small cones from tops of cupcakes, filling them, then replacing the tops. The holes should be approximately 1/2″ across and 1/2″ deep). If you have the filling tip, insert it into the middle of the cupcake and fill it with about a tablespoon of frosting or to your preference.

To make frosting, beat margarine and shortening until fluffy. Slowly add confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until creamy. Melt white chocolate as before, and add to frosting and mix well. Add vanilla extract and soy milk, and beat until fluffy (add more sugar and/or soymilk if you need it, until you get the right texture). Generously pipe or spread onto filled cupcakes. Top each cupcakes by sprinkling with raspberry powder, a raspberry, or a gumdrop. I often use fruit powders to flavor and/or color cupcakes, frostings, and other desserts.

Cupcake

Vegan Mofo: Hearty Irish Stew

2010-11-28T20:30:00.000-06:00

My son has been requesting this stew for awhile. Yesterday we finally got around to making it, or I should say my husband made it. He is always the one who makes it, because it is his recipe. We originally came up with the idea in the first place while looking for ideas of what to serve at our rehearsal dinner at The Local.

It is my favorite stew, and fits perfectly with the current brisk weather we've been having lately. Another possible name for it could be Irish Root Stew with rutabaga, sweet potatoes, carrots, and potatoes.

Hearty Irish Stew:

2 medium onions chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup unbleached flour
4 c. water
One package (8 oz or more) seitan
1 cup carrot, sliced into rounds
1 cup rutabagas, peeled and diced
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup sweet potatoes
1/2 cup split red lentils
1 Tbsp. parsley
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 vegetarian or soy bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. EACH parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (the hubbu insisted I type it this way)
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large, lightly oiled, heavy pot, steam-fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the flour and water, then stir around thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are done.

Items Used for Meal:
1) Seitan ($3.79, Whole Foods)
2) 1 cup rutabaga & organic: potato, sweet potato, carrots ($4.00, Trader Joes & Whole Foods)
3) Lentils ($.25, Whole Foods)
4) Spices, flour, vegetable bouillion, soy sauce ($2.00, Whole Foods)
5) Organic Onions & Garlic ($0.50, Trader Joe's)
6) Nutrional Yeast ($0.25, The Wedge Co-op)

Total Time Spent Making Meal: 15 minutes preparation & 30 minutes to cook

Total Cost of Meal for Family of Four: $10.79, or about $1.79 per person (Note two bowls of soup make leftovers, so I divided the total cost by 6

Pecan Pie Truffles

2010-11-24T02:06:00.000-06:00

A couple years back, I made these for the first time to substitute for pecan pie at our annual vegan Thanksgiving we host. Now I am not sure if you are familiar with any southern folk, but if there is one thing they take seriously, it is their pecan pie. In Georgia, where I was born, there are many pecan tree groves, and you can buy fresh bags of them on the side of the road. Essentially pecan pie is a Thanksgiving staple down there.

As they were passed around the table, my family each took one with a reluctant look upon their faces. I had made a test batch prior to the meal, so I knew they were amazing. After taking one bite, they all exclaimed, "this tastes EXACTLY like pecan pie." The recipe was requested after a few more truffles were consumed, and no one ever eats only one.

The recipe originates from VegNews, but I've slightly altered the recipe to make it more kid-friendly (ie almond milk instead of bouborn). There are more note-worthy changes in the technique, which I'll share with you below. They sell a eCookbook Holiday Cookie Collection, which contains the original recipe. If you are looking for more ideas, you should check it out. I highly recommend it.

Pecan Pie Truffles

2 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package of Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

In a food processor, grind up graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Note that 1 packages of Keebler Graham crackers equals about a cup graham cracker crumbs. After they have been ground up, add in the remaining ingredients, mix until well combined. Using a plastic sandwich bag, squeeze the filling into balls about an inch in diameter. Place onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper and put it into the freezer for a 2-4 hours.

Before removing them from the freezer, start melting three-quarters of the chocolate on the stove using a double broiler. I simply heat a small amount of water in a larger sauce pan on medium-low heat, and in a smaller pan nested in the larger one melt the chocolate. DO NOT let water get into your chocolate, as it will seize up. Once it is melted well, take it off of the burner and add the remaining chocolate. This tempers the chocolate so it dries with a nice shiny finish once it dries. Dip the balls into the chocolate to coat them well, then put them back onto the cookie sheet to harden.

Note: you can use chocolate chips, but it is more difficult to get them to temper properly. They will need to be put into the freezer to harden the chocolate or they will take a couple hours to dry.

Cake Eater Bakery

2010-11-23T01:44:00.000-06:00

Way back early last summer, I purchased a deal for 50% off of $40.00 worth of baked goods. I was quite excited to hear of another option for vegan goodies. If you've followed this blog you'd notice the heavy influence of my sweet tooth.

I really enjoy baking, so it took awhile to get around to using the coupon. We picked up four different types of cupcakes and a couple muffins. The cupcakes were: gluten-free, chocolate cinnamon, apple spice, and chocolate pumpkin. Lastly were the lemon black tea muffins. These were by far our favorite, though we couldn't taste the tea. My hubby wasn't fond of the crunchier outer edge of the muffins.

The cupcakes were okay, but I wouldn't spend $3 a cupcake there again. We wanted to like them, really wanted to. They weren't awful, but weren't anything to write home about. They all were more muffin like in texture than a cupcake. Some were really dry, while others too dense. Hopefully they will look further for great vegan recipes. In the meantime, skip the cupcakes and get a muffin. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, because the ones brought to the Vegkins Halloween party were getting good reviews. We'll probably check them out again, to be sure.

Vegan Mofo: Vegan Pigs in a Blanket

2010-11-22T11:19:00.000-06:00

Remember those vegan pigs in a blanket I mentioned yesterday? Well we decided tonight we would have to take a shot at making them. The kids have never had them before, but were really excited to prepare them.

First and foremost though, Elliott had to confirm it wasn't really made out of pigs. Yep that is right, doing his mama and papa proud. I think compassion for ALL animals comes naturally to children if you allow it to develop on its own. That got me to thinking of a better name for the vegan version of pigs in a blanet. If you've got a good idea, please pass it along.

As you can see, the kids loved helping out again. They brushed the veggie dogs with some olive oil to help prevent them from drying out in the oven. We added a little vegan cheese in them, and wrapped them up. They were pretty tasty dipped in ketchup or mustard. Next time, we'll roll the dough out a little thinner, but other than that I wouldn't change anything.

Items Used for Meal:
1) Pre-made dough ($1.00, Trader Joe's),
2) 1 package of Smart life veggie dogs ($2.39 Trader Joes)
3) 1/4 block Cheezly Soy Free Cheese ($1.33, Vegan Essentials)
4) 1/3 Package Organic Steamed Broccoli ($1.00, Trader Joe's)
5) 1 pint Organic Raspberries, ($3.29, Trader Joe's)

Total Time Spent Making Meal: 20 minutes, without kids it would have taken about 10-15 minutes

Total Cost of Meal for Family of Four: $9.01, or $2.25 per person