Popsicles

I had a lot of left over fruit from the birthday party so I decided to blend it all together and make popsicles. They were delicious and all natural. Here is a picture of my 3 year old enjoying hers.

Happy 1st Birthday!!

Yesterday my adorable son turned 1 so, of course, we threw him a birthday party. We had family and friends over for a barbecue, which would mean meat by their standards. So I had to get creative and managed to have everything at the party Vegan with the exceptions of the burgers and cake. No one was aware that they only had Vegan options and everyone enjoyed all the delicious things available to eat.

We had bruchetta, chips and hummus, and salsa for appetizers. For dinner we had burgers, vegan brats, fresh fruit, edamame succotash, chips, and pasta salad. And for dessert we had the classic birthday cake, but as a treat to my family we got vegan cupcakes!!!!

I threw a great party and successfully fed and satisfied my guests!! And I managed to be true to my new lifestyle without making excuses or exceptions.

Bow Tie Pasta with Pesto

This is a quick and easy meal. Yummy but a bit bland so I added some red pepper flakes.

3 cloves of garlic
1 cup walnuts
2 cups fresh basil, packed
1/2 cup soy milk or water
16 oz whole grain bow tie pasta, cooked

Blend the garlic and nuts briefly in a food processor. Add the basil and liquid, and process to a thick consistency. Toss well with the pasta.

I served this with zucchini and squash.

An Amazing Week

I just got home from Florida and I am so proud of myself. I took my first vacation as a Vegan. I thought it would be challenging and difficult and I found it easy with some great surprises!! Before we left for our trip I spend some time online looking for dining out suggestions. The top spot on my list was Sublime (http://www.sublimerestaurant.com/home.html), it was sensational!!! Everything on the menu was vegan, what a great opportunity to try some new and exciting things.

We started with the Frito Misto, which is crispy cauliflower with sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds.

For dinner I had gardein cutlets (looks and tastes like chicken), with grilled asparagus over pasta with a lemon caper sauce.

And the pictures of the desserts speak for themselves....phenomenal!!!! It was ALL vegan and all amazing!

This experience has made me realize that their are many options out there and that if you decide to do this there is a whole world out there to support you!! And hopefully, you my reader, realize I am here to support you.

My Apologies

To my faithful followers...haha

I am in Florida on vacation right now and do not have access to the internet. We have been eating wonderful food and I plan on updating you when I get home. Look forward to new posts Tues 25th!!!

Seriously....THIS is Vegan??!!

A throwback to one of David's favorite meals.

Vegan Meatloaf (made by Whole Foods)

with garlic green beans and a baked potato. Quick, easy, and delicious!!

There are so many options out there, you just have to open your eyes and look around.

Graduation Party

David's brother, Daniel, graduated from Law school on Thursday night (Congrats Dan-we are so proud of you) so his dad took us all out for dinner. We went to Scape in the Central West End and because I knew where we were going I called a few days ahead to find out what options they had for a Vegan. I talked to someone who couldn't have been more helpful. She told me they have a vegetarian menu and would bring out the chef to talk about what options they could make to suit our diet.

That night I had one of they best meals I have had since I have been Vegan (going on 2 months now, yay). We started with the Cucumber Spring Rolls and a Spring Asparagus Salad.

These were incredible on their own, but my entree is what amazed me!! I had a Vegan Lasagna. It was wrapped in the thinnest layer of cucumber and it had everything in it from corn, mushroom, spinach, tomato marinara. But the best part was it had pureed cashews which were the "cheese". It was GREAT!! I recommend it to all, Vegan or not. And at the end of the night I was completely satisfied and did not feel stuffed. What a nice change.

Tennessee Corn Pone Muffins

Last night I made a Vegan version of Tennessee Corn Pone Muffins. It is a corn muffin with seasoned beans on top. I served it with some fried zucchini and a great side salad. It was quick and easy to make and tasted delicious!!

Yummy Granola

Today while the kids were taking their nap I decided to whip up some granola mix from a recipe I found in a magazine. It is vegan, of course, but also delicious! It's so good David was enticed to clean the whole kitchen with promises of granola after!!

