OMG, What a MoFo Disaster I turned out to be!

I had the greatest intentions to post every single day of October for MoFo... *sigh* I so didn't make it. :o( I'm SORRY! I know there's probably some disappointment out there about it, please forgive me?!?

Here's another brief pic update :)

The fam on the Cowles Mtn trail

Another one where the Beebits wasn't all squished lol (He was so happy too!)
Me and the Beebits with the view of San Diego behind us!
He fell. He was all dirty..... (he's ok though :)
Me and the Beebits on the way down the trail...
Oh does he love the kitty! She doesn't love him quite as much lol...
OMG Good tiny tofu cubes stir fried w/garlic, shrooms and scallions, collard greens, and a spinach salad w/avocado and tomato!

Vegan brownies I made w/vegan white (SUGARY!) frosting...
The Beeebits helpin daddy blow out the candles... hey we're the same age again! (I'm a few months older, not that it's ever provided any advantage... lol)
Yah, my mom posted this pic too but hey - it's SO FREAKIN CUTE! She took it when we were visiting the other day and I made her email me a copy - my lil man is the cutest ever! He was eating some yummy plums from mom's weekly CSA (lucky!)...

AH! I got behind! MMmmmm Daiya!

My FAV (so far of course *wink*) way to consume tempeh (although messy for all the drool first hehehehe!) - pan fried in coconut oil for the crisp and then simmered w/some water & Bragg's Aminos. OMG. It's like a heavenly party in your mouth! I just can't get enough :) THAT is actually the reason for my post. AND.... *drumroll* Our Whole Foods is now carrying the Daiya cheese!!! OMG! They have the italian and the cheddar, and let me just share with you that I am now an ADDICT and I think I never want my fridge to be without this stuff! EVERY other vegan cheese takes a second seat to this let me just say.... Whoah. Ooey, Gooey, Melty, Stringy, Pizza-ey, cheesey GOODNESS! You MUST find it! You MUST try it!!! I HAD to tell you all about it!!!! *dancin taste buds* Woot woot! Of course... I've only had it melted on broccoli... wait til I try PIZZA! OMG. QUESADILLAS! Hey! My new tortilla press and my new CHEESE could be a match made in heaven! I'll keep you posted....... :)


Sorry I lagged a little, it's been nuts! SO, here's what I've been up to the last few crazy days!

The Beebits gives the best kisses! I love it!


Jr and some long-necked butternut squash love up at Bates Nut Farm :)


My omg good Gardein Seasoned Bites, toast w/earth balance, and steamed vegs with nooch! (Have you tried Gardein yet? What?! Go buy some ya nuts! It's SOOoooo good!)


Jr was lovin his Auntie at the pumpkin patch!


Mmmmmm strawberries on sale! I've topped and frozen them for smoothies :)


In other types of news, I'm actually going on an Elimination Diet, (for two weeks and then modify it slowly) recommended by my doc, to sort of cleanse me out and also doin a bit of a detox at the same time. SO, the next few weeks will be legumes, beans, vegs, fruit etc etc etc... lol. Anyone have any FAB recipe ideas to try that don't include corn, gluten, dugar, chocolate or soy!?! ;) Shoot em over to me, I'll have to do some reviews or something and then post about it! C'mon, try me!

Ok, I have to hit the sack, a BIG day tomorrow! G'nite all and happy MoFoing!!

Vegan MoFo Day 3! The SURVEY!

Edit: Not sure why or how... (?) But this was supposed to be my Dayt 3 post, for Oct 3rd.... I musthave just gotten ahead of myself and posted it Fri nght lol. Hm....

Vegan Mofo Survey!

I saw this survey on Whoah Wren's blog and decided to fill it out for a MoFo post - I thought, hey - doesn't everyone want to know everything about me? Lol... Well at Any rate I was hoping to learn a few new things about myself :) So... here goes!

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Ooohh... Wow. Well I think I'd have to leave that as a toss up between Oat and Almond. I love them both!!! Plain for cooking... vanilla for cereals and smoothies. Oh yeah ;) Almond is a bit smoother I think? Maybe a bit thicker? But yeah I don't think I could choose between those two :)

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Well I already made one, the Chickpea Cutlets. Aside from that, and not necessarily cause I don't really have a top 3list... but I've pulled out recipes to make a baked oatmeal (thinkit'd be fun for my lil man), definitely going to make Susan's Irish Fauxsages (cause they're a staple of my diet and I'm out!), Bryanna's Chickpea Chillas (by the way, the hashbrowns on this post are to die for also, it's how I always make them now!), and Susan's BBQ seitan ribz. Not in any particular order either... just those are things I want to make in the next week or so!

