Vegmom Moments

All About Chess

A few weeks ago at Chess Club the director told us we should sign Vegkid up for a tournament.  I wasn't so sure he was ready.  But Vegkid said YES YES YES YES.... OK!

Well little did I know that this was such a big deal.  I mean some of the older kids competing for full College Scholarships.  The younger kids competing for trophies and a chance to go to State and National Championships.   

GOODNESS... I thought it was just a game of Chess?  So we arrive at 7:30am.  Along with 100's of other people.

We show up with Food to get us through the day, water, and an iPad hoping that we could stay entertained for a bit.  I also had paper and books to read, and my schoolwork.  But who could concentrate on school work with all the flurry happening about.  The hurry up and wait factor was an understatement.

If your kid was playing, you were on pins and needles.  If your kid was done, you had to wait till ALLLLLL the other kids were done.  Then you had to run down the hallway and find your next place on the board.  But if they didn't post yet, then you stand and wait.  Because if you miss the pairings, then you are disqualified.

Space Saver Cabinet Racks

My Husband must have received a nibble from the Decluttering/Organizing bug..  

(or maybe it was a nagging wife that offered to hire someone to build these space savers)

Look what he built for me today:

And This:

Those two little racks cleaned out sooo much space in the cabinets.  He is on a mission to do more.  Yippee!!!

We don't have the funds to redo the kitchen but we can make it more efficient, by golly by gosh...  

Maybe next I'll pretend to hire someone to paint the cabinets a different color.  *wink*

 

Finding My Happy

OK, scratch what I said about short posts... hahaha.. this one is far from short but I gotta do it!

2012 would be the year to find my Happy.  Not that I haven't been happy.  I have an amazing life with nothing at all to complain about.  And soooo much to be thankful for.

I'm almost debt free with a roof over our head and car that works, an amazing little strong willed Vegkid, a Veghusband and the best most cuddliest dog in all the planet.

I have hot water in my shower, cold water in my sink, a working heater, a bed to sleep in and everything I could possibly need in our old home to live comfortably.

I have the best mom in the world (if I may say so myself), extended family, real life friends, on-line friends, legs that get me moving, and eyes that work to see the beautiful sunshine today.  I have learned tons about food and lifestyle, healed my son with food, helped my husband with ailments and kept myself to being as healthy as possible.

Yes I could go on for days about everything I'm grateful and thankful for because it is true to no end.

But all that said, as mentioned here before, I've spent every bit of my adult life being a wife, and even more of the last 8 years being a mom, and somewhere in the mix I'm finding ME!

Heck, I like me!   Being the best me, means I can be even more for my family.  2012 is the year to find my Happy?   While I did say that.. And I did decide to run the 1/2 Marathon, start strength training, I did start an eating plan, de-cluttering, and crafting.  I also signed up for Health Coaching Program and all that in a 30 day span.

BUT I didn't know what finding my happy truly meant until the past couple of days.

This week I've learned of a door that will be closing for me, and that only means that another will open.  I'm confident that this decision will force me to truly find my happy!  What ever that may be.  I'll take time to find what that is, and make sure it is the best for my family.  

I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have had that led me to where I am.  And wish I could thank every person that was a part of them.  If any of you are reading this, THANK YOU!!

At the end of this day, I'm going to drift off to sleep with a big smile for whats ahead and a heavy heart for those people that I will miss as I embark on a new journey..... I don't know exactly what that journey is over the next year, but I know it will be an amazing one. 

Hope you'll check in and say Hi as I post what is next in the Veg house.  

Lots of loving, happy and positive thoughts to any one reading this.

Signed,

A very blessed Vegmom 

 

 

 

Smoothietastrophe Kind of a Day

Woke up a little late, which means we rush a little more.  I filed up my Smoothie glass a little too full, which then made it dribble on the counter.  

After sipping said smoothie, cleaning the counter and heading down stairs which is when I realized it leaked out on to my jacket.  Wipe off jacket and get in car.. put smoothie glass in cup holder and head down the driveway.

Look over to grab smoothie glass, and realize it had tipped on its side, leaking its contents all over my car.

This my friends is a Smoothietastrophe Kind of a Day!  

Lessons from this kind of a day?  Wake up earlier and don't fill the glass so full  *smile*

AND, when life gives you messes, laugh, then clean them up.  Really, not much else you can do!

 

 

Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta

I'm about to share with you the very best thing I have learned in the kitchen!

