Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that you and your family has a magical Christmas.

Photo courtesy of Sodahead.

Vegan Breakfast Cookbook?

When I try and plan a weekly menu, I always have trouble with breakfast. I always look for ideas in cookbooks, but they all seem to be the same thing. I want something different. I made an amazing tempeh hash the other day, but it takes forever. I want some quick ideas. My kids are not fond of scrambled tofu. They love pancakes, waffles, and breakfast pizzas, but you can only have so much of those things. My kids love oatmeal, but this mom can't stand the texture.

I would love a vegan breakfast cookbook. I would love one that has a variety of recipes. One that has brunch ideas, quick morning ideas, and everything in between.

Any suggestion?

The Ultimate Comfort Food

It has been raining all day. I really wanted some comfort food. Dh made me Chickpea cutlets and lemony roasted potatoes from Veganomicon. He made his own gravy and it was awesome. Let me tell you, it was beyond amazing. I can't use enough adjectives to describe dinner.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

It has been raining all day so I thought that chili would be in order. I made Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili from Vegan Planet. Dh made a cheeze sauce from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and a tofu sour cream from Vegan Express. It was delicious.

Accidently Awesome!!

Tonight I was going to make Vegan Dad's Italian Meatballs. I thought that I had all the ingredients, but it turned out that I didn't. So I tried it anyway. When it came to making the meatballs, they would not stay together. They kept falling apart. I did not have anymore BBQ sauce, so I used a little ketchup. I don't know if it made that big of a deal or not. I ended up spreading the mixture out on a cookie sheet and baking in it the oven. Once it was browned I added it to my homemade spaghetti sauce. My family loves thick sauce. It was the best spaghetti sauce that I have ever made! My family devoured it. They all complimented the chef. Well..it was an accident that turned out awesome. Of course our spaghetti was not vegan because we used Parmesan cheese. I need to get dh to make some more vegan parmesan sprinkles.

Favorite Cookbook

I was just getting out my cookbooks to look for inspiration. I have a couple of cookbooks that I always turn to. The first one is Vegan Planet. I use this book at least twice a week if not more. Here is what it looks like from all the use. LOL.



The second one that I grab is my The Joy of Vegan Baking.

I started to wonder what your top 2 cookbooks are. So what are the cookbooks that you grab when you need inspiration??

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all my blogging buddies.
Thank you so much for allowing me to peak into your kitchen.
Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes.
Thank you for being you.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

A Food Meme

What’s the last thing you ate? bagel & cream cheese.

What’s your favorite cheese? muenster.

What’s your favorite fruit? strawberries.

When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I have always loved them.

When, if ever, did you start liking beer? 20

What was the best thing your parent/s used to make? Apple pie..from what I am told. I have never liked pie. I always loved mom's macaroni salad as well.

What’s the native specialty of your home town? crab cakes.

What’s your comfort food? Morning Star Farms chick'n sandwiches & baked beans.
What’s your favorite type of chocolate? none

How do you like your eggs? omelets or hard boiled.

How do you like your potatoes? baked and stuffed with goodies.

How do you take your coffee? yuck!

How do you take your tea? sweet.

What’s your favorite mug? It was a snowman mug that was a gift from my kids. It broke last year. :(

What’s your cookie of choice? sugar

What’s your ideal breakfast? everything bagel and cream cheese

What’s your ideal sandwich? avocado, lettuce & tomato on toasted whole wheat.

What’s your ideal pizza (topping and base)? homemade taco pizza or veggie pizza on homemade crust

What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savory)? Pie? pumpkin

What’s your ideal salad? mixed lettuces, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, balck olives, roasted red peppers, chopped peppers, mozzarella cheese chunks, cooked mushrooms, black beans and homemade croutons.

What food do you always like to have in the fridge? soy milk, vegan mayo, borden sliced cheese, wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, flour, coffee, fruit, tempeh

What food do you always like to have in the freezer? tofu, egg roll wrapper, spring roll wrappers, frozen veggies

What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? spaghetti, tomato sauce, soymilk,veggie soup cubes, canned & dried beans.

What spices can you not live without? garlic, onion powder, basil, oregano, Dinosaur BBQ Rub Fore play

What sauces can you not live without? can't think of one

Where do you buy most of your food? Kroger, costco, & natural health food store

How often do you go food shopping? Major shopping every 2 weeks. fresh veggies & milk once a week.

What’s the most you’ve spent on a single food item? I am not sure

What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? Fridge.

