Finally!

So I finally have an idea of what I'd like to do with this blog.

First, I'm definately going to do and promote Meatless Mondays. I like the idea of encouraging people to attempt to have one vegan meal a week.

Second, I want to add another segment. Not sure what day I will post it or what it'll be called, but I'm planning on veganizing Pinterest favorite recipes (that are not already vegan)

Finally, I would love to use this blog as a starting point for my own original recipes.

I'll start slowly. Maybe a blog or 2 a week, but once I get the hang of it, I will try to add more days.

Things to come...

I've been trying to figure out what to do with this blog, so offline I've been thinking of some future posts & different segments I can do to help vegans & non-vegans.

So, this blog is not dead, just under construction.  I do have some ideas & I'm working on more.  I'm thinking about starting one of my segments this Monday or next, so fingers crossed!

Snacky-snack

Since I strive to eat healthy, one thing I have learned is to eat smaller meals and have light snacks throughout the day. One of my favorites is dry roasted peas.

I did not know about them until I went to a farmers market that sold bulk nuts and grains. They've become a staple in our home. My husband is not a fan of cooked peas, but he'll snack on the peas no problem. He has also found his own version to love, wasabi peas! They have too much punch for me.

I usually buy my dry roased peas at Sprouts Farmers Market. Hope you find them and love them too!

Vegan Cross Country

In late May, I visited family in Illinois. One major reason was because my younger brother got married.  While there, my parents scheduled family photos too.  It was a good trip.

(Photo shot by Maggie Medema Photography.  From left to right: Purple is my younger sister's family, Blue is my younger brother (he's the youngest of my siblings) and his new wife, Red are my parents, Green is my older brother and his wife and Pink is me, my hubby and 4 kids.)

Well, my parents, siblings and their spouses are all omnivores (I think maybe a couple of them are borderline carnivores), so before we came to visit, my mom consulted a co-worker, who's daughter is vegan, on what to make for vegan guests. So she gave my mom a package of Veggie Burger Mix.

To my surprise it was a great alternative to buying frozen veggie patties. The mix just needs water and 30 minutes to absorb the water, but after it's done it can be molded just like ground turkey or beef. We've used it for Veggie Loaf, Veggie Burgers on the grill, with pasta and I can imagine that there are more uses for it.

This is perfect for a transitioning vegetarian or vegan. And it's also great when you feel like joining a friend for grilling burgers. The flavor is very delicious!

When my family got back here to AZ, we immediately ordered more Veggie Burger Mix.

Restaurants with Vegan Items are Yummy too!

I've decided that I'm going to start adding vegan friendly restaurants to my blog too. Some of us just don't have time to cook at home, so it can be nice to go out and have someone cook for us.

I'm starting with my favorite restaurant in Phoenix.

Pita Jungle

They offer 10 Phoenix Valley locations and they even have a location up north in Flagstaff! Their menu is diverse and they offer some yummy vegan options. The also have a Vegan Chart that points out if a menu item is vegan or not and why it is not vegan, so it may be modified to become vegan. For example, I love to order the One Thousand Bean Hot Pita, it is not vegan because the pita it is on contains dairy, so I substitute a whole wheat pita because that is vegan. Most meats can be replaced by tofu too, with adds even more flexibility to their menu.

I have invited guest & friends (all non-vegan) and all of them have enjoyed what they chose off the menu. I do have a must-try, the hummus trio. It offers traditional hummus, roasted red pepper hummus and jalapeno-cilantro hummus. It's so delicious and it's always been a hit with everyone we've introduced to it.

If you have been to Pita Jungle and you would like to share a review, feel free to comment. Thank you!

Hello!

Wow! It has been too long. I'm so happy to be blogging again.

This post is a review from my children. They have all fallen in love with 8th Continent Soymilk. We specifically buy 8th Continent Complete, which has increased Omega-3 DHA, fiber and calcium.



My 10 year old says, "It's great!"

My 6 year old says, "It's really yummy!"

My 4 year old simply says, "Good!"

And finally my 2 year old says, "Mommy." Hmmm... not the review I thought I would get, but she's only 2, so I guess that will have to do! Hehe.

My kids drink this milk more than any beverage we have or have had in our home. We can't seem to have enought of it instock. I give 8th Continent Soymilk and A+. Any company that can get my kids to drink something so good for them is great to me!

If you've tried 8th Continent Soymilk or any other soymilk, please leave a review or comment. Thanks!

One of my favorite "recipes"

I LOVE Chili. I will it eat it anytime of the year. The best part of Chili is that it's SO easy to make! My Vegan Pantry is usually stocked well with various canned tomatoes (diced, stewed, crushed, & paste AND I have different flavors too; chili, Italian & Mexican). Also I have a HUGE variety of beans!

Depending on my family's and my mood, we choose at least 3 cans to make our chili. In this "recipe" (I'm using the term very loosely, because it is up to you to find the right flavors for you and yours) you need:

At least One Can of Beans
At least One Can of Tomatoes
The third can is up to you.

You can have a beanier chili, a tomato chili or (something my kids LOVE to do) is add a canned veggies. I think their favorite so far is a white corn (or Shoe peg Corn).

If you are going to be out all day, you can dump it all into a crock pot on low, but it cooks up pretty fast on the stove top too.

I like to add Chili Powder, but I never measure, because if I'm using chili beans or chili canned tomatoes, I don't add too much, but if I use any other beans or tomatoes, I add more. This is where a couple of clean spoons come in handy (so you don't "double dip"). Just add your chili powder and any other seasonings you'd like, for example; onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, the list goes on... and don't forget to taste and add seasons until it's too your liking.

If you like thick chili, add some corn meal.

There are so many uses for this chili. You can eat it right out of a bowl, on top of noodles, Boca Burgers & veggie dogs, wrapped in a tortilla or in a taco shell with your favorite taco fixins. Those are some of my favorite uses!

I'm sure many of you can think of more too! If you know an easy vegan chili recipe or you've tried this (with your own flare) I would love for you to comment. Also remember to share your chili uses too!