Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole (Vegan)
Posted: October 18, 2012 Filed under: Italian, Main Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: cooking with dry chickpeas, italian chickpea bread casserole, plant-based whole foods recipes, savory bread pudding, vegan bread casserole Leave a comment
Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole
(Rachel, the daughter)
This weekend we had our first family stomach virus, a true milestone in parenting. Jackson woke up on Saturday morning sick. Sunday night, I went to bed early, my queasy stomach telling me I too had been bitten by the bug.
I’ll spare you all the details, but at the pinnacle of our monumental family milestone, Jackson woke up crying around 3am. Jared tried to console him to no avail, so he brought him to me to nurse him in bed. Within seconds Jackson was calm. And seconds after that, I pulled away, tossed him back to Jared and ran to our bathroom.
Through the walls, I could hear our poor baby bawling. I felt terrible, but knew his daddy had him until I could get to him again. And then I heard sounds echoing my own from the other bathroom.
Oh no. Not Jared too.
As soon as I could, I rushed to Jackson’s room. Pitiful baby was sitting up in his crib with all the lights on in nothing but a sloppily placed diaper, sobbing. Apparently, daddy had been bitten by the bug mid diaper change.
I re-aligned his diaper, zipped him back into his footie pajamas and rocked and nursed him. I prayed “God, just 10 minutes. Please just give me 10 minutes to get him back to sleep in his crib.” He answered and gave me exactly enough time, no more, no less.
These are the moments I wondered about before having kids. The last stomach virus I had was in my first trimester when I was pregnant with Jackson. It was the first time I truly feared becoming a mom and questioned whether I had what it took for the life long commitment of motherhood. I wondered if I’d be able to handle sickness with a baby or child or the sleepless nights. And now I know, it may be really hard, but apparently I can do it. I’ve been to the edge (of the toilet seat) and back. I’ve conquered the throne. I’ve, well, you get the jist of it. I somehow feel accomplished now. Like I’ve come into my own as a mom.
So what if I laid on the floor and let Jackson eat peanut butter straight from the jar for lunch. So what if we watched two episodes of Sesame Street from the DVR. So what if I still have cheerio crumbs and peanut butter stuck in my carpet. So what. I did it. I made it through. Some days that’s the best you can do, just make it through. And I did.
Today I finally felt like my normal self again. After little but broth and pasta for the last couple of days, I was in the mood for a real meal. This Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole hit the spot. It’s warm and comforting and, though it takes a little while to simmer and cook, was very simple to make.
I love the different textures in this dish: crunchy on top, fluffy soft cloud-like in the middle, chewiness in the chickpeas. A texture party in my mouth.
Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole
Serves 6
Ingredients
½ pound chickpeas, soaked or 2 cans drained and rinsed
16 oz crushed tomatoes w/ basil
2 c. veggie broth or water
1 t. coconut or brown sugar
1 t. balsamic vinegar
2 T. dried minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups small tomatoes, whole (I used 8-9 campari tomatoes ) or 16 oz of canned whole tomatoes
8 pieces of bread, (I used Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain bread)
Olive Oil for brushing bread
Salt & Pepper
Optional Garnish of Caramelized Balsamic Onions
1 onion, sliced
1 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Earth Balance
1 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 t. coconut or brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Few twists of cracked pepper
Directions
Drain soaked chickpeas and return to large pot. Add first eight ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Then simmer covered on low for 30-45 minutes (until chickpeas are cooked through—if using canned chickpeas you can cut time to 15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet, line up bread slices and brush one side with a little olive oil. Place in oven (you can start while it’s still preheating) and bake until the bread is hard, but not burnt (I baked mine for 15 minutes, flipped it and baked for another 15).
In a high-sided casserole dish, lay out four of your pieces of toast. Breaking them up as needed to fit. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
No need for perfection, just fit it in there.
When your chickpeas are cooked through, pour half of the tomato mixture over the bread. Then repeat with the remaining bread and tomato mixture.
Simmering chickpeas with the tomatoes and seasoning.
Sprinkle the top with salt and fresh crack pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
While this is baking, you can either kick back and relax, make a side salad or veggie and or caramelize some balsamic onions for the top of the casserole. It’s good either way, but who doesn’t love a little caramelized onion on just about anything?
Balsamic Caramelized Onions — you can actually cook down more than this if you have more patience than I do (or don’t have a whiny toddler at your feet testing every patient bone in your body :))
Directions for Optional Balsamic Caramelized Onion
Pour oil and butter into a cold skillet, heat to medium and add onions. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 more minutes or until the onions are soft, brown and completely cooked through.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Italian Chickpea Bread Casserole (Vegan)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Nut Butter Banana Hemp Shake (Vegan, High-Protein, Kid-Friendly)
Posted: October 13, 2012 Filed under: Beverages and Smoothies, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: dairy-free, gluten-free, hemp seeds, high protein vegan shake, nut-free, peanut butter banana smoothie, soy-free, sunflower seed butter 2 Comments
When your kid begs you for a drink of your high-protein, high-fiber shake full of essential aminos and omegas, you call it quits on your food blog photo shoot and hand over the shake.