Are you ready.. it is life changing in our little Veg world!!

Adding Raw Sweet Potato, Macadamia nuts to any sauce via the Vita-Mix will make it "creamy" with out the cream.  As in Delicious and Creamy.  

Pouring this sauce on top of GF Brown Rice Noodles gives me a comfort food, cold day meal that makes me soooo happy.  I can get my creamy pasta fix, raw veggies and speed to table all in one!

The sauce is litterally made WHILE the noodles are cooking.  9 Minutes and meal is complete (unless you chop up more veggies, which I will do next time)

\

That Orange Creamy goodness used the following ingredients:

• Spicy Spaghetti Sauce
• Macadamia Nuts
• Raw Sweet Potato Chunks
• Onion
• Garlic
• Garlic salt
• Sweet Basil
• Nutritional Yeast

Blend in the Vita-Mix then pour on noodles and fresh spinach (as I did) or any other veggies you want to throw in this yummy goodness.  Next time I may even make veggie noodles instead.  Ooooh, even more yum!

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix

Magnetic Fridge Card Holder Made From Scraps in 5 Minutes

I'm in a de-clutter Frenzy.. seriously, I'm just realizing more and more every day how much I don't need so much of the stuff in our home.  And how much happier I am when I get another spot organized, cleaned or de-cluttered.  I still have so far to go, but taking one step at a time and being happy for each accomplishment.

Tonight, I was looking at my fridge to find magnets with restaurant numbers, dental reminder cards, papers upon papers with work numbers or tidbits of information or crafties or pictures!!!! AHHHHHHH.... like 100 things collected on my fridge.  Where did all this come from???

I stared at the fridge and just wanted to throw everything in the garbage. 

That space was suddenly driving me nutty!  Then it hit me... I could make a holder for all of that stuff.

Quickly, there was a piece of card board being cut and folded, a piece of paper being cut to match.. paper was stuck to cardboard, and wrapped around the back.  

The back got a magnetized heavy duty clip to hold it to the fridge and EVERY piece of paper or advertisement went in to my new holder.  

Within 5 minutes this cute little Perfect Magnetic card holder was on my fridge!!!  NO MORE CLUTTER!

 

As for the pictures, I moved them from the fridge to my craft area which also happens to have a magnet board.  PERFECT!!!

 

Boy Dog Leak Band

My sweet old pup has developed a leaky pipe.   Basically, when he sleeps he pees.  And doesn't even know he is doing it.  This is a really large problem considering he sleeps in MY bed.  And an even bigger problem that he sleeps ALL THE TIME!

After checking him out at the Vet for an infection, we discovered it is just incontinence no infection... But this doesn't help fix the problem.  

I could use "diapers" but they are not so eco friendly, very wasteful and depending on how long my dog is with us, could get highly cost prohibitive.   So I went on a search for something more eco-friendly that was easy to use, easy to clean, comfortable and something that he couldn't pull off.

That is when I found these male dog bands:

It's PERFECT!  The band wraps around his doggy bits, and velcros on the top.  When he is going outside, we just unvelcro.  Then it is easy to put back on.  I can put a pad in it to add absorbency, or leave as is.  And it washes perfectly in the machine.

So far so good!   

 

Geometry Book

Vegkid jumped in the car with a Vocabulary book.  He doesn't normally bring work home from school so I questioned.  

He said:

"I decided to do some of these lessons at home"  Well OK Then!

That is when I noticed his name on the book, and I said "Wow, looks like you get to keep this, it has your name on it"

And he says..

"Well Duh Mom, Of course I get to keep it, what do you expect?"  

Hmmm, Silly me for thinking he had to give the book back!

But with his little snooty face he continues:

"And by the way I get to keep my Geometry book too"

GEOMETRY?  Aren't you like EIGHT???  I didn't do Geometry until Middle school, maybe high school actually.

"Yes Geometry" he says.. "I LOVE Geometry, it is my favorite subject and I love my book"

Where did you come from kid????

 

 

 

Short Posts

Between Parenting, Wife'ing, Working, House'ing, School, sleeping, 1/2 Marathon Training and whatever else I decide to do in a week, I'm thinking the blogs may be a little neglected this year.

Even without many viewers or commentors,  I can't have this blog neglected or my Mom will have a fit.  

So don't be surprised if there are shorter tid-bit posts when time doesn't allow for anything longer.  

