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!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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.
(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.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, November 16, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, April 20, 2009
I'm alive and well
It's been too long since my last post. Being a mom of 4, assistant coaching my 6 year old daughter's cheer team & chasing my 4 year old son and 22 month old daughter around is keeping my schedule pretty busy. Thankfully my 9 year old son is very responsible and he's able to do his own thing. Also I learned that here at Blogger that I can post with my mobile phone by texting or emailing. That's going to help me out tremendously because there are so many times I'm out and I try something new then forget the name of it, because I was rushed!
Well, I have a favorite vegan (non-vegan used products) that I haven't posted to this site yet, I have had the link on my sidebar for a little while (I will link it in this post too). It's a site of foods (that are in most American pantries) that are vegan!
It was created by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), they call it I Can't Believe It's Vegan!
I still check the labels of the items listed on that site to make sure the recipe hasn't changed. It's awesome knowing that many of the foods my husband, kids and I enjoyed before we became vegan & vegatarian (that we thought may be off limits) have been vegan all along!
If you visit or have visited I Can't Believe It's Vegan! or you know of any foods that surprise(d) you that they are vegan, please feel free to share comments about it!
Well, I have a favorite vegan (non-vegan used products) that I haven't posted to this site yet, I have had the link on my sidebar for a little while (I will link it in this post too). It's a site of foods (that are in most American pantries) that are vegan!
It was created by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), they call it I Can't Believe It's Vegan!
I still check the labels of the items listed on that site to make sure the recipe hasn't changed. It's awesome knowing that many of the foods my husband, kids and I enjoyed before we became vegan & vegatarian (that we thought may be off limits) have been vegan all along!
If you visit or have visited I Can't Believe It's Vegan! or you know of any foods that surprise(d) you that they are vegan, please feel free to share comments about it!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I don't even miss ice cream!
WOW! I found the yummiest ice cream alternative ever: Purely Decadent Dairy Free Turtle Trails.
I have had so many yummy products from Turtle Mountain and they did not fail me with their "ice cream." My pint did not last long, because I shared a bite with each of my 4 kids. After they had a taste (just as I did), they wanted more! I loved the texture and unlike real ice cream, I didn't have a full, had too much feeling.
I will DEFINATELY purchasing more! If you've tried Purely Decadent desserts or any other Turtle Mountain Products, please leave a review or comment, thanks!
I have had so many yummy products from Turtle Mountain and they did not fail me with their "ice cream." My pint did not last long, because I shared a bite with each of my 4 kids. After they had a taste (just as I did), they wanted more! I loved the texture and unlike real ice cream, I didn't have a full, had too much feeling.
I will DEFINATELY purchasing more! If you've tried Purely Decadent desserts or any other Turtle Mountain Products, please leave a review or comment, thanks!
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