(Rachel, the daughter)
I just wrote a long boring post about how exhausting this week has been. Then I hit delete. #boringsnoring #toughenup #writersblock #speakinginhashtagsiswayeasierthanwritingblogsandbooks
I think Instagram and Twitter are ruining my ability to write in full sentences. I mean, do you really need a full explanation when a hashtag and a picture say it all?
#badidea #meltdownonaisletwo #tinycartsarethedevil
#lifewithatoddler #enoughsaid
#joy #bubbles #lovehim
In the spirit of quick and easy, here’s a recipe that has saved me on many an exhausted morning or afternoon this week. High in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, it’s the perfect breakfast or post-park snack for adults and little ones.
#simple #healthy #kid-friendly #10gramsofprotein #6gramsoffiber
Nut Butter Banana Hemp Shake
Makes one 1-cup serving
Ingredients
1 banana (Frozen or thawed)
2 T. nut butter (Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, or mix of any combination)
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or your preferred milk)
1/2 T. hemp seeds
1/2 c. ice
Directions
Blend first four ingredients together for 60 seconds. Add ice and blend until ice chunks are gone. That’s it. Enjoy!
Almond milk + nut butter + banana + hemp seed = #mynewfavshake
I did some quick pen and paper calculations on the one I made today (not pictured). I used half sunflower seed butter and half organic peanut butter. It had about 19 grams of fat, 300 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 6.5 grams of fiber. Remember the fat comes from seeds and nuts, which are good healthy fats.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Nut Butter Banana Hemp Skake (Vegan, High-Protein, Kid-Friendly)
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Kg
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Creamy Mushroom Soup and Topless Veggie Pot Pie (Two for One Recipe)
Posted: October 4, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: creamy mushroom soup, garlic mushroom potato soup, topless pot pie, vegan cream of mushroom soup, vegan shepherds pie, vegetarian pot pie 4 Comments
Three ingredients make the base for two comforting dishes.
(Rachel, the daughter)
Today was a gorgeous day, a two park kind of day.
Jackson and I started our morning with a walk to the little park in our neighborhood. He was happily throwing wood chips onto the slide when a man jogged past us. Jackson immediately took off, climbed out of the wood chip-filled playground pit and chased after the man, hollering “Da Da, Da Da.”
To my child’s credit, the man was bald like his daddy. He is close to the same age and height as his daddy with a similar build. The man was wearing nothing but a pair of royal blue athletic shorts almost identical to his daddy’s coaching shorts. In fact, the only tiny difference I could see between the jogger and his daddy was that the jogger’s bald head and broad shoulders were as black as a cup of coffee and his daddy is as white as a splash of cream.
I quickly grabbed Jackson and distracted him pointing to a fountain in the pond nearby. Thankfully, I don’t think the guy heard him. That could have been an awkward conversation. Um sorry, he thinks your his dad. Well, I mean, you look kind of like his dad. Not really. You’re bald and wear blue shorts that’s kind of it. Well, uh, have a nice run. I’ll see you at the paternity results hearing. Haha. Just kidding. <<Insert me laughing overly loud at my own bad joke.>>
We headed home for lunch and nap time, then met a friend at our city park. After a busted lip (Jackson’s) on the playground equipment, we meandered over to the volleyball pit, or in a 1-year old’s world, the biggest sandbox ever. Within minutes, Jackson dropped to his knees, held his hands up to the sky, then dropped them to the ground in an “I’m not worthy” bow. With his mouth wide-open, he took a big bite of sand, sat back up on his knees and smiled. Whoa-oa-oa-oa!! Excellent! Party Time! (Are Wayne’s World references out of style yet?)
Yes, today was a two park kind of day, a soak in the sun and giggle at my crazy kid kind of day. This weekend we had our first rainy cold front, though. It was a cuddle up and eat a bowl of warm soup kind of weekend. On Saturday, I sauteed up a whole bulb of garlic and a pound of mushrooms for a big batch of creamy potato soup. And on Sunday, I combined two of the coziest most comforting recipes, pot pie and shepherds pie, and made a topless veggie pot pie using the potato soup as the filling.
These two healthy recipes will warm you up without sacrificing your figure for those glorious two park days that pop up in between Texas cold fronts.
Creamy Garlic, Potato, and Mushroom Soup
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
6 c. sliced mushrooms
1 head of garlic (10-12 cloves), cloves peeled and gently smashed
8 small red potatoes, quartered
2 c. almond milk
2 c. mushroom or veggie broth or leftover potato water
s&p to taste
Directions
In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are fork tender.