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Oh definitely salt (I only use sea salt) and *blushing* Ooohhhhh butter. Fo sho, can't have good 'corn without butter :)

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Hm. I can't think of my disaster. ? I know I had to... OOH! I remember! I think the worst things was a cookie recipe.... I had heard that avoid the processed brown sugar, you can sub white (organic/vegan) sugar and add molasses... well yeah. I looked up the ratios, etc, and added it they way I was supposed to and... well they were awful! They melted into weird burnt smelly puddle cookies. And the dough was B.R.O.W.N - and not in an appetizing way. I have no idea why it went so wrong, but I had to throw out a whole batch of dough and the nasty cookie things. Yah, that was the worst recent disaster. :(

5. Favorite pickled item?
Ew, nothing. Pickling food is of the devil. Well, ok maybe not the devil but still... gross!

6. How do you organize your recipes?
Well my cookbooks are on a shelf, all together, vegan and omni alike. My recipe box - where I put ones my mom gives me or especially good ones I've found online isn't organized at ALL. Just all in a jumble. I hate it. Can't find anything!

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash and garbage disposal. I so wish I had a composter!

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
chickpea cutlets! (my new fav lol), broccoli, and..... purple potatoes (if you've not tried these, BUY SOME! lol....

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Oh man. Hrm..... my mom's shmorgasbord at thanksgiving (including devilled eggs!)? OR... my grandpa's filipino cooking OMG... wontons (I'd roll them for hours!) and long rice, fried rice... adobo... OMG. yah.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
So far? I think.... the peanut butter chocolate rice cream by Good Karma. Wow yum.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
I don't own it yet *wink*, but it's a Black & Decker countertop infrared oven!! Goodbye microwave for good! Oh yeah baby!

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Garlic Salt maybe?

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Well I got our Mennonite cookbook from my mom and it's the most loved one from my childhood - she used it all the time for everything, and she bequeathed it to me so it's the one I've had the longest :)

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Oh... probably organic (sugar free) strawberry :)

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Well now that I know of it - the chickpea cutlets! so versatile, I can't wait to try them different ways! Or... that I have actually already served? vegan breakfast - tofu scramble & fauxsages... always good. No one's ever not liked it!

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Oooh. That's a hard one. Uh.... gosh if I have to choose, I guess I'd say Tofu, cause you can't scramble seitan :)

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
I like cooking in the afternoons... so maybe a late lunch or early dinner. The later it gets the less I want to be in the kitchen.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
a tortilla press (thanks Dad!!! I can't wait to try it! It'll be one of my MoFo posts!), my cake decorating supplies bin, a collapsable lunchpail (moms? lol), my ice cream maker, some vases, Rainforest Cafe light up cups from my honeymoon, a can of Pam and a package of whole wheat hamburger buns.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
vegan boca burgers, vital wheat gluten & frozen mango (just the 1st three I thought of)

20. What's on your grocery list?
Hm. Lemme look! Ok, well, the items already crossed off (cause i went shopping yesterday) are bananas, pineapple, deli ham/turkey(for my husband), broccoli, soy sauce and dates. Still to buy are maple syrup and no-chicken broth.

21. Favorite grocery store?
WHOLE FOODS! Henry's runs a close second :)

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
haven't come across anything yet that I especially want to veganize....

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3? Bryanna Grogan's Vegan Feast Kitchen, Susan's Fat Free Vegan, and maybe Vegan Dad? Besides my mom's that is ;)

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Haven't gotten a chance to try any yet really.... :(

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
The Good Karma 'rice cream'? I don't know really what to consider 'extravagant'... expensive? Or just unnecessary? Then prolly yeah the ice cream....

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Spices I'm unfamiliar with (like mace or cardamom).... definitely hearts of palm (cause it's expensive and I'm afraid to waste it if I screw up!) and so far, vegan sushi!

Vegan MoFo Day 2!

Ok, so I have to post my 2nd meal with the same Chickpea Cutlets I made yesterday (the first meal was lunch). I had it again for dinner, but actually as a (sort of) 'side dish' to get some more protein on my plate as my main course didn't quite measure up in that category. BUT was awesomely taste-i-ful!