Maybe short tid-bits like this:

When I told Vegkid that I was GOING TO TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME until I get through all my courses, he said without skipping a beat:

"Well Mom, its not like days come in twos or fives or tens, of course you only get one at a time"

Now, try to argue with THAT!  *smile*

Or maybe the tid-bits will be more food related, exercise related or anything in between.  I can't promise what will come out of my fingers to type, but I can promise that I will not neglect my Mom (I mean blog).

 

 

 

Cinnamon Green Goodness

This Happy Herbivore Cinnamon Bun Smoothie recipe is good just the way it is.  How ever I was out of ingredients today, wanted some added green value and decided to kick it up a notch.

Soooo.. This beautiful Drink is a modified Cinnamon Bun Smoothie:

Hemp Seeds and Coconut Water to make a "milk" like consistency.  Then Added bananas, vanilla, dates, cinnamon, spirulina powder, Spinach and Ice.

OH MY YUM!!!!  Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix!

 

 

Spicy Tomato And Pumpkin Soup

Is it just me, or does soup taste better in a mug?

Spicy soup tastes even better with ooey gooey avocado on top:

And even better better better, when your Mug leaves you with a Smile:

Now about that soup?  OH MY YUM.  I know you can't tell by the picture, but there are beans and veggies in there.

Vegkid wanted some soup on our snowy cold day last week.  We didn't have a NeeNee here to make "HER" soup so I decided to try my own concoction.

I basically started with Tomato Sauce, Veggie Broth and some water.   Then added what ever I felt like until it tasted just perfect.  Schezwan for the spicy, Pumpkin puree for the creamy, and sweet potato chunks just because.

We added some Garlic salt, some coconut nectar, some more chopped veggies and a can of butter beans.

It came out so good that Vegkid ate the ENTIRE pot over 2 days.  Then asked for more, which I gladly made.  He took it to lunch, he even ate it for breakfast.

The official verdict when asked how it compared to NeeNee Soup?   He said it was just as great!

SUCCESS!!!!

Then he said I needed to make NeeNee some of my soup so she can make HIM some of her soup...

Sounds like we will have lots of soup going on when NeeNee visits next!  

Soup with a Smile!

 

Why I Run So Slow

So today I almost ran faster than my fastest 4 mile time to date.  At the pace I was keeping, this could have happened.

However, even my fastest 4 mile time is slower then most people walk.  There are several reasons for this..

• My legs are short and my stride is narrow:

Yup, that is the distance of my full stride.  It's how God made me so I can not complain.  However a famous runner, I will not be!

Some other reasons why I rarely get faster times:

• I stop to take goofy pictures of my stride.. this will slow ya down, in case you were wondering
• I stop to pick up nails if I see them in the street
• I stop when there is a wandering dog that needs to find his home (like today, the cutest little lost Yorkie)
• I stop to check on people when I see them on a bench and not looking so good 
• I walk if my body tells me I need to, and I walk up the hills of doom most days (some times I try to run them, today was not one of those times)

This is one of the hills of doom, and I have yet to get a picture to show you how steep it is.  This will have to do.

I am at the mid point of said hill when I took this photo, and you will see a very tall man that looks like the size of an ant at the bottom of this hill:

Where the arrow is pointing.

Trust me, it is a BIG hill!  

However, here is a sample of the elevation for the race I'll be entering.  So I've got to be prepared.

/\___/\___/\___________/\____You get the idea!

Eh, A few hills don't scare me!!  :-)  

And THAT would be why I'm slower than the average bear, but still having loads of fun and feeling great, which is all that really matters!

Happy SUNDAY!!

The Christmas Blanket

Veg got a Blanket for Christmas from his grandparents. He now loves to lay down on the floor and do just about anything as long as he is ON the blanket.  Puzzles, Games, Drawing, Movies:

This is him all bundled up.

Problem is, the DOG also likes this Blanket and every time Veg leaves it on the floor, we find this:

Which doesn't make the Vegman very happy....

I'm thinking the Vegman will have to learn to put away his blanket because the dog isn't listening to the "THIS ISN'T YOURS, IT IS MINE" Speech!