Heat olive oil on medium heat in a skillet, add mushrooms and stir occasionally until they soft and browned. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, saute until garlic is translucent. (Hint: Smash unpeeled garlic with the side of a wide chef’s knife to quickly pop off the peel and smash the clove simultaneously.)
Add garlic after mushrooms are browned and soft.
In a food processor, blend mushrooms and garlic (minus a few for garnish if desired), add potatoes and 1 cup of liquid. Blend again. Add remaining liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste (it may take up to a few teaspoons.) Blend until smooth. If needed, warm up on medium low in the pot the potatoes were cooking in.
Be sure to reserve 1 1/2 – 3 cups of soup for a pie or two!
Perfect for a rainy day
Topless Veggie Pot Pie
(using leftover Creamy Mushroom Soup)
3-4 servings (if you’re like me, you’ll wish you made two pies, so I suggest doubling the recipe)
Ingredients
1 9″ pie crust (I used Wholly Wholesome’s Organic Spelt Pie Crust which is vegan)
1 small onion
2 c. frozen mixed veggies (I used an organic corn, green bean, peas, and carrots blend)
1 1/2 c. creamy mushroom soup (see recipe above)
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium to medium high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, saute until soft. Add vegetables and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute five more minutes. Pour in mushroom soup and season with nutmeg. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour mixture into pie filling. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove and cover pie crust edges with foil.
Cover the edges half way through cooking to prevent the crust from burning.
Cook for another 20 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
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The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: PCreamy Mushroom Soup and Topless Veggie Pot Pie (Two for One Recipe)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Fall into Cobbler – Pumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Cobbler
Posted: September 27, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tags: autumn cobbler, butternut squash dessert, fall desserts, pumpkin spice butternut squash cobbler 4 Comments
Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix make the perfect Fall Cobbler
(Rachel, the daughter)
“What is the maximum number of years a president can hold office?” I asked Jared while sipping my latte.
“I know it’s not eight,” I pondered out loud.
“10…that’s right. It’s ten,” flipping over the Trivial Pursuit card before giving Jared a chance to guess.
“I need questions like, ‘Who won MasterChef this season?” or ‘What is the name of the flying ferry on Sesame Street?'”
It was 7:30pm on Saturday night and we had 30 minutes to kill before needing to be home to our baby. So after our dinner date, we settled into a little coffee shop and grabbed an old box off the game shelf for a rousing round of trivia. If you count reading the question followed by the answer “playing” a trivia game.
As we left, Jared noted the two young baristas had been watching us. “I couldn’t tell if they thought we were pathetic or adorable,” he said. I can see how ending a date at 8:00pm with a trivia game might seem pathetic to someone in a different season of life. But in this new season of coming home early to rock our baby to bed and of frazzled memories that can hardly recall what day it is, let alone who was president in 1962, I happen to think these little moments are adorable.
I like the change of the seasons. Summer is winding down, and while it’s the “fun” time of year to let loose and live a little, I’m ready for some modest cardigans and comfortable boots again. Ready to trade in lazy days at the pool for brisk heart-healthy walks to the park, ready to bid farewall to melons and cucumbers and hello to fifty shades of pumpkin!
When I was younger, I often helped my mom make an easy peach cobbler. It was just a big can of peaches, a yellow cake mix, and a stick of butter, I think. You basically dumped it all into a cake pan and baked it. In celebration of changing seasons, I’ve made a grown-up autumn twist on that old easy summer favorite using butternut squash and pumpkin spice bread mix. It’s like the fun easy cobbler of my youth grew up and now has more depth and flavor.
A fall twist on an old summer favorite.
Pumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Cobbler
Ingredients
2 lb, ~ 6 c. butternut squash, cut into small cubes (Found mine pre-cubed at Costco)
4 T. butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
2 T. sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 package Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix
1 c. water
1/3 c. oil
Optional toppings: Crushed gingersnaps or nuts (pecans or almonds), whipped cream or ice cream.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8 1/2 x 11 cake pan, mix butternut squash, butter, and sugar.
My kitchen helper.
Bake squash for 15 minutes. Meanwhile combine pumpkin spice bread mix, water, and oil in a bowl.
Quality control.
Remove the butternut squash from the oven, pour the batter into the squash pan and stir to combine. Put back in oven for 30 minutes.
Remove and serve as is or top with ice cream or crushed ginger bread cookies, almonds or pecans.
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The Title: Fall into Cobbler – Pumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Cobbler
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Buttery Tofu and Vegetables with Spicy Plum Sauce
Posted: September 20, 2012 Filed under: Asian Dishes, Main Dishes, Sauces and Dressings, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: buttery tofu vegan, italian prune plums costco, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted cabbage, spicy plum sauce 2 Comments
Italian Prune Plums, just a small portion of my 3 pound Costco purchase.
I bought three pounds of fresh prunes.
I’ve never bought a single fresh prune, let alone three pounds of them.
What was I thinking?
Well, I was thinking “What a deal, three pounds of prunes for only $7!”