What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? ?? a cookie scoop

What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? kitchen aid standing mixer

How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? all the time.

What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? soup

What’s your favorite thing to make for yourself? soft pretzels


What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? I don't know. I don't tend to do that.

What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? in the summer...blueberries. YUMMY

Place the following cuisines in order of preference (greatest to least) - Italian, sushi, Chinese, French, Indian, Thai: sushi, chinese, italian. I have never had french or indian food.

Place the following boozes in order of preference (greatest to least) - Whiskey, tequila, vodka, brandy, gin, rum: I very rarely drink.

Place the following flavors in order of preference (greatest to least) - Garlic, ginger, basil, aniseed, lime: garlic, basil, lime, ginger, aniseed.

Place the following fruits in order of preference (greatest to least) - cherry, apple, orange, pineapple, watermelon: watermelon, apple, orange, pineapple, cherry

Bread and spread: cinnamon raisin bread(toasted) and cream cheese.

What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? Subway veggie sub.

What are three of the best dining-out experiences you’ve had? I can only think of one. When dh and I went out for sushi a couple of months ago. It was our first date in 2 years.

What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? Water. I don't drink.

Favorite cookbook/s? Vegan Planet & The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Got any favorite food blogs? yep~~~~>>>>

What’s the next thing you’ll eat? soup and grilled cheeses for lunch.

Tempeh Two Ways

I made 2 different versions of tempeh for lunch yesterday. Dh was at the station and I wanted to surprise him with something new. I made him Tempeh simmered with Tomatoes and Sauerkraut from Vegan Planet. He loved it. He said that he added just a little bit of sour cream and it was even better. I reduced the recipe since it was only going to feed him. It was a very quick recipe to make. I will be making it again for him.

I made another tempeh recipe from Vegan Planet for the kids and myself. I made Teriyaki-Glazed Tempeh. My kids loved the sauce, but the tempeh was a little to soft. I think that I cooked the tempeh to long. I served it over brown rice, broccoli and onions.

What's Been Cooking

Dh made the most amazing soup. Even my bean hater LOVED it. When I asked him for a recipe he said that it had a little bit and a little bit of that.

We only had one complaint...there wasn't enough.

Next he tried Bryanna's New Beefy Seitan that Vegan Dad talked about here. Tracker couldn't get enough of it. He called it meatloaf and kept asking for more. We had that with roasted red potatoes, steamed green beans and a Sun-dried Tomato and olive bread for The Joy of Vegan Baking. Yummy!! I don't think that this picture does it justice.

I tried to make bite sized quiches. They looked wonderful, but they were not that good. I need to fool around with the recipe some more. Has anyone ever made something similar before? Quiche is one of Tracker's favorite breakfast treats. I would love to find a way to make it a little bit lighter.

I also made a veggie sandwich with roasted mushrooms, onions, red peppers and garlic spinach. I used some homemade bread that dh made the day before. I will admit that it was not one of my best recipes. It was still ok.

The Best Nuggets EVER!!

Tonight dh made Vegan Dad's Hot Wingz and his Sweet & Sticky Wingz. He made them into nuggets and they were delicious. They are my new favorite finger food. I have already mentioned that these will be made next week during the last NASCAR Race of the season. I cannot tell you how delicious the BBQ sauce was for the nuggets. I could just eat the sauce straight out of the pan. My only complaint is that we didn't have anymore.


Dh also made 2 deep dish pizzas to go along with the wingz. The pizzas were outstanding as well.


I just love it when my hubby cooks.

Meat*loaf

I made the most amazing meal tonight. I made *meat*loaf, roasted veggies and biscuits for dinner. It was beyond amazing. I got the recipe from a vegetarian yahoo group that I belong to. The vegetables that I roasted were purple sweet potato, red potatoes, baby carrots and onions. The purple potato was my favorite. It was the first time that I ever cooked with them. I was disappointed that they weren't purple on the inside. The biscuit recipe came from The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook.

*Meat* Loaf

1.5 cups dried lentils, rinsed
2 yellow onions
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
3 cups brown rice (cooked)
1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup tomato sauce (or pasta sauce)
Additional ketchup or salt to taste



Rinse the lentil and cook them in 3-4 cups water until soft (about 30 minutes). Drain excess liquid. Mash lentils slightly.

Meanwhile, peel and chop both onions, cooking them on a skillet with the oil until translucent or golden.

In a large pot or bowl, combine mashed lentils with onions, rice, tomato paste, spices, quartered tomatoes, and pasta sauce until mixed well.