 

5 Ways I Can Tell He is My Kid

The following things REALLY came out of my Son's Mouth today:

1. "I took some pictures of the snow, if you want to put them on your blog, I won't mind."
2. "I need you to fill out this paper for school field trip, just put that I need Vegan food.  That will work!"
3. "Exercising is so awesome, I think I want to train for a 5K, will you run with me?"
4. "Yummm, this soup is so good, can you add more vegetables next time"
5. "Your not the boss of me, I'll go to bed when I'm ready and right now I'm not tired"

Yup, even the 5th one makes me say "That's My Boy!!!"

(as my Mom chuckles.. paybacks)

 

 

 

First Snow of 2012

Vegkid is running around in shorts, I have a Tshirt on and it is Freezing + Crazy windy as in, sounds like my roof is coming off kind of windy.  But that doesn't stop us from making a snow man:

No Sirree!

I told Vegkid he should get more clothes on to play outside and he said:

"Why Mom? I was born with cold blood"

Alrighty then.. 

Well at least I convinced him to wear a long sleeve shirt.  And yes those are crocs with no socks...

The first snow of 2012 also happens to be my Mom's Birthday:

Considering it was 54 degrees and raining this morning, this snow is quite the shocker.  But you won't hear me complain!!

Happy First Snow Day of 2012

 

Half Marathon Training - This Time

THE PAST:

First Half Marathon:

Reason - A bunch of Moms said they could do it, so I joined along to give it a try

Fact - The others dropped out before training began

My Goal - To keep going, then finish before they shut down the line and NOT die

Results - I finished before they shut down the line and am still alive

 

Second Half Marathon:

Reason - Train with a friend and walk the entire race, but do it together so she could get across that finish line

Fact - Friend developed stress fractures at the very end of training and couldn't do the race

My Goal - To finish anyway in her honor , beat my time and still feel great

Results - I finished 20 minutes faster AND felt great with my friend waiting for me at the finish line!

 

First and Last Full Marathon:

Reason - I wanted to finish a full Marathon before I turned 40 and show Vegkid that you can do anything you set your mind to if you work hard enough.

Fact - I trained while eating mostly Vegan and Raw foods, feeling better than I ever have

My Goal - Finish all 26.2 miles without dying and before they shut down the line and never put my body through this again

Results - I finished all 26.2 miles, I didn't Die, made it before they shut down the line (barely) but experienced adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances, that took a long time to fix.

 

THE NOW:

 

Baby Bella Sandwich and Lettuce Wrap

I saw Baby Bella Mushrooms at the store last week that looked really good for Hubby.  I'm not a mushroom fan, but I knew he was and these looked perfect.

Since then, I've added them to Veg's Tortilla Pizzas, put them on Hubby's salads, but there were still a whole lot left that needed to be used up.  That is when I flipped through Everyday Happy Herbivore book to find "Island Portobello Burgers" on page 88.

Well, let me tell you, I learned the only way in this world that I DO like Mushrooms!  Who Knew????

Yup, I grabbed the skillet, mixed up all the ingredients per her instructions, brought to a boil, and then added all the Baby Bellas along with some onions and peppers.  Cooked for about 10 minutes....

This Sandwich (yes there is bread under there) was layered with Lettuce, avocado, pineapple slices, and the Baby Bella mix.  

More Avocado and Pineapple on top, then toasted bread on top of that.

That was Hubby's sandwich.. He couldn't stop raving about how good it was.  He went back for more, and was practically licking the pan.

I decided to try a tiny little piece.  OH MY YUM!    My tiny piece turned in to this awesome lettuce wrap:

Can't believe I like Mushrooms now!!!  

BYE BYE Christmas Room

Ever since the husband and I got Married, I've wanted a Christmas Room.   I didn't like taking the tree up and down, and had lots of Christmas collectibles that I didn't feel belonged in a box.

Then I started crafting and was much more inspired during Christmas time.  If I had a Christmas room then I would be inspired all year.

Soooo, when we moved in to a house with an extra room, it became my Christmas craft room... Eventually became Veg's play room, and my crafts were moved out.  But the Christmas tree stayed.  And my collectibles were over taken by Lego sets, Gi Joe and Spiderman figures.

My little relaxing spot to do crafts, rock my baby to the twinkling lights or read a book turned in to a giant pile of dusty cluttered Mess.  But even more so the past couple of weeks, with christmas gifts, house projects, travel etc.  The room got more messy and more cluttered than normal.

{Yes, I've posted this room clean up before, but this one was different!  Even the Christmas tree was coming down!}

 With my new disgust for clutter, this room was driving me nutty!  Christmas or not, it had to go!