At Costco, among the pallets of 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of toilet paper bigger than my bathroom, three pounds of prunes and $7 purchases seem like nothing … until the cashier tells me the total sum of all my “little” purchases and I try to find room in my crisper, already filled with a 10-pound bag of organic carrots, for the case of prunes.
Technically, I think they are plums, Italian Prune Plums. They taste and look a lot like plums, just a little more tart. Jackson and I enjoyed snacking on them fresh out of the over-stuffed crisper drawer for awhile. I put them on a pizza, with caramalized onions, vegan applewood sausage, walnuts, spinach, broccoli, and grapes. Prune pizza, who knew it would taste like a little slice of sweet and savory heaven?
One night, I chopped them up and threw them in pot on the stove while I heated up some of another impulse Costco purchase, a huge box of spring rolls. Can you see I have a problem? Anyway, the prune plums reduced into this gorgeous sweet red sauce. With a dash of spicy chili paste, it made the perfect dip for a spring roll. Though I could eat egg rolls and pizza every night, I probably shouldn’t. So, I needed a recipe that would really make a dent in my prune inventory without putting unsightly dents on my thighs. Last night, I made the prune plum sauce again and served it with buttery roasted vegetables and tofu over brown rice. All the flavors were rich and deep and the colors were so beautiful.
I’m almost out of prunes now and I’m tempted to buy three more pounds.
All the ingredients people love to hate–prunes, brusel sprouts, tofu, and cabbage–in one glorious dish that proves those haters wrong.
Buttery Tofu and Vegetables with Spicy Plum Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
Buttery Tofu and Veggies
- 2 slices of tofu, lightly pressed with paper towel to absorb extra water
- 1 c. Cabbage sliced into thin long strips
- 1 c. Carrots, cut into thin long strips
- 1/2 c. Onions, sliced into thin long strips
- 1 c. Brussel sprouts, sliced in half
- 1 T. Earth Balance or prefered butter
- 1 T. Olive Oil
- 1 T. Braggs Amino Acid (or Low Sodium Soy Sauce)
- 1 t. Agave + a extra drizzle for tofu
- 1 t. Kosher Salt
- 1 t. Fresh Cracked Pepper
- sprinkle of dried parsley, optional for color
Spicy Prune Plum Sauce
- 2 c. Italian prune plums (or any variety of plums), chopped into small chunks
- 1 t. Chinese chili paste
- 1 t. Agave
- 1/4 t. salt
Serve with brown rice.
Directions
Buttery Veggies and Tofu
Coat veggies and tofu with sweet and salty buttery blend.
Preheat oven to 400. (My oven has a convection roast setting that works nicely for this, but you certainly don’t need it). Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and spread out sliced veggies and tofu. Mix butter, oil, Bragg’s, agave, salt and pepper, and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the veggies and tofu. Drizzle tofu with a little extra agave and a pinch of parsley for color. Cook vegetables and tofu, stirring veggies after about 10 minutes. Roast until the carrots, onions, and cabbage are soft and the Brussel sprouts are golden brown, 20-30 minutes total.
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in these veggies. These pretty multi-colored
Buttery, flaky, and moist tofu reminded me of baked fish.
Plum Sauce
Chop up plums into small dices.
Chop plums into small dices, heat on medium heat for five minutes, stirring often. Add agave, chili paste, and salt. Continue to cook and stir for about five more minutes or until the plums turn into a beautiful red chunky sauce. Delicious with a bite of buttery flaky tofu or with fried spring rolls.
Sweet and spicy, this plum sauce was the star of the plate.
Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
Posted: September 13, 2012 Filed under: Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: apple sage field roast recipes, italian, sausage and peppers, vegan sausage 1 Comment
Sometimes the simplest meals are the best ones. I can tell this easy one skillet dish with classic flavors is going to be a family favorite.
The day I turned 17, I drove 20 miles out of my small town to look for a part-time job. That was how I chose to spend my birthday. I loved school and my friends, but I was eager to experience the world. The first place that was hiring was a restaurant called Johnny Carino’s Italian Kitchen, they’ve since shortened the name to Carino’s Italian. The managers interviewed me that day and offered me a job on the spot. It was one of my proudest moments. I had gone out into the world and “made it.”
I took my hostessing job very seriously, organizing systems to make sure every waiter got the same amount of tables, the kitchen didn’t get slammed, and guests were greeted and seated promptly or quoted an accurate wait time. I loved it. The multi-tasking, the smell of roasted garlic drizzled with olive oil and herbs, Frank Sinatra crooning over the speakers, the dim light, the kind and the quirky guests, the power of controlling the flow of the restaurant. Waiters, be kind to your hostess, for she knows who the $20 tipper is, she knows his kids’ names and she knows you can impress him by greeting him with his glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Be good to her and she may seat him in your section and share the inside scoop with you. She also knows the $2 tippers. Be kind to your hostess, waiters, and she’ll be kind to you.