Press mixture into a well-oiled loaf or baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup ketchup across the top. Bake at 350-degrees for 1 hour.

Add additional ketchup to taste. Will keep (covered) in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Number of Servings: 10

***SF Notes*** Of course I didn't have all the spices. I just used a generic seasoning blend. I also didn't have the cherry tomatoes so I used a couple of spoonfuls of canned diced tomatoes. The only complaint that I heard was that it was not firm enough.

Baked Oatmeal

We woke up to a very chilly morning. I decided to make the kiddos some baked oatmeal. It is always a sign of fall when I start making this dish. I got the recipe from Allrecipes.

Baked Oatmeal II

Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar

Publish Post

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

***Summer Fae's Notes*** I don't use cranberries. I use raisins and chocolate chips.

Dragon's Top Secret Hot Chocolate

Dragon created his very own hot chocolate recipe. Shh..it's a secret. I was allowed to take a picture though. :)

Baked Tofu

The other day I could not decide what to do with some tofu that I had thawing(I freeze mine tofu). I decided to baked it. After I pressed the tofu, I cut the tofu into steaks. I got 8 'steaks' from the one package of tofu. I then pressed the tofu into a seasoned bread crumb mixture(bread crumbs and your favorite spices). I then baked them on a cookie sheet until they were crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside. My kids LOVED them. I would of preferred the tofu to be less 'springy'(according to Dragon) but he loved it just like that. I served it along side scalloped potatoes. I had forgotten that I bought them. LOL.

The Best Sandwich EVER!!!

I made the most amazing sub yesterday. I took one package of tempeh and sliced it rather thick. I am not sure how many slices I got. I then simmered it in water for just a few moments. I then put them on a foil lined cookie sheet, spread BBQ sauce over them and baked until the BBQ sauce looked dried out. I then put it on a sub roll. I topped it with sliced colby-jack cheese, sauteed mushrooms, thin onion slices, thin tomato slices, pickle slices and then lettuce on top. I spread a little bit of mayo on the top. It was to DIE for. I actually used Pillsbury french loaf for this. I formed it like I did when I made the Snake sub last year for Halloween. This year the kids named it a slug sub. Unfortunately, my camera was mia so there are no pictures. But trust me it was delicious!

A New Obsession...

Tempeh!

I just cannot get enough of it. I want to try everything. Does anyone have any good recipes? Here are some that I am wanting to try...

Barbecued Tempeh
Linguine With Calm Not Clam Sauce
Tempeh Chili
Tempeh Dagwood Sandwich
Spicy BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Sweet Potato Wedges and Asian Slaw
Jamaican Jerk Seasoned Tempeh Sandwich

Tonight's Dinner

Here is what we had for dinner tonight. I made roasted acorn squash, steamed broccoli, salad and dh made flat bread. The bread was a repair job. I found 2 bags of yeast roll dough in the freezer. I tried to get them to rise, but they were old and they were not doing what they were suppose to. Dh rolled them out and the dipped them in an herbed olive oil and then cooked them on my griddle. I told him that I now knew what was going to happen to the rest of the bag. I wasn't too fond of the acorn squash recipe, I want to fool with it some more. The hardest part was trying to get good even slices.

I know that the plate looks a little empty but believe me we were all stuffed. The salad was huge! We bought lettuce for $.79 a head so we have a lot of lettuce to use. LOL.

Smothered Tempeh Sandwiches

I made this for lunch last week and it was OOOh so good. Please excuse the Dora plate..it was left over from my dd's birthday.

Smothered Tempeh Sandwich ~Eating Well

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 8-ounce package tempeh
1 tablespoon canola oil
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bellas)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry red wine
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
8 thin slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

1. Cut tempeh in half widthwise, then slice each piece horizontally to make 4 thin slices total.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and salt and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in wine. Add tempeh slices and spoon some of the mushroom mixture over them; cook until the tempeh is heated through and the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, top with cheese, cover and let stand until the cheese melts, about 1 1/2 minutes.
3. To assemble sandwiches, divide the tempeh among half the toasted bread. Top with the mushroom mixture and the remaining toasted bread. Serve immediately.

Summer Fae's Notes~ I find that there are not enough mushrooms and onions for me. I always use more. Don't forget to boil the tempeh first. My kids even gave this a thumbs up.

Italian Eggplant

I cubed one mammoth zucchini, one eggplant and one orange pepper. I sauteed the zucchini, eggplant, and pepper until everything was cooked. I poured Italian dressing over the veggies for a sauce. I then served it over buttered linguine and topped with Parmesan & shredded mozzarella cheese over. I served it with cheesy garlic bread.