{and yes don't even get me started on the pink curtains and green carpet}

On Saturday, Hubs asked if I wanted him to take Veg to chess club.. I said YES, as in screamed YES... "are you sure?"  

YES YES YES!!  And go out to eat too, stay gone for at least 3hrs, that would be grand!

{hey, don't judge me... he has never ever ever asked to take Vegkid to any activity, I am NOT going to turn this down, no sirreee!}

As soon as they left, I went to town.  I was moving furniture, I was carrying 100's of things down the stairs and out of this room.  I was taking care of the closet, the shelves, the toys, legos and well, you name it!

The Christmas room was being dismantled!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

One more time of the whole view:

Ahhhhh!!!  Some day those black shelves and thousands of toys will be outgrown, and this room will once again become a nice quiet area.  But for now, it has a floor that we can see, play games on or build legos and puzzles etc.

I'll take it!

Oh, as for Vegkid, he was happy that I got rid of all the christmas stuff and displayed his Legos and knex instead.  He likes the more adult like art work I put on the walls to replace his baby stuff and in general was OK, with the changes.

He did run to tell his Dad that I moved all of his stuff.  But the next morning, he said "Thanks Mom, I really like our new room"  Then he spent a lot of time in there Sunday building.  So I think it was a success.

Now the Husband????   He didn't even notice until the next day... He looked at the room, then looked at me, then shook his head and walked away.  

That was that!   Until Sunday afternoon.  He came home earlier then expected, when I asked why?  His reason was that he didn't want to stay gone too long as I might try to move the couch next.

Hmmm, I think he knows me too well!

 

 

Hemp Seed Milk and HH Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

I was feeling like a creamy smoothie, and something different that I don't usually make.  Which is when I remembered Happy Herbivore's Cinnamon Bun Smoothie that seemed to fit the bill.

BUT, we only had soy milk in the house of which I'm not consuming these days.  Soooo, I put on my thinking cap!

1 Cup of Water, with some Hemp Seeds in to Mr. Vita-Mix and Voila!

Instant non-dairy milk for my HH Cinnamon Bun Smoothie:

Not to mention Raw, Frothy, Omega filled Goodness...

Then I added all the other ingredients to finish off this treat.

Sorry HH, but I can't make a smoothie without some greens!  I added a bunch of spinach to the mix, and couldn't taste it a bit.

Hence the pretty green color.   I also had to add an extra banana and a little bit more maple syrup since my milk was not pre-sweetened.

But OH MY YUM!!!  This was delicious.  Vegkid drank some too and gave a big thumbs up!

If only I had saved some for tomorrow??  Oh well, Just have to make more *wink*

 

 

Who Needs a Weather Station?

Vegkid loves loves loves his Weather station, but who needs one of those when you have this:

Yup, flip my head down, look in the mirror, and you can see very quickly that the humidity is at least 65% and rain is going to happen.

If the humidity is low on a crispy winter day, that mess would actually be perfectly straight and flat.

Sometimes, it is a little of both when undecided...

And that my friends is why I never leave home without a pony tail or clip.   In case you were wondering!

 

 

Fast Vegan Toaster Tortilla Pizza

Here is  another Healthy Fast Toaster Option for us Busy Moms on the Go!

Normally I make Tortilla Pizzas in the oven.  Heat up the oven, wait, then cook, then wait to cool.. etc.

But with my new found love for using the toaster, I decided to try making a quickie version for the Vegman.

This one is using a Spelt Tortilla and topped with Pizza Sauce, Peppers, Pineapples, Italian herbs and Garlic Salt.

**note, normally I would add broccoli and spinach but we were running low on produce this night.

I gently put this in the toaster, between low and medium setting then pushed the little GO button.

A few minutes later it went DING!    Removing from the toaster oven takes some skill to not burn thy fingers.

But it worked perfectly!!!  (was thinking we could fold it up for lunchboxes even)

The tortilla was slightly toasted, the toppings and sauce were warm enough to eat and the Vegkid was super happy!   He actually said he liked it better this way.  

With all the fruit/veggies pre/cut, this dish took a total of 4 minutes (prep and cook).   Next time we'll do more toppings as the possibilities are endless.  

But this is one awesome short cut that I will NOT feel guilty about!

 

 

Vegan Tiffin Lunch + Snacks

I Love my To-Go Ware 3 Tier Tiffin because it is big enough to hold my Lunch + any snacks I need for the day!