From my hostess stand, I could see the open kitchen where the chefs pulled pizza out of the brick oven and sent out scalding hot plates of baked lasagna. I remember the sound of the skillets sizzling and the trail of smoke that followed the food runner as they delivered the piping hot skillet filled with spaghetti, spicy marinara, sausage, onions and peppers to the hungry guests.
Almost twelve years after taking that job in the “big city,” here I am living 20 miles in a different direction from that same Italian restaurant, back in a small town, happy to no longer work in the “real world.” Funny how life works and time changes us.
I got the hankering for Carino’s classic skillet dish the other day and created a simple vegan version using Apple Sage Field Roast grain meat sausages (100% vegan, soy-free). I don’t use a lot of fake meat products because they are so processed and full of non-organic soy, but these sausages are different. I know what every ingredient is: filtered water, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed safflower oil, nonsulfered dried apples, yukon gold potatoes, yeast extract, onion powder, barley malt, garlic, hickory smoke, natural flavoring with torula yeast, sea salt, spices, sage. At least you know what’s in this sausage! Plus, it tastes delicious in this dish and packs 26 grams of protein per link. (I don’t have any ties to Field Roast, I just really like their product.)
Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 package of whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente (1-2 minutes less than recommended cooking time)
- ~2 T. olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced in thin strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
- 2 links of Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast Sausages, chopped into rounds
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin “chips”
- 2 cups of spicy pasta sauce (I used Emeril’s Kicked Up Tomato Sauce in a jar, my Arrabiata Sauce would be great too.)
Directions
Generously coat a large skillet (iron or stainless steel work better than a nonstick for this recipe) with olive oil and heat on medium heat. When warm, add onions and saute for a few minutes until they start to get soft. Add bell peppers and sausage and turn to almost med-high heat, stir every minute or so until the onions, bell peppers, and sausage are slightly charred. Turn off heat. Stir in garlic chips for a couple of minutes. Stir in al dente pasta and pasta sauce. You can turn heat back on to warm the sauce, but I didn’t need to. Serve immediately.
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The Title: Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Raspberry Mocha Pudding
Posted: September 5, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: coconut yogurt, coffee, dairy-free, gluten-free, mocha pudding, nuvia instant coffee, so delicious chocolate yogurt, vegan Leave a comment
Rasberry Mocha Pudding, a seriously energizing snack.
Rachel, the daughter
I used to be organized. My house used to be clean. I used to be prompt. I loved those things about me. I was that girl, that girl that appeared to have her life together.
Motherhood is humbling. I’ll leave it at that, without describing the current condition of my home.
This morning was Jackson’s first day of Mother’s Day Out. Last week at Meet the Teacher the teachers gave me a big cut out construction fish with, I’m sure, instructions on what to do with it.
At 11:00pm last night, just as my head finally hit the pillow, I remembered something about family photos for the fish. I think he needs pictures so they can decorate the fish, I thought. Of course, I’ve yet to print a single one of the 2,000 (I wish I was exaggerating) photos I’ve taken since Jackson was born. So I crawled out of bed and ordered some from a 24 hour Walgreens and set my alarm 20 minutes earlier so I could pick them up in the morning. I was so proud of myself for remembering the instructions and for pulling it off, even if I by the skin of my teeth. And though slightly late, we weren’t the last ones to arrive. I’ll take it.
I walked in and bumped into a friend whose daughter is in Jackson’s class. She was holding her daughter’s fish and it was the most beautifully decorated construction paper fish I’d ever seen. It had her daughter’s name in cute little die cut patterned letters, glitter, and a perfectly placed collage of their family’s recent professional photos.
We were supposed to decorate the fish?, I sighed. I thought the kids were going to decorate them!
I didn’t pull it off. I wasn’t the mom who had it all together. On the first day of “school,” Jackson had a sad blank fish.
Fortunately, he’s one and had no idea he was that kid with that mom.
Later, I got a text from his teacher that said “Good eater! He has done sooo well this morning! Perfect child. :)” And when I picked him up the teachers commented at how delicious his lunch looked. I may not be the craftiest mom or the most prompt mom, but I’m raising a good eater! He ate up most of his spinach, bean, and avocado rice pilaf and all of his grapes, and most of his coconut yogurt sprinkled with hemp seeds. He was happy and played well and didn’t cry when I left. He even took a nap on his big boy mat.
Maybe I’m not failing, maybe my priorities have just shifted with motherhood.
But you better believe he’ll have a pimped out fish to bring to school on Thursday morning.
After Mother’s Day Out, Jackson stood at the counter in his FunPod stool and munched on Super Green puffs, while I whipped up this deceptively healthy afternoon pick-me-up for myself. If I still worked at an office, I would totally pack this as my afternoon snack for that slump when you just need a little something to nibble on and a gentle jolt of energy to get through the rest of the day.
