Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Pigs in a Blanket

















I love when you find a recipe that you once loved and it's been Vegan-ized. I found Vegan Pigs in a Blanket, so I gave it a try. This takes some time, but is a great classic dinner. To balance the time spent making the Pigs in a Blanket I made the side salad last night and let it marinate over night. It was so easy, just chop up some veggies you love (cucumber, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, and onion) and toss them in balsamic vinegar.

Pigs in a Blanket

2 c whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c vegetable shortening
1 c water
1/2 TBSP applesauce
1 package vegan hot dogs (cut each one into 3 pieces)

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in shortening and mix with blender. Make a well in the center and pour water and applesauce in, stir until well blended.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Tear off a small ball of dough, flatten it out, and roll around a hot dog piece.

Place onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 mins at 450 degrees.

Yummy!!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Taking the Time

Tonight I had a wonderful experience. I went to a mindful eating cooking class and it opened my eyes to so many things.

How often do you eat and not even bother to stop and really look at the food, or take the time to truly taste what you are eating? We order something we "love" and then eat it so quickly we can not even enjoy it. Take time to slow down, smell it, look at it, enjoy all the flavors as you taste it.

We have lost sight of the purpose of food. It is to nourish our bodies and minds. Think about what you are putting into your body. Think of all the things that your body does for you without you even asking it to. Do you ever thank it for all it does? We do not treat our bodies kindly. When thinking of food we have become obsessed with calories, carbs, good for you, bad for you. Think about what is the energy of the food you are eating? Are you giving your body what it need to do it's job or are you trying to be healthy by giving it the lowest calories possible, empty calories with no nutritional value.

Love your body, thank your body. Fuel it with all the wonderful things that it wants.

Monday, June 28, 2010

It's nice to be back

After a week long hiatus from cooking we have finally gotten back on track. I decided to make our first meal an easy one to prepare, a "meatloaf" with garlic broccoli and sweet potatoes. It was a delicious way to start the week!!

David is not a fan of broccoli and he loved it tonight, ate 3 servings!!! Give it a try!

Garlic Broccoli

1 TBSP Olive Oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 c broccoli florets
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c water

Place oil and garlic in skillet on med heat and cook for 2 mins. Stir in broccoli, salt, and water. Cover and increase heat to high, when you hear a strong sizzle, reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 mins, stirring frequently.

Thursday, June 24, 2010


















I was recommended a new place to try, Foundation Grounds, and it did not disappoint. It is an adorable coffee house/cafe/bakery and they have a vegan friendly menu. I got the Tempeh Salad Sandwich with a side salad. It is like a chicken salad sandwich with cranberries and raisins in it, yummm!! The Balsamic Dressing on the salad is the best I have ever tasted, you have to try it if you go.

They had a selection of vegan desserts, so of course I had to get some!! I got a cookies n cream cupcake and a pumpkin muffin, the muffin was outstanding-you wouldn't even be able to tell it's vegan. I also heard they have the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Friday, June 18, 2010

On a side note

Side dishes can make or brake a meal and finding easy quick ones can be difficult. Tonight for dinner we had Sesame Roasted Asparagus and it was wonderful!! Give it a try:

1 lb fresh asparagus, ends removed
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted

Toss asparagus, oil, salt, and sesame seeds until coated. Bake for 10-12 mins at 475 degrees.

Interesting tip I read: to determine where you should cut the ends off asparagus hold both ends and bend, it will snap where it should be cut.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Newton's Law


Making dinner tonight was so frustrating. Everything that could go wrong, did! I was making a new stir-fry recipe that I had found. Simple enough, right?? Not so much, I had Tamari instead of Tahini, when I grated my ginger I used the wrong side and it didn't grate, I forgot to use the sesame oil, and so on. But guess what, I just kept going and it actually turned out pretty good. David even said it's a keeper!! I will definitely try to make the recipe again, but I will also keep tonight's version. If you want to give my version a try it was super easy (without all the mistakes, haha)!

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
4 large button mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Tamari (quantity depends on how much you like)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Saute onions, tofu, and mushrooms in oil until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and red peppers and saute for 2-3 mins. Add the tamari, bean sprouts, salt, and pepper, saute for 1-2 mins. Serve over brown rice.

This doesn't make a huge quantity, enough for maybe 2 people.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Dollars and Sense

One of David's biggest concerns with going Vegan was not what are we going to eat, but how much is this new lifestyle going to cost us? This was a valid question to which I did not have the answer, nor could I simply look it up. Now that we have been Vegan for 3 months (yay!!) I am able to answer this question.

I have compared our eating out and grocery bills pre-vegan and post-vegan. Surprising to the both of us we have saved money with our new lifestyle. Not only are we now filling our bodies with wonderful, and usually organic, foods but we are saving money doing it! When I shop at the grocery store I mostly shop in the produce section, with a few exceptions. But I no longer shop in the meat, dairy, or processed foods section.

You are probably thinking, "Of course they are saving money, they don't eat out any more." Not true! We are eating at home more than before because the whole point is to try and be more healthy, but we still eat out often.

Here is a perfect example: This is the sandwich I had at Einstein's today for lunch. It was super yummy and my whole meal only cost $3.20!!!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

An Interesting Comparison

For those of you out there reading this and still doubting or still wondering, here is an incredible comparison I did today at lunch.


People always ask, "How do you get enough protein in your diet if you don't eat meat?" Please notice which hot dog has the higher amount of protein. Which one do you want to eat now?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Philly, You were so good to us!

This morning was our last day in Philly and we decided to grab brunch at Mi Lah Vegetarian. They have a completely Vegan Brunch on Sat and Sun, I was in heaven!! Breakfast is probably what I have missed the most from going vegan and they had it all! I got Belgian Waffles and David got French Toast. It was perfect and amazing.