People often tell me that it is too hard or too expensive to eat healthy and pack your lunches.   But everything in this tiffin is prepped in advance for 3 days worth of goodness.  I just grabbed what I needed then headed out the door.  (except the oat mixture, I added the banana later)

The Pre-Prepped food was enough for multiple meals for multiple people, so the cost really is low considering what it would have been for three of us to go out to eat for 3 days worth of lunches.

Here is a Tiffin filled with goodies from last week:

Spinach and Romaine Salad with chopped veggies and marinated chickpeas:

The chickpeas were mixed with chopped onion, then marinated in a mixture of Orange Juice, White Balsamic Vinegar, Braggs Aminos, Garlic Salt and Italian Seasoning.  The leftovers kept in the fridge for about 4 days.

Like I said above, Hubs had a bowl full of chopped veggies prepped.  I had a bowl prepared with lettuce and spinach. Then a bowl full of chickpeas in the fridge, so we just grabbed what we needed for our salads for the week.  So easy to make lunches this way!

And for the rest:

My Oats Combination:

Oats, Almond Butter, Choco Chips, Mashed banana and Goji berries:

Apple Chunks and a couple Raw Cacao Goji truffles

I also try to bring a green smoothie and a resuable container full of water to give me my fluids for the day.   Sometimes I bring an extra banana too just in case I get hungry.  

Do you make your lunches??

{Note to self, don't blog about food when it is bed time... Soooo hungry now! *smile*}

Spicy Nutty Easy Raw Sweet Potato Bites

I've been experimenting with Raw Sweet Potatoes ever since I tried making noodles out of them and a pad thai type sauce.  But now I have a Mandoline, AND I'm going for the theme of simple this month. So I decided to try something new and simple:

First I washed and peeled the Sweet Potato, then sliced it up at different thicknesses (going for real thin but had to do the ol' trial and error thing):

Veg was snagging these from the plate just the way they were.  I even threw a few in his green smoothie too.

So if your kid is like mine, you can stop here.

But I was going for something more nutty and spicy!

Which is why I mixed up a spicy nutty sauce:

**Note** my sauce was not raw, but you could easily make it so!

This is simply a mixture of nut butter, garlic salt, a dash of schezwan sauce, dash of teriyaki or braggs amino and some water.

Then made little sandwich bites and gobbled them all up.. 

Vegkid liked them plain or with the nutty mixture.  I also liked them both ways, but the sandwich bites were sooo good and filling.

I had enough sweet potato slices stored in the fridge that these lasted two days.  The nutty mixture didn't make it past the first night though, so I had to make another batch of that.

But really, how easy???  Could be an appetizer, a main course, a snack, or a great Lunchbox treat for kids and adults!

Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Fast, Easy with a whole lot of Nutrition built in!!

A definite win/win!

Easy and Fast No Cook Oats Snack

I know you are supposed to add liquid to oats, either making Overnight oats or oat cookies via the fridge, or warm water in the form of Oatmeal.  Maybe Granola bars, etc. But I've come to like a quick snack that is just the following:

• Uncooked Oats
• Nut Butter (almond is my favorite)
• Choco Chips
• Cinnamon

Mixed all together, then eat!  Crunchy and Squishy in every bite!

Sometimes adding a squishy dried fruit, like goji berries, raisins or dates.  Sometimes even adding a mushy Banana or liquid nectar like coconut or maple syrup, other times I'll throw in raw seeds like hemp or sunflower.  Sometimes I'll go crazy and just nix the Cinnamon all together.

But what ever I add, it must be fast.  

This one was just that:

GF Oats, Peanut Butter, Choco chips, Goji Berries and Cinnamon.  A Single Serving quick filling granola'ish snack!

Oh My Yum!  

PS. This is also great for pre-mixing the dry ingredients, then just adding nut butters on road trips

PSS. The posts this week are making me hungry!

Super Easy Vegan Kid Lunch Platter

Vegkid loves my pancakes.  He loves my pancakes even better when put in the miniature donut maker.

I however, DO NOT like to make pancakes in the donut maker because it takes too long and drives me nutty.

So when the kiddo asked for Pumpkin Spice Donuts the other day, I practiced my simplification strategy!  Then said "SURE, lets try something" 

I took a small measuring cup and put a 1/2 banana in it.  Then mashed with a fork.  On top of that, I poured about a 1/2 cup of Pumpkin Spice Soy milk, a tablespoon of apple sauce, a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar, a dibble of maple syrup, and a dash of Vanilla extract.