When you don’t have time for coffee and breakfast (or a snack)…
Raspberry Mocha Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 container of So Delicious Chocolate Cultured Coconut Milk (or chocolate pudding)
- Slightly less than 1 T. of instant coffee
- 3/4 cup organic raspberries (divided)
- Coconut milk (I used canned coconut milk, but I think any creamer would work — half and half, whipping cream, regular coconut or almond milk)
- Chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts)
Chocolate Coconut Yogurt, Nuvia Instant Coffee, Organic Raspberries
Directions
Blend the chocolate yogurt or pudding and instant coffee. Add 1/2 c. rasberries, pulse for a few seconds. With a spoon, stir in remaining raspberries, cream to taste, and top with chopped nuts (not pictured.)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
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The Title: Rasberry Mocha Pudding
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-FP
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Kid-Friendly, Vegan-Friendly, Simply-Friendly – Alberta Street in Portland
Posted: August 30, 2012 Filed under: Reviews, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tags: alberta arts district, Alberta street portland, kid-friendly portland, oakshire overcast espresso stout, vegan buffalo wings, vegan chicken fried steak, vita cafe Leave a comment
Vita Cafe in Portland’s Alberta Arts District.
My first post-convention meal in Portland was a quarter of a mostly brown avocado and a peanut butter bagel I scrounged together from snacks I packed in my suitcase. Not exactly the kind of veg-friendly Portland grub I had been anticipating.
After the International Food Blogger Conference this weekend, my mom and I (and baby foodie Jackson) met up with my sister-in-law and nephew to explore Portland. By a miracle of God, we squeezed three adults, a baby in a car seat, a toddler in a booster, four suitcases, two backpacks, one diaper bag, two totes filled to the top with swag from the conference, a stroller, and a bag of legos into a little Toyota Corolla. Starving, we headed to the new hotel to unload and get ready for an early dinner, but the hotel didn’t have our room ready. Not willing to drive much farther in these cramped quarters, we settled on having dinner at little diner down the street. The vegan options were sparce, even the veggie burger had dairy in it, so I ordered a side of avocado and went to my car to make a pb sandwich from the food I’d packed for our trip.
At least Jackson didn’t mind eating a peanut butter sandwich, his new favorite lunch, for the fourth day in a row. He was much more interested in hanging out with his big cousin George than food anyway.
My nephew George, always on the look out for super hero attire, turned Jackson’s bib into a cape. Jackson watching the birds with his Nonny and big cousin.
I, on the other hand, was still hungry. I decided to hold out for the real deal. That night we headed to Alberta street, apparently the new up and coming vegan hot spot in Portland.
We walked into a hip little restaurant with big windows open to the street and a dessert counter that had my stomach growling before we even saw the menu. The cool air gently breezed through the restaurant and for a moment I thought it was November. It’s been so long since this Texas girl has felt cool outside air. Aaaah.
It must have been that feeling of crisp Fall air, but I looked at Vita Cafe’s menu with tons of vegan options and settled on beer and wings: an espresso stout (a coffee lovers dream beer) and a Buffalo Tofu Wrap. I actually made and blogged a very similar recipe back in 2010 on my old food blog, Life in Bites. This wrap took me right back to those early days learning how to cook a plant-based diet and finding my passion for being in the kitchen. The next day we came back to the same place for lunch and we ordered their Buffalo Things appetizer to share. Even someone with a tofu aversion would love these spicy fried bites. I continued with my fried food fest and had a Tempeh “Chicken” Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and almond gravy. The waiter told me they are known for that dish. I could see why. Amazing. Who knew I would find an old favorite southern comfort food in Portland, Oregon.
“Chicken” Fried Steak with Almond Gravy. Very close to what I remember a good CFS tasting like. Dare I say better?
Buffalo bites. Ooops, looks like someone dove right into the ranch before we took a picture. Capturing pictures while dining in a group with two kids is no easy task!
Night time pictures didn’t turn out great. It was much prettier in person!
Smooth, rich and slightly sweet, this local (Eugene, OR) Espresso Stout by Oakshire Brewing was one of the best beers I’ve tasted.
Mom’s Supergrain Salad and Thai Coconut Soup. (Sorry for the bad pics, but mom raved about this salad.)
Julie had a beautiful Mediterranean appetizer plate and Jackson had a delicious house-made veggie burger.
We ordered a piece of raw toffee cheesecake to go. I dropped the box on the side before I could get a picture of it, but it was one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted. I would fly back to Portland just to have another slice.
Not only was Vita Cafe a really cool place with plenty of vegan options, they also encourage you to bring kids along. They had toy boxes in the waiting area and kids eat for $1 between 5-7 every day. The kids menu included a veggie burger, vegan mac-n-cheese, nachos (vegan or regular), among other items and all in really generous portion sizes. I forgot Jackson’s sippy cup in the car and they even had a sippy cup for him. Nice touch.