Ok, so I don't eat pasta (like... ever!) but I looooove tofu and konjac (yam flour) shirataki noodles! (Ever hear of miraclenoodles?) SO I sauteed some onions, mushrooms, yellow squash, chopped spinach (some frozen I had to use up) and brussels sprouts... then tossed in a package and a half of some tofu shirataki noodles (House brand to be specific, because that's the only brand in my stores!) and sort of stir fried the whole mess. Then I made a (lazy version) curry sauce by mixing a package of Hain Vegetarian 'Chicken' style gravy with some garlic salt and a dash of curry powder added in and simmered the vegs and noodles in the sauce for 10 minutes or so. (OMG yum!) The curry was pretty subtle and I loved it! So my dinner was the curried noodles & vegs, a half chickpea cutlet, avocado slices and some green beans and tomato with nooch. *woot woot* Very yum.




Tonight's dinner was a bit lazier - I had a BUSY day and was just in the mood for easy! So I'd picked up some Boca Vegan Burgers (not all of them are, make sure!), pan fried and on a whole wheat bun with a slice of Galaxy American 'cheese', lettuce, tomato, mustard and the newest Reduced Fat Vegenaise! Yuo've GOT TO TRY IT, it's my favorite *grin* LOVE LOVE LOVE. Ok, on with it huh? I also baked some Alexia Red potato fries and had it all with steamed broccoli. Wow, Taste-i-ful! I love me my easy comfort foods :)


AND... the Beebits enjoyed his plate-ful of the same thing... what a good vegan boy!


I'm so excited, I've already had comments from two new people!!! Thanks Sarah Beth & Monique for reading my blog & commenting!! I can't wait to get some more reading done myself :) Yay for new friends!!! ;o)

Catch y'all tomorrow!!!

Quickie update on the Beebits!

I have totally forgotten to post for y'all on Jr's latest achievements! And achievements are SO much more fun and excting when you share them, don't you agree? :) SO... In a nutshell:

• He has 12 teeth now! The last upper molar cut through about a week ago, now we're only waitin on the canines (which the pediatrician said would be when he's about 2 or so).
• His 'vocabulary' (in the loosest possible sense of the word lol) consists of Uh Oh (for everything), Up, Dow....(n), Moo (cow kind), Moo....(in the sky at night kind!), Mom-mom, dada I've heard this at least once), whoah (mimics us this one), and lots of babbling :)
• He knows the following body parts: eyes, ears, nose, teeth (though recently he's started pointing to his tongue for this one lol), hair, tummy, bellybutton, bum, feet, toes, knees & fingers.... AND we're working on elbows and neck!
• He's been walking since about 11 mo and he's finally on the brink of running! (Scary.)
• He can swim all by himself, with his floaties on, and has absolutely no fear (or comprehension lol) of the deep end!
• He can recognize and point out (in pictures or sometimes in real life) birds, frogs, Elmo, cows, airplanes and (sometimes) helicopters!
  
• He recognizes mommy, daddy and himself in pictures!
• He loves to dance - cel hone ringers, radio, tv show intros... lol. And he seriously gets jiggy with it too! We're still trying to get it on video, but so far when he sees the camera he's usually distracted and stops :)
  

It was actually so chilly on the morning of Oct 1st, I had to get Jr up and put him in socks and pants! H's normally runnin around in just a shirt or tank, so that's a pretty big deal :) And just for fun I tried his beanie and mittens on that were HUMONGOUS on him last winter ;) Isn't he cute!? lol...... Can't wait for snow and cold and bundled up how fun! There'll be more updates and more development soon, I'm sure even faster than I can keep up - he's a sponge!!! Soaking things in, learning.... it's amazing watching God's precious lil creature grow :)

Check back soon for the new 'news' and also for more MoFo!!!

My First MoFo!!

I am proud to announce that this year I am participating in:


I am SO FREAKING EXCITED! Lol... My mom got me to sign up (she's done it before) and am really looking forward to it. I'm hoping that it will be great motivation to post more often and to stretch my imagination for post-worthy topics :) For those of you who don't know me, I'm technically a very strict vegetarian, because I do occasionally slip into small amounts of dairy/egg in emergencies and do eat fish a few times a year. (So, pescatarian? lol if ya wanna get nitty gritty? *wink*)
HOWEVER I do strongly believe in veganism and am raising my - currently 15 1/2 mo old - son as a vegan. I want him to grow up understanding his (our) impact in and on the world, and to have a passion and sensitivity for all living things. We are Christians so already have our passion and senstivity from God - we are learning to apply it to His whole creation without picking and choosing :) That being said, I have no problem with omni's and carni's, I won't argue with you or shove my beliefs down your throat, and we can most certainly still be friends :) Hopefully MoFo will bring some of us closer together via the www and we will all have even more friends!! Yay!