I mixed those things together, then poured in some  Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (enough to get the consistency of pancake batter) dropped in a little chickpea flour, about a tsp of baking powder, dash of salt, and a bunch of cinnamon.

Mixed everything together, while adding a little more liquid or flour as necessary and poured in to the donut maker thing.   This made about 3 batches of tiny smooshed donuts.  (two of the batches were gobbled up before they made it to the plate)

This is what was left by the time I could grab the camera:

I then decided to use the remaining 1/2 of banana, to make Everyday Happy Herbivore Fried Bananas.  Only I stuck the slices in the donut maker to see if it would work (since it was already heated).  Closed the lid for a second... and Voila..It worked!  Tasty bananas not burned with no messy pan.

The bananas are shown in the picture with cinnamon on top.   Can you tell we like Cinnamon.

And of course, I threw some chopped carrots on his plate since I was already chopping them for my salad.

Multi-tasking at its finest!  

End result?  Vegkid gobbled up every single bit, then asked me to make it again another day!

So there you have it, My kind of Fast Food!  (even if I had to use the donut maker)

 

 

Spunk's Christmas Present

The Vegman picked out this all natural organic cotton toy for Spunk's Christmas Stocking.   But on Christmas morning, the old pup really didn't want anything to do with it. 

Then after a week, he and the toy became inseperable.     

"Back Off, it's mine.  And please don't make me run after it again, I'm tired"

 

Happy Herbivore Vegan GF Chocolate Mug Cake

I'm not a fan of the Microwave, in fact I think I used it three times in all of 2011.  But this Chocolate Mug Cake from Everyday Happy Herbivore was too intriguing not to try.

5 Minutes, and you can have a Single Serving Chocolate Cake??? How cool is that!!  Enough sweet to curb a craving but not so much that you have a 10 pound cake left to eat in the house.

So one night when the choco bugs hit me big time,  I gave it a try using GF Flour:

 

And my Favorite Mug:

Turned out to be moist and delicious.   While it is called single serving, I could have split this 3 ways, as it was actually way too much for me.  But definitely solved my choco craving for the day.  

Its not one of those things that I would make often since the Microwave = BAD in my book, but nice to have this 5 Minute Baking option for those once in a while cravings.

Vegan Salad Wrap

An Easy Lunch:

Raw Vegan Coconut Wrap filled with Chick peas, Carrots, Celery, Spinach and sprinkled on top with Orange Juice, White Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic Salt.

Enough Said!

Cheater Vegan Bean Patty

Another Quick Single Serving meal for the Vegkid.... He loves when I make Oven Bean Patties, or Grilled bean patties of any kind.

The other night he wanted a Grilled Bean Sandwhich for dinner.  But I was out of Hummus that I normally use and didn't feel like making two meals.  Since I already had Chickpeas on the stove for another recipe, I grabbed a few in to a small bowl.

I mashed the Chickpeas then added the following to the same little bowl as a test:

• Scoop of Premade Vegan Refried Black Beans
• Dash of lemon Juice
• Sprinkle of Garlic Salt

Mixed the four ingredients together (could also add taco seasoning or something to spice it up) but we went pretty plain. 

The mixture was scooped on to a bun and the whole thing went in to the Toaster Oven.

Push the little button, wait a minute for the ding..  (watch so the bun doesn't burn)

Then Voila!  A Quick and Easy single serving Bean patty on toasted bread, that got gobbled up QUICKLY!!

You could even make a big batch of gooey mixture to keep in the fridge for a couple days and grab as needed. 

So there ya go!!  An easy Single Serving Bean Patty.    No pots, No pans, No Dirty hands!!!

And the Kid LOVED it!!   Who knew we could have so much fun with the toaster oven?

 

Cheater Vegan French Toast

The Vegkid Loves French Toast.  Especially Happy Herbivore  French Toast.  And while it is always fast, and easy, there are some mornings/nights when this Mama needs faster and easier.

So I took snippets of the HH recipe, and made a toaster version.  YES I DID!