George was pretty thrilled with his cheesy vegetarian nachos.
Hanging out the open airy windows at Vita Cafe.
George, my nephew and mom’s grandson, lives in Seattle. He loves his Nonny even more than cheesy nachos!
Within walking distance, there were several other cool spots, like Back to Eden Bakery and Dovetail Bakery, both award winning vegan bakeries, Salt & Straw ice cream parlor, several veg-friendly food trucks, Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co, and more.
Sip – An all vegan drink truck on Alberta Street.
VegNews Magazine voted Back-to-Eden as 2012’s Vegan Bakery of the Year.
While the others had ice cream from Salt & Straw, I had an amazing chocolate cream pie from Back to Eden.
A funky little restaurant across the street from Vita Cafe.
Julie and George on Alberta Street on a quiet Monday afternoon.
Portland hipsters.
A funny little sign on Alberta Street. “…we hold no social bias and welcome all for non-authentic tacos and over-ambitious cocktails.”
Alas, my quest for a veg-friendly, kid-friendly, simply-friendly Portland foodie experience was conquered. If you’re in Portland, skip the chain diner and run straight to Alberta street.
High Protein Granola Bars
Posted: August 22, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Gluten Free, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: dairy-free, gluten-free protein bar recipe, healthy high protein granola bar, pea protein, soy-free, vegan breakfast bar recipe Leave a comment
High protein granola bars. Easy to store, pack, and send to work or school.
Rachel, the daughter
Jared started back to school this week. He’s been back to coaching duties for awhile, but Monday was his first official school work day, dressed in his khakis and polo and reporting for a new position (same school, new role). And after my mom, Jackson, and I get back from the International Food Blogger Conference in Portland this weekend, Jackson will be starting “school” too. It’s really just a Mother’s Day Out program two days a week, so I can go to my “office” (ie, Panera Bread or Starbucks) and write. It still means getting him his first nap mat and backpack and lunchbox, which is totally what getting ready for school is all about, right? Do you think he’ll need a Trapper Keeper, too!? I seriously fought the urge to buy one when I was at the store the other day. Ten years later and August still feels slightly incomplete without picking out a new Trapper Keeper and non-skid sneakers for gym class. 🙂
Since our lives are about to be on-the-go, I’m testing some grabbable, packable, reheatable recipes for our work and school days. Several of our easy-to-pack lunch recipes were featured a couple of weeks ago on We Are Teachers, a site full of great resources for teachers, and it inspired me to do the same for snacks and breakfasts.
I’m quite adjusted to Jackson and I’s leisurely morning routine of coffee & cereal or a smoothie for me and oatmeal for him. I sip my second cuppa joe while Jackson plays outside. We share a mid-morning snack. I shower. And before we know it, it’s time for Jackson’s first nap. Most days, I really don’t start being productive until 10:00 or 11:00 when he’s gone down for his nap. Breakfast is going to have to be super easy in order to get me up, dressed, and out of the house by 8:30 am.
One of our favorite on-the-go snacks or breakfasts are Luna Bars (Yep, my manly husband is not ashamed to eat The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women). I do love them, but they are processed and aren’t organic and their shiny wrapper gets my one-year old son completely excited and he insists on having a bite too. Then I have to either deal with a meltdown or give him a bite and feel guilt that my toddler adores packaged processed foods. The last two mornings, he has brought me a box of cornbread mix and ended up in tears trying to get me to open it for him. I don’t know what he thinks is in there, but he’s pretty certain if it comes in a box or a wrapper it must be delicious.
I made my own granola bars today that I feel completely fine sharing with my toddler and that my husband can feel truly manly about eating. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free and have almost 8 grams of protein per bar. The only sugar is 1 T. of honey and 2 dates for 8 bars.
Now if I can just figure out how to get them in a shiny package and cardboard box for Jackson.
Easy on-the-go breakfast or snack. (Ignore my unmanicured fingernails!)
High Protein Granola Bars
Makes 8 bars
Ingredients
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1 t. honey
1 T. chia seeds soaked in 3 T. warm water
1/2 c. oats (gluten-free oats will make this recipe entirely gf)
1/2 c. puffed brown rice cereal
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (or sliced almonds)
1 T. pea protein powder (or your protein powder of choice)
1 T. cacoa nibs
2 dates, finely chopped
1/4 t. cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine peanut butter, honey, and vanilla in a medium sauce pan and warm over medium low heat until melty. Add remaining ingredients and stir until it’s all combined and coated with peanut butter mixture.
Pour onto a parchment-lined pan and spread out to a 1/2 inch thick square. Cut into 8 bars.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before moving. They will harden as they sit out, but are not a really crunchy granola bar.