I am very shocked at how vegan friendly Philly has been. We have eaten somewhere different each day with many options to choose from (4 places are within 2 blocks of our hotel). I look forward to visiting again some day and will spread the word of what a fun and exciting city this is to visit!!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Philly Fun-Day 2



Today for lunch I got to try something I have been wanting for a while, Vegan Sushi. It was delicious! We got a fried sweet potato roll and an avocado and squash roll. We also had an order of Mushroom and Asparagus in Teriyaki Sauce, AMAZING!!

Someone suggested that we try Horizons (http://www.horizonsphiladelphia.com/) for dinner and I am so glad they did! We started our meal with an order of their Vietnamese Tacos, so good, so spicy! For dinner I ordered the Grilled Seitan. It is Seitan served over a bed of mashed potatoes with spinach and a special sauce. It was superb! It was one of those meals that makes you realize that you don't miss meat or dairy at all!

Oh yeah, I also got a piece of Vegan Cheesecake, but no pictures of that. It looked so good that I forgot to take a picture!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Philly Fun!

Today was so much fun!! We headed out the door of the hotel and decided to just walk and see where it took us. About 5 blocks south of our hotel we ran into a Vegan Bakery, Sweet Freedom (http://sweetfreedombakery.com/index.html) and it was divine!! I got a chocolate chip cookie sandwich and it was so good I was licking my fingers to finished it.

Later we grabbed a cab over to Sabrina's Cafe (http://www.sabrinascafe.com/) where David and I ordered the same thing because it sounded so good. We got the Tofu Scramble, which is like scrambles eggs, with toast and home fries. Yummy!!!

After lunch we went on a Segway Tour. It was such a phenomenal experience, I would recommend it to anyone. I had to include a picture because David and I enjoyed ourselves so much!





And lastly for dinner we found an all Vegan Chinese restaurant, "Chicken" Sweet & Sour, "Shrimp" Fried Rice, and Moo Shu "Pork". Today has been such a great day with good eats!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Greetings from Philly

My husband and I are in Philadelphia from today till Sunday to celebrate our anniversary, 6 years this Saturday!!! I will attempt to keep you updated with all the fun and exciting foods that we are eating.

Tonight we walked right out the door of our hotel and saw a pizza place called SliCE. Pizza sounded good so we decided to give it a try. Can you believe they had Vegan Mozzarella Cheese!! We started with Garlic Bread with Marinara. Our pizza was awesome, we got mozzarella, spinach, onion, and fresh garlic. What a great find when we weren't even looking.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Pick Ax Burrito

Dinner tonight was fantastic and for two reasons. One David loved it (he can be hard to please sometimes). Two it was a Mexican dish that didn't have beans, which can be hard to find in a Vegan recipe. We have tried burritos before with Boca crumbles and not liked them. I found a new recipe and decided to give it another go, it turned out great! The key is to really let the crumbles get browned and crispy on the stove top. Here is the recipe:

1 onion, diced
16 oz frozen vegetarian meat crumbles
1/4 c water
1 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (you can find it in a health food store, Whole Foods, etc)
2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
Whole Grain Wraps
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
Diced Tomatoes
Shredded Romaine Lettuce
Salsa

In a skillet on high heat, saute the onion for 3 min. Add the crumbles, water, Bragg's, and spices. Cook on med-high heat for 10 mins (or until browned and crispy). Fill wrap with "meat" and all the toppings (ie. corn, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa).

For a bonus I had a leftover potato and sauteed it with some green onion in a skillet and used it as a filler/topping also. It was a wonderful addition!!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Stunning Changes

When my family went vegan there were certain changes that I expected, cooking at home, weight loss (yay!!), and cravings for foods we loved but were now "forbidden". But there have been many changes that I never expected and have come as such a great surprise.

We have gotten away from making food the entertainment. Going out on date night...where are we going to eat? Hanging out with friends tonight....where are we going to eat? Now instead we actually do things that are, well...entertaining. When some friends came in town we went to the Horse Track Races, now when I want to get together with family/friends we get our bikes and go for a ride. I am finding all these things that are fun and healthy for me and my life!

Another extraordinary surprise came today at an unexpected time. My daughter and I went to a graduation party and there was food everywhere, none that I would/should eat. Audrey, of course, wants a snack. I ask her what she wants, there are chips, dips, sweets, and what does she pick out of all of this.....carrots!!!! What?!?! Have I accidentally taught her something invaluable? My McDonald's loving, cookie eating monster picked something healthy all on her own. This is the best reward I could have asked for.

Oh and as for the craving of forbidden foods, not an issue. I have found SO many alternatives. I can truly say that there is nothing that I am missing!

Friday, June 4, 2010

I LOVE BBQ Chicken pizza and today ran across a recipe for BBQ pizza. I gave it a try and it turned out fantastic!!! Super easy, here is how:

1/2 c tomato paste mixed with 1 c barbecue sauce and 2 tsp dried oregano
2 store made pizza crusts
1 red onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 can pineapple chunks, drained

Follow cooking instructions on pizza crust.

This is enough to make 2 pizzas. By the way-I love sauce on a pizza but I would suggest going light, it gets to be a bit much.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Talking the Talk and Walking the Wok

Tonight for dinner I used my new Wok for the first time. It is so fun trying something new and having it turn out successful. We had Vegetable Stir-Fry with Seitan (a chicken like substance and taste). It was great, here is how I made it, give it a try!!

1 lb seitan, strips
1/2 onion, sliced into half rounds
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP tamari and 1 TBSP brown sugar, combined

Heat a large, sprayed wok. Add the ingredients in order listed, stirring for 1 minute after each addition. Serve over rice.