Kids In the Kitchen

Tonight the kids wanted to help with dinner. Dragon helped me make tofu triangles. They were fantastic!! They tasted like chk'n nuggets. I really enjoyed them. I am looking forward to trying them again. Squirrel & Tracker helped me shuck corn and clean some green beans. I just steamed the beans, they ended up tasting bad. :( I think that it has to do with the fact that they were old. Squirrel & dh made some amazing potatoes. I don't know how they made them, but yummy. Dragon helped me prep the tofu for the oven. Dh made some amazing honey mustard dressing to dip the tofu nuggets in. Tracker was too busy throwing water bombs at his brother and sister to come in a help cook the fresh corn. For dessert tonight Dragon & Dh made dark chocolate biscotti.

pics to come...

Eating Rutt

Nothing sounds good. Nothing looks good. I can't think of anything to eat. Even after visiting our local farmer's market today, nothing jumped out and said "EAT ME".

What do you do when this happens to you??

Veggie Sandwich

I was craving some fresh veggies for lunch. I made myself a veggie sandwich. It has tomatoes, roasted red pepper, cucumbers(from this morning), lettuce, avocado and onions. It was ooh so good.

Look What $25 Bought Me

Our local farmer's market opened today and we had a blast! We bought yellow squash, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, patty pan squash, tomatoes, plums, sweet potatoes, honey, green beans, eggplant & green peppers.

My Garden

Lunch & Dinner

Lunch was egg rolls & fruit. The sauce is sweet & sour sauce. I needed to use up my cabbage & spring roll wrappers.
Dinner was AMAZING!! It was caramelized onion, mushroom & spinach pizza. I did put just a little bit of cheese on top. I used less than 2 tablespoons on the entire pizza!! I used the pizza dough recipe found in Vegan Planet. I highly recommend this book. If you don't buy any other cookbook this year buy this one...oh wait you need to buy The Joy of Vegan Baking as well.

Coffee Cake & Peaches

Hubby had to work overtime today, so I made a very simple breakfast. I got the Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan Baking. The peaches were just canned peaches that I have had for a while.

Awesome Eggplant!!

Last night I made the best eggplant dish that I have ever tasted. I am not trying to toot my own horn. I don't think that it had anything to do with the cooking, but with the recipe. This picture doesn't do the dish justice.

Here is the original recipe. I have noted the changes that I made at the bottom of the recipe.

Eggplant -- Easy, Good and Tasty

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 large eggplant
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tomato, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Italian-style salad dressing

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil.
   
2. Slice the eggplant into 8 round slices, each 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Trim the skin, maintaining the round shape of the slices. In a small bowl, whip together the egg and water. Place the breadcrumbs in a separate small bowl.
3. Dip the eggplant slices one at a time into the egg and water mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. One by one, place the coated slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet or pizza pan. Top the slices with equal amounts of tomato, Parmesan cheese and Italian-style salad dressing.
4. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 15 minutes. Change oven setting to broil, and continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes. Check the slices frequently while broiling to avoid burning.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

My Notes:
I didn't use the oil. I sprayed the cookie sheet with canola spray. I used the entire eggplant(and that was barely enough to feed my 5..they kept going back for more). I also peeled the eggplant before I sliced it. Instead of eggs & water, I used egg substitute. I added some fresh ground pepper and garlic powder to the eggs as well. I also added dried oregano, basil, and Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs. I also had to substitute grape tomatoes for the regular tomato. My last substitution was the Italian dressing. I didn't have any plain dressing. I used Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing.

I served it with orzo, green beans and baked tofu bites. It was a family hit. It was very light. This will be a great meal for the summer here.

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Personal Cheeseburger Pizza

This was a last minute decision. I couldn't make what I had planned on having due to the eggplant going bad. When I couldn't come up with anything good to eat, I stood staring into the freezer hoping something would scream..cook me. I found 4 veggie burgers that needed to be used. So veggie cheeseburger pizza was born. LOL. I knew that this dish was a family favorite at the pizza place in the past.

Here is what I used for each person...

Ingredients:

pocketless pita
1 veggie burger(cooked), chopped
mustard or ketchup(whatever they prefer)
relish
mexican cheese

Spread the mustard or ketchup on the pocketless pita. Top with a little bit of cheese, the burger, relish and more cheese. Then cook in a 350º oven for about 5 minutes.