So.... without further ado.... my very first Vegan MoFo III post!!!

I'm starting with a food thing, although I understand it's not always about posting food. Today I was just inspired, so you get to 'sample' (via a screen of course) my yummy creation! My mom emailed me this recipe, hmm... January 15, 2008, and I'm just now getting around to making it. My goodness I lag! And I must admit, I'm very sorry I never made it sooner, because it's FREAKING AWESOME! lol... But I'm gettin ahead of myself!

I don't have a link to it, so (to start) here's the recipe for Chickpea Cutlets (apparently from Veganomicon?):

1c. cooked chickpeas (I used canned organic)
2T Olive Oil
1/2c. vial wheat gluten
1/2c. plain breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/4c. veg broth or water (I used No-Chicken Broth by ImagineFoods)
2tbsp. soy sauce (didn't have any so used Tamari)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated (used 1 1/2tsp minced - i LOVE garlic!)
1/2tsp lemon zest (left this out, don't like lemon and didn't have any)
1/2tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp Hungarian paprika (wtf? I just have one kind, a red kind and used that lol)
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for frying

*Mash chickpeas in a bowl with the olive oil until all no whole beans are left. Then mix in all the remaining ingredients and knead about 3 min - until gluten strings form. (Note: the gluten binds this all together and it happens pretty quickly, so I put the gluten flour in last... justa tip in case you've not worked with it before.)
*Preheat a heavy bottom non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
*Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and shape into rectangular cutlets. This can be done my spreading them out flat on a clean surafce like a cutting board.
*Pour enough olive oil in the pan to make a thin layer and place the cutlets in to cook for 6-7 minutes on each side.
*Cutlets are done when browned and firm to the touch.


Here is my cutlet in slices and over shirataki noodles with steamed veggies. I heated my noodles with veg broth, garlic salt and nooch. MMMM! (Of course, after I took this pic I sprinkled nooch all over my veggies too lol)

I highly recommend you try this recipe, these are SO FREAKING GOOD! Of course... they are fried.... which makes for good eatin... so I would say to limit how much you eat them *wink* OR, perhaps just brush them with the evoo and broil? Hm, I'll try that next time :) I think they'll have a lot less fat! Bon Apetit!

In other Vegetarian/Vegan news, I've entered my precious lil man into the World's Cutest Vegetarian contest put on by PetaKids, and the deadline is passed! Sept 30 was the last day for submissions for the 'nomination round', so now it's up to Peta to choose him as a finalist! :) They'll be annouced Oct 12th and then it's public voting - pray that he's chosen as a finalist, and then you all have to go vote for him *GRIN*!

His spectacular new Halloween shirt gramma and grampa got him to wear to the pumpkin patch! Such a festive lil man! (Look at that face! How can he not win that contest!?!? *wink*)

AND, finally, it was Mr. Beebits pumpkin patch trip on Wednesday! We took him last year but he was only 4 months old and oblivious lol... this was his class trip (with the Toddler & Me Wednesday class we take) and we went to Oma's Pumpkin Patch at the Van Ommering Dairy in Lakeside. It's a really great lil pumpkin path with a ton of activities, and the kids get a free lil 'jack' pumpkin with their entry. I'd have to say.. I think the place is heared a bit more toward older lil kids (maybe like 3 and up?) because 1 1/2 year olds just dont have the comprehension for the games and learning parts... but it was still a fun place and I'd definitely want to go back next year (and as he grows) if it's still open.

The beebits with his daddy (lookin at a helicopter)
My MIL went with us, which was nice cause Jr loves to see her! And we got a nice lady to take our picture with the pumpkin Jr picked out himself! (We just took the first one he picked up lol)

Honestly, the best part for me (aside from Jr's laughin his lil guts out on the swing, which is an AWESOME sound *smile*) was the petting zoo. Not because of sheep or goats, which are at EVERY petting zoo... but because of the 4 day old calf they had! She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen! (for a cow lol) I absolutely wanted to take her home :)



We also got to see a 1 day old calf too! Bust she was still with her momma, not in the pettting zoo :)

Well good friends, I can't wait to keep up with the MoFo, I only hope I have the time to catch up on some other friends blogs and maybe find some new ones too!

Happy MoFo-ing!

Cutest in the world!

Quickie:

I've entered the Beebits in the "Cutest Vegetarian in the World" contest, put on by Petakids.com!! Thsi is the pic we picked - isn't he just a DOLL!?! (Of course, if you want to stay my friend you have to agree *wink*) We'll find out how he did next month! ;)