I mixed the following in a tiny measuring cup:

• Dash of Pumpkin Spice Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• Bunch of Cinnamon
• Dribble of Maple Syrup
• Sprinkle of chickpea flour
• Splash of Vanilla

Then mixed it all up and drizzled on top of two slices of bread.  The drizzle has to be carefully done so it doesn't make the bread too soggy (or it will stick to the toaster oven tray) but make sure all top portions of the bread are covered. (just not soaked through)

Then Stick the bread in the Toaster Oven on light to medium setting.  When it goes ding, you have delicious moist (but not too moist) Toast that tastes like French toast.

Sprinkle with some more maple syrup if you'd like, or serve with side of fresh apple sauce or other fruit.

The Vegkid has liked this so much, he asks for it again and again.  It takes all but 2 minutes to make so I don't complain.   Why would I complain?  This method doesn't dirty a pan, bowl, spatula etc.  Its sooo quick and easy.  Also limits the bread to 2 slices, vs.  1/2 a loaf.

Its a win/win.  Cheater Toaster Vegan French Toast!

Look for more Cheater Suggestions, as I'm all about Simplifying this year.

 

 

Good Bye 2011 - Hello 2012

Hubs and I sat down last night to put all our memories from 2011 in to our little book.  We basically write down everything that comes to mind from the year prior.  For some reason it was hard to remember EVERYTHING.  Thanks to this blog and my Family picture blog, I was able to piece together all the interesting events.

A lot of business travel, personal travel, several family trips to Michigan, an Awesome Florida trip where Dolphins and space shuttles were involved, An Amazing South Carolina trip where Dolphins, forts and long sandy walks were involved.  Veg learned how to swim this year.  We had several visitors at the homestead. Saw a light house, a great lake, went to Airforce Museum, Mountains, Chess club and sporting events.  We grew lots in the garden, enjoyed the Farmers market, started Juicing, and So much more!

2011 was a Great Year!!!

We drank lots of these:

And these:

Lots of NeeNee Soup:

Lots of Raw Vegan Goodness:

This one is Bananas, Pomegranate and Pecans with Macadamia Cream sauce:

First Persimmon Try:

Raw Vegan Creamy Kale Salad:

Raw Vegan Baklava:

Developed a love for Cauliflower:

I completed my First and Last Full Marathon... 

I simplified more in 2011, Made a lot more home body care products, Started my 10 Minute rule (breaking tasks in to 10 minutes so they don't seem so daunting).  I also began being happy about what I have accomplished vs. what I still have left to do.

At the end of 2011, my Accomplishments were many!! Both in the house and out of the house.  Both mentally and physically.. I even enjoyed crafts again as I prepared my self for 2012.  

Prepared myself Mentally that is!!  2012 is going to be another Big year.  I can feel it.

To start with, my Nutrition Classes will officially begin, and I'm super excited about that.  I'm going to complete another 1/2 Marathon (if my hormones cooperate that is).  But this time, I'm going to drop at least 15 minutes off my time.  I'm going to focus on myself a little more, find MY HAPPY, while being the best parent and wife I can be.  Most importantly, I'm taking back control of my happy!  The moods of others should not dictate my own.

Yesterday I got out for the first 1/2 Marathon training day of 2012.   For not running much the past few months, I was impressed with my Body's ability to jump back in.  I went a total of 4.5 miles with the first 3 running non-stop with no pain.  Powered by Greens!!!

My rest days for this 1/2 marathon training will be different! I'll be including some strength training and muscle stretching to the mix.  If I want a different result, then I must do different actions.  2012 is the year for Different and for finding my Happy!

Bring it on 2012... This will be the best year ever and I'm ready!!!!

 

Quick Trip and Back Home

My Bestest friend for over 20+ years, has been there for me during just about every major milestone in my life.   Coming to visit no matter where I lived and always making her self available when we go there.   I have come to treasure our Shopping days, or Coffee Stops.

We have spent countless hours on the phone, wrote letters with real pens when that was the only option to communicate.  Now Email and Text Messages, make it so we don't have to talk on the phone as much but we still do.  

There were years where we didn't talk as much or didn't see each other as much, and that is OK too.  We have changed, grown, had families, and lives.  She has friends that are closer that she spends more time with, so it is kind of funny that I still say "Bestest friend" but really, who else in this world would put up with ME for 20+years? (besides my family that is, although some of them don't really put up with me *smile*)

We know almost everything about eachother, Including the mistakes we have each made while we navigate this thing called life.

So when this friend was going through an unthinkable crisis.  One that I wouldn't wish on anyone let alone her, why wouldn't I hop on the first plane to be there???  Well that is a very very very long story.