4 cups Old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 TBSP canola oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and dried cherries)

Toss oats, almonds, coconut, and the seeds with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.

Spread onto baking sheet, bake 350 degrees for 25-30 mins, tossing once during.

Add dried fruit.

New Twist On An Old Favorite

I love love love getting an Insalata Caprese Salad (aka Tomato, Mozzarella, & Basil in Balsamic Vinegar) at a good Italian restaurant. Today I found a great substitution recipe and made it tonight with dinner. It was a huge hit, we finished the whole plate!! And it was super easy to put together:

Sprinkle a plate with Balsamic Vinegar

Place cut up tomato slices on plate

Place cucumber on top of tomato

Place fresh basil on top of cucumber

Sprinkle with Balsamic Vinegar

Top with fresh pepper

Let chill/marinate for an hour

Last night I went out to dinner with some friends who are Non-Vegan, but very open-minded and we found a great new spot. Lemongrass, (http://www.lemongrass-rest.com/) it is a Vietnamese restaurant. I was recommended the Vegetarian Rice in Hot Pot, which I have never even heard of. Boy am I glad I tried it, it was amazing!! It was lots of veggies in a brown sauce with a rice that turned crunchy on the bottom, delish!!

And David had Sesame Tofu with Broccoli, and it was amazing!! It tasted just like chicken and the sauce was great! Our friends also loved what they ordered and tried ours and thought it was yummy.

We will definitely be making a trip back, maybe very soon!!

Something New

Tonight for dinner I made something that everyone will turn their noses up at...Cauliflower soup!

It was made for me in a vegan cooking class and it was amazing! Surprisingly sweet and very satisfying. My father, husband, and 3 year old daughter all LOVED it!! I suggest that you step outside of your box and give it a try, it's amazing! I topped it with some caramelized onions and had a great bread on the side, Seeduction from Whole Foods. It was so sweet and delicious......come on, try something new tonight!!

Creamy Sweet Vegetable Soup

You can make this with any sweet vegetable:

1) Chop up 1 onion and sauté in 2 TBSP olive oil until translucent. Add vegetable (amount depends on how much soup you want to make, I used a whole head of cauliflower) and add enough water to cover the vegetable.

2) Boil and simmer until veggies are tender; you can add seasonings like salt, pepper, ginger, red pepper flakes, etc.

3) Use an immersion blender to cream the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4) Sautéed, caramelized onions taste incredible as a topping/garnish.

Caramelized Onions

1-2 Vidalia onions depending on how much you want to make

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP soy butter

1 tsp honey

Heat oil in skillet. Add onions and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt. Continue to sauté until the onions start to brown slightly. Add the butter. After another 5 minutes add the honey. The onions will really start to brown so watch them.

They can't all be winners

Last night for dinner I made Black Bean Cakes topped with avocado and rice and fried zucchini.

While it tasted fine it was not worth the effort, tasted like a burrito minus the tortilla. Although the fried zucchini was excellent!! Can't wait to eat that again.

Mexican-Vegan Style

Today my dad and I stopped for a yummy lunch at Amigo's in Kirkwood. They have a wonderful vegetable burrito and if you leave off the cheese it's vegan!! We also indulged in guacamole and a Corona!!

Surprising Sources

Yesterday David and I drove to Chicago to shop for a new dining room table. After much driving and shopping we decided to break for lunch. As we were leaving the store the salesperson asked what kind of food we were looking for, hoping to be helpful since we did not live in the area. David and I exchanged a quick glance, do we ask if she knows of any vegan dining in the area or do we play it safe and ask where to get a good salad?

We took a chance and asked for a vegan suggestion. Another salesperson overheard us and was able to suggest a place not 2 blocks from where we were. Excited, we hopped in the car. Karen's Vegan Gourmet (http://www.karynraw.com/Raw-Cafe/) was the suggestion and it was a great one!!! We had nachos that were amazing and both loved our lunch entrees.

What a great find and great suggestion. And to think......we almost didn't ask.