This was a HUGE hit. Everyone asked if I could make them again.

Smmothies

I made smoothies for my kids the other day. They were very good. I used half a box of firm tofu, a bag of frozen strawberries, half of a bag of frozen blueberries, apple juice & orange juice. I normally don't like smoothies and these were delicious!

Messy Lasagna

My kids named this dish Messy lasagna. It was a result of finding a great eggplant & spinach lasagna recipe and not having all the ingredients. I also made a bread stick recipe that was just ok. If anyone has a tried & true bread stick recipe, I would love to try it.

Eating Healthy

It has been very hard for me to eat the way that I would like to here lately. We have been relying too much on the packaged meat substitutes like Morningstar Farms burgers. I think that they are great, it is just not the way that I want to be eating. I would like to eat fresher foods.

My goal for this week is to eat fresher foods and drink less soda. That has always been my downfall.

Check back later today for my weekly menu.

Mock Crab Cakes

These are Ohhh Sooo Good!!! They are now a family favorite. The first time I made them they were just a crab cake. This time we made them into a sub. I am sorry that the pictures are fuzzy. I got the recipe from a GREAT group on yahoo Vegetarian_group.



Crab Cakes by Debbie

Ingredients:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 large eggs -- beaten
1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
3 green onions -- chopped
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
vegetable oil
tartar sauce

Directions:

Drain zucchini, pressing between layers of paper towels.
Combine zucchini and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Shape mixture into 8 patties
(mixture will be soft). Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch into a large heavy skillet.
Fry patties in hot oil over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels; serve with tartar sauce.

$50 Pantry stock up Challenge

I am getting ready to stock up my pantry. So I have a question for you...

If you had only $50 to stock up your pantry what would you add?

I am planning on buying:
whole wheat flour
organic sugar
yeast
canned black olives
canned black beans
canned chick peas
salsa
spaghetti sauce
popcorn..microwave only because I am scared of scratching my new stove top.
dried pinto beans
dried black beans
dried chickpeas

Menu Plan Monday

Once again, I didn't stick to my menu. It was crazy to say the least. This week the menu is going to be very basic. We got the bad news Friday that we have to replace our van within the next 2 weeks. The mechanic told us that it wasn't safe to drive it much longer. So we are going to be spending the evenings looking at cars. A lot of my baking recipes will be coming from my new cookbook, Vegan Baking. I will post the recipes if they work. Check out many more recipes over on Laura's Blog.

Monday:
B- Pancakes & chocolate banana shakes(these both were delicious!! I will post recipes this afternoon)
L- Free for all
D- Spaghetti with veggie meatballs & homemade bread
Dessert...not sure what yet.

Tuesday:
B- Omelettes, home fries, biscuits
L- "chk" quesadillas & corn
D- Veggie Fried Rice

Wednesday: (car decision day)
B- Cinnamon Rolls
L- Veggie Dogs & baked beans... or eat out.
D- Homemade Pizza & salad

Thursday:
B- french toast
L- peanut butter & jelly
D- vegan hamburgers & fries

Friday:
B- Breakfast sandwiches, hash browns
L- sandwiches ( hoping to go on a picnic if weather cooperates)
D- Calzones

Saturday:
B- cereal & muffins
L- free for all
D- Pancakes

A New Addition

I am so proud to announce the newest addition to my house. ....


Isn't it beautiful??? Please excuse the blurry picture. My old one was 20years old. This is soo sweet. I sat there tonight while watching our pizzas cook. Yes I know, I am strange. But my last range didn't have a window to look in or a light. Do you know what the greatest thing is???? I can cook LOTS at one time. For the first time ever I was able to cook all 4 personal pizzas at one time. I couldn't do that in my old stove..it had 1 rack.
I can't wait to start to really cook in it. I just don't know what to bake first. Cookies? Bread? Cupcakes? Overnight french toast? So much to bake..so little time.

Valentine's Day Cooking

DD & I made some Valentine's Day Cupcakes. We just used a white cake mix that I needed to use up. She did most of the work herself. I did learn one thing though. If you don't want red & pink sprinkles ALL over the place never leave a 6yr to decorate the cupcakes. LOL.


For dinner we had heart shaped pasta with veggies. I made a butter sauce(that is what my kids call it). I take minced roasted garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder(we LOVE garlic here) and mix with melted butter. Then I toss the pasta in it and add parmesan cheese. I put mixed peppers, baby bellas & broccoli on top of the pasta. I served spinach and olive bread on the side. It was delicious! Personally I thought that it was the best sauce that I have ever made.