They fit perfectly into this sandwich/snack container. Confession: I bought and used this in high school, long before having a little boy to pack lunch for was on my radar.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: High Protein Granola Bars
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-DC
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Powerhouse Chocolate Pudding Pie
Posted: August 15, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: baby friendly desserts, cashew crust, chia seeds, chocolate chia pudding, cocoa powder, gluten-free, guiltless desserts, healthy desserts, healthy snacks for toddlers, no bake, vegan 10 Comments
This treat is sweet and creamy and crunchy and chocolately and HEALTHY. Not just healthy for a dessert or healthy-ish. Every ingredient is nutritious. You could eat it for breakfast or feed it to your kids for breakfast. They’ll think you are the coolest mom, and you will be (for reasons they’ll understand when they are 30).
(Rachel, the daughter)
There’s this cake my mom used to make. You’ve probably had a version of it. It has a shortbread crust, a layer of chocolate pudding and whipped cream topping, and maybe a sweetened cream cheese layer too. In some circles it’s known as “Better Than Sex in a Pan.” I’ve never had sex in a pan, so I can’t attest to that, but I do remember sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen island eating it strait out of the pan and being very satisfied.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had it (the dessert, that is), but I’ve been craving that shortbread crust and chocolate pudding combination for the last few weeks and trying to think of a healthy vegan version. Yesterday, I saw a recipe for chocolate chia pudding on the Engine 2 Diet’s Facebook page. They had frozen it into “fudgsicles.” Clever. Immediately, I was reminded of my favorite crust that I use in my frozen No Bake Apricot Bars. Made out of cashews and oats, it is rich and buttery like a shortbread cookie. It would be perfect for a cold puddin’ pie.
Chia seeds are like a nutritional powerhouse and they have virtually no taste. I put a tablespoon in my oatmeal and my smoothies. They basically offer all the nutrition of flax seeds, except they don’t have to be ground for our body to absorb the nutrients and they don’t have a strong taste like I find flax often does. The seeds absorb liquid and become gel-like, which is how they turn almond milk into “pudding.”
Chia Seeds
Jackson devoured the pudding and the frozen bar I gave him. I used dates to sweeten it, so I had absolutely no reason to feel guilty for giving my one-year old this dessert. In fact, it’s good for him. He needs the healthy fats from the cashews, coconut oil, and coconut milk; the fiber and protein from the oats; the omegas from the chia seeds; and the heart and skin protection from the flavonoids in cocoa powder (a super food for toddlers).
My little puddin’ pie. Why do boys always get the long eyelashes?
Oh, and I assure you, I don’t post a recipe I don’t love…so you know I loved it just as much as Mr. Long Lashes up there did.
Served frozen (as shown here) or refrigerated (as shown at the top of the post).
Powerhouse Chocolate Pudding Pie
Inspired by FatFree Vegan and Oh She Glows (two of my favorite vegan bloggers)
(NOTE: Plan ahead for this recipe. The pudding must sit for at least an hour and up to overnight.)
Pudding
- 1 c. nondairy unsweetened milk
- 3 T. full fat coconut milk (from a can)*
- 3 dates, pitted and chopped (soak in a little warm water if they are tough or your blender isn’t very strong)
- 2 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 3 T. chia seeds
Crust:
- 3/4 c. whole cashews (raw, toasted, roasted – whatever you have)
- 3/4 c. regular oats (for Gluten-free, use GF oats)
- 1/4 t. kosher salt (omit if cashews are salted)
- 3 medgool dates, roughly chopped
- 1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
Optional Toppings
- Sliced Bananas
- Toasted coconut
- Toasted almonds
- Whipped coconut cream
Kitchen Gadgets
- Blender
- Food processor
Pudding Ingredients
Directions
Pudding
In a blender, combine the first five pudding ingredients. Pour into a tupperware bowl with a lid and add chia seeds. Use a whisk or fork to stir in chia seeds. Stir every five minutes or so until all the chia seeds have started to swell a little and turn light grey. Cover and store in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour, overnight is best. Stir it every so often if you can. You are looking for the seeds to lose all of their crunch and absorb the liquid until it looks like pudding.
The chia seeds immediately start to thicken the almond milk mixture. This is after stirring a couple of times.
Crust
Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a food processor, process cashews, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Add dates and process until crumbly again. Add coconut oil and process until sticky. Press into pan to form a crust. Freeze for five minutes to harden or until the pudding is ready.
My favorite crust for no-bake desserts.
Pour the pudding over the crust and either refrigerate or freeze. Either way is delicious. The refrigerated version is a little crumblier and I’m assuming only keeps for a day or two. I loved it with a few sliced bananas on top. The frozen version comes out in nice bars and if kept covered tightly should keep for a few weeks.
(Update: After two batches and several taste tests, I decided I prefer it refrigerated rather than frozen. Both are good, but the refrigerated version reminds me of chocolate cream pie…mmmm.)
*Freeze leftover coconut milk in an ice cube tray. You can add it to smoothies, oatmeal, or make coconut covered cherries with it later.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Powerhouse Chocolate Pudding Pie
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-CK
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 