A New Book

I am sooo excited. Guess what I got in the mail today?????

The Joy of Vegan Baking

Oh I cannot tell you how excited I am. I cannot wait to start baking.

Menu Plan Monday

Notes from last week's Menu:
It was not a success. We ended up throwing away the menu by Friday. Things kept coming up and I didn't have the time that I would of like to devote to cooking. This week that will change. I am not going to be constantly on the go. A couple of things that I made last week were a big hit~ Calzones and Egg-Free Banana Chocolate Muffins. Dh liked the savory spread for his bagel, but found that it was too runny. Since we didn't follow last week's menu, there will be some carry-over meals.

Sunday:
Breakfast: free for all
Lunch: Bagel Bites & fruit slices
Dinner: Three-Way Sesame Tofu with Spicy Broccoli (This was DELICIOUS!!!)Monday:
Breakfast: Breakfast Pizzas
Lunch: quesadillas & corn
Dinner: Spaghetti & Veggie Meatballs
Snacks: fruit & ???

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch: Un-Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Dinner: Crockpot Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Breakfast Sandwiches
Lunch: Out (doctor's appointments all day)
Dinner: Homemade Pizzas
Mozzarella Sticks

Thursday:
Breakfast: Waffles
Lunch: Grilled Cheese & waffle fries
Dinner: Valentine's Day Pasta w/ vegetables
Dessert: Cupcakes

Friday:
Breakfast: Quiche & home fries
Lunch: free for all
Dinner: Black bean tacos

Saturday:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: veggie sandwiches
Dinner: Kung Pao Tofu over rice


Snacks for the week:
Cookies, muffins, carrots & ranch dressing, taco wontons, mini egg rolls, homemade pretzels & fresh fruit

For more wonderful & yummy ideas go here to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Calzones

Yummy! Yummy!

I rolled out pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust on a sprayed cookie sheet. I added 'toppings' on half of the crust and then folded the other half over and sealed. I baked it at 400º until it was brown. It was a HUGE hit here. I made 3 different calzones: spicy tofu & cheese, peppers, black olives & cheese, and fully loaded (spicy tofu, broccoli, black olives, peppers, mushrooms, spinach & cheese).

Menu Plan Monday

This is my first week participating in Menu Plan Monday. Recipes with an ** by them are new recipes for us. I will be adding more of the recipes and pictures as we have them. =-)

Monday:
Breakfast: Veggie Pizzas~broccoli, cooked mushrooms, sauteed onions & black olives. I use a pre-made crust that I get from Kroger. One day I will tackle my phobia of making bread. No pictures here. My kids got to it before I remembered the camera.
Lunch: Free for all~my children love making their own choices for lunch.
Dinner: ***Three-Way Sesame Coated Tofu Strips with Spicy Broccoli & brown rice
Snacks: fruit, **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies & popcorn

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal & Smoothies for the kids
Bagels with ***Savory Spread for Mom & Dad
Lunch: "Chkn" Quesadillas, corn on the cob & apple slices
Dinner: Homemade Mac & Cheese, peas & salad
Snacks: **Egg-Free Chocolate-Banana Loaf
Baby carrots & ranch dressing
Hummus

Wednesday: We have to take the van to the shop today so it has to be quick
Breakfast: Egg Sandwiches
Lunch: Tuna-Free Sandwiches
carrot & celery with hummus
Dinner: Eating out or **Crockpot Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna, salad & fresh bread(made from frozen dough)
Snacks:Fruit
Bagel Bites
apple slices & dip

Thursday:
Breakfast:Tofu Scramble~peppers, mushrooms, spinach
home fries, toast
Lunch: Veggie Wraps & fruit
Dinner: Egg Rolls~I use this recipe and just use spring roll wrappers. Pan-Fried Black bean Wontons & Sushi
Snacks: Rice Crackers or fruit
Cookies(made on Monday)
popcorn

Friday:
Breakfast: **Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins, yogurt & cereal
Lunch: Veggie Calzones mandarin oranges
Dinner: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & sweet potato fries
Snacks: Ants on a log
Mini taco Wontons
Nachos

Saturday:
Breakfast: **Apple Cinnamon French Toast, veggie bacon, orange juice
Lunch: Leftovers or possibly Subs
Dinner: "Chk" faijitas tortilla chips w/ salsa & guacamole
Snacks: Rice crackers
brownies
homemade pretzels(dh will make these)

For many many more wonderful ideas head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie!