Vegmom Moments

It is a Fruity Nutty Lunch and Snack Day

My Lunch + Snack is in the Tiffin...  The Vegman needed snacks packed so his are in the Laptop Lunch Box.  It is a Good Food Day + Smoothie

In this Tiffin, we have...Blueberries, Dried Peaches, Eggplant Jerky and Raw Pecans.

Guess?

And um, pretty self explanatory!  *smile*

Can't forget this guy!  It wasn't as tasty as all my other smoothies for some reason... but still lots of green goodness.

Last but not least:

Nutty Krisp Treats, Raw Pecans, Local Blueberries, Fresh Picked peaches (these were little so there are two), some Dried Peaches (from our own dehydrator) and Organic Vegan Crackers.

These should keep my Vegman's belly full and happy!

 Have a happy day!!!
   

Vegan Eggplant Jerky

My friend and I were just discussing Eggplant, and what to do with them.  Suddenly it hit me... 

I remember seeing on a blog long ago (sorry can't provide credit as I don't remember where) a snippet about Eggplant Jerky.

Then I found a cute little Eggplant at the store Saturday... It had Jerky written all over it..... But of course I had no recipe, nor did I feel like researching.... So this is what I did..

• Cut the Eggplant in to strips and set aside
• Going for sweet and salty, I concocted the following:  Mixed  in a bowl, some Teriyaki Sauce, some Olive Oil, A dash of Bragg's Aminos, & Maple Syrup.
• Dropped the Eggplant in to the bowl and mixed in the sauce real good
• Then set them on our Dehydrator Trays.

They took MUCH less time to finish then I thought.  As in a few hours... But they were so good!  I started "testing" (I mean eating) them with in 2hrs.  And had to finally cut myself off from snitching until they were truly done.

Hello, little Eggplant Jerky: 

Seriously, these were really really really good!  And Soooo Easy.  Veg and I were fighting over pieces before they even made it in to the bowl. 

But we managed to save this many for another day:

Who knew Eggplant could taste so good?  As soon as we see these at the Farmer's Market, I will be stocking up for certain!

More Peppers

My Cute little pepper fell off the plant in our last storm..... And it was starting to look hopeless that any others would pop out of their flowers......But look who showed up today... 

 

3 Little Peppers.. For some reason they just aren't as cute as the first one, but they do look tasty....

Grow little peppers GROW!!!  

Farmer's Market Saturday

Found some of the most Delicious things today:

 

The Watermelon was so good, I just sat down with a spoon... Hubby and Veg then joined me (seperate spoons and chunks of course, because I'm freaky like that)  We went through and entire watermelon in approximately 15 minutes.

Not sure the other two will last till next week...

CousCous Salad

I'm avoiding most pasta these days, but had some Couscous while on vacation.  It was light, refreshing, and a nice change to the normal "pasta" I would eat.  So when I found a little container at the store of multi-colored veggie filled pellet looking things, I decided to give them a try.

This weeks "New Try" is Couscous...  No idea what to do with it, I just used water, the round pellet noodles and stuck them in a pan per package instructions.

They take about 8-10 minutes to cook.  So during that time I chopped up some Kale, Celery, Tomatoes and Peppers. 

Made a dressing mix of Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt and All Season's Salt. (my usual dressing mix)

When the Couscous was done I just mixed it with the Raw Veggies and the Dressing.  Let it cool and ATE IT UP!!!   

 

Just like that!!!   Pretty much a 10 minute meal.  And So Tasty!!   I'll make this one again for sure.

Fruity Sunday

Going to schedule some posts again this week, as that seem to work well last week....  Although it is confusing... because I'm posting about today but you won't see it until tomorrow...

Anyway... This Post is called Fruity Sunday because we had the Peach Situation... But we also had a LOT of organic fruit from the store to wash and cut up for the week.

Hubby went to town on the Watermelon:

 

I snagged some to make a Slushy after my Run.... shhhh!!!.... (Watermelon and Ice.... OH MY YUM!  Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix)

 

Then I started washing, straining, cutting, sorting and creating....

 

 

Veg requested his Vegan Waldorf Salad, and that he did get....

Fresh picked apples, sliced and coated with lemon juice... Then mix in some crushed Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, Chopped Celery and coat with a tiny bit of Olive Oil and a dash of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Stick in the fridge and it will be nice and yummy for a couple days.

It was a Fruity Sunday for Sure, but the week will contain just as much goodness....... And I'm looking forward to every sweet delicious bite!

Lots of Peaches

Veg and I did some Fruit Picking today... Lots of Fruit Picking!

See:

Mostly peaches, but we grabbed a few apples from a tree near by .. Now I wish I had grabbed more of those apples... They were GooooooooooooooD!

Oh but the peaches... LET ME TELL YOU... They were REALLY GOOOOOOOOOODDDDD!

Some not as ripe as others, so they are in this bowl for a few days:

 

The rest are in the fridge ready for chomping... Or already in our tummies, or cut up ready for smoothies... 

As soon as this last batch is ready, they'll be cut up and placed in the freezer for many months of Raw Vegan Peach Ice "Cream".

But I have a feeling we will go back for more...LOTS More!!!  Only we will bring the Hubby next time, as he is better with the reaching then I am.  *wink*... Although, I did pretty good considering the Height Challenge?  And Veg was there routing me on the whole time....

"Get It Mom, I know you can do it... reach... oh your so close......."

He is always so helpful like that.... (OK, not always!)

Last Minute Vegan Pizza

If you haven't figured out by now, what my Vegman wants, he usually gets... Especially since he doesn't ask for much...

Its been a long time since he's asked for Pizza, but first thing this morning I discover it is "Pizza Day" at camp, and he really wants to bring his own pizza so he can have some too....

AHHHHHHH... OK, I have like an hour before we need to leave the house!   What to do?  What to do?.....

I pulled out my handy dandy Vegan Lunch Box Cook Book... Quartered the Biscuit recipe.. Used Mr. Vita-Mix... Some quick Toppings, and the oven...

Voila!  One Vegan Pizza in less then 30 minutes

He was a Happy Camper, and that of course makes me a Happy Vegmom!!

(except for the little moment that the dry batter flew up in my eye, and each time I blinked my eye made its own dough.. yeah, that part I wasn't so happy about... Hey, you win some you lose some)
 
 
 

A Couple Salads from Food Prep Sunday

Veg wanted Cucumber Salad. 

I just happened to have cucumbers from the Farmer's Market BUT didn't have any coconut yogurt.  So I decided to use the Hemp milk... And this ended up as a mostly raw vegan treat, that we both really liked:

Hemp Milk, Chopped Onion, Cucumbers, Dash of Wine Vinegar, Dill, Seasoning Salt, Agave Nectar and Garlic Salt.

Just mix all together and pop in the fridge to absorb all the flavor.  YUM!

 

Then we grabbed some potatoes from the garden:

 

Boiled them for a bit... And made some Vegan Potato Salad For lunch this week.

The dressing:

Olive Oil, Mustard, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic Salt, Lemon Pepper and Chives.

 

We mixed the dressing, added the chopped potatoes, mixed all together and put in the fridge.

Veg helped mix the dressing, find the potatoes in the Garden, plus wash and then chop them.

 

He was Quite proud of his Veggie Goodness... "Mom, are you sure this is going to taste good?"

OH YES!!!  IT WILL TASTE GREAT!!!!!!!!!  *smile*

Did I mention this is a good food week.... I keep making myself hungry!

Lentils Part 2

Sorry, no picture, but have to share...  I still have cooked lentils from the other day that I have to find something to do with...  Then I remembered some Veggies still in the fridge ready for use....

So I chopped the following:

Piece of an Onion, Chunk of Green Pepper, 1 clove of Garlic, And a Chunk off of our giant Zucchini....Then sauteed my chopped farm fresh veggies in a pan with a Tiny dash of Olive oil..just for a minute. 

Sprinkled with Garlic Salt, Lemon Pepper and Italian Seasoning... Then a Dash of Lemon Juice... Mixed everything together and added a couple spoonfuls of the Lentils. 

Warmed it all and stuck in a glass bowl for devouring... It was Soooooooooooooo Good!!  And So easy!!

Must say, it doesn't look pretty.. but it sure tastes Delish!!  Going to go eat some more.....

Meredith, Did I thank you today for the Lentil Inspiration????  THANK YOU!!

More From Food Prep Sunday - Desserts

 A food rut had taken over my Noggin, but no more... Oh No!!  Sunday, I had inspiration... Made some new stuff, and brought out some oldies but goodies...

I'm going to eat good this week and pack our bodies full of some delicious and nutritious fuel.

Up first:  The Breakfast cookie... I mixed Oats, with a Mashed Banana, then added the following: Home made Hemp Milk, Almond Butter, Goji Berries, Sun Dried Raisins, A dash of Cacao, A dibble of vanilla and a dabble of Cinnamon...

Spread on to three little plates, then cover and put in the fridge.  They will absorb all the wonderful flavors and harden over night... For a wonderful Breakfast cookie that I will devour....

These are Krispie Treats... The GOOD kind...  Mix Honey or Agave with Peanut Butter (or other nut butter), Dash of Vanilla and a Dollop of Cinnamon, then mix in 2 cups of Organic Brown Rice Cereal (full recipe is on the back of box)... Soooo Easy!!!    Just mix it all together, roll in to sticky balls (wet hands while working) and fill up a covered dish or eat right away. 

We didn't put these in the Fridge as they won't last long anyway.

I made them for the Vegman.... And he was in all his glory!!   I even got a "WOW, THANKS MOM"

And these... Kristen Suzanne's Cookie Recipe.......These are for me!! They have almond butter, so he can't have them.  They also have Cacao Powder, Coconut Shreds, Sun Dried Raisins, Vanilla and Sea Salt, & Agave Nectar... They go in the fridge... and another bigger batch went in the freezer....

OH MY YUM!

 

My only problem now is deciding what to eat first!!

Maybe I'll just skip all the nutty treats and go for this Cut Up Melon goodness... All Ready to be munched..

I LOVE Food Prep Sundays!

Vegan Lentil Lettuce Tacos

Meredith left a comment on my blog a few weeks ago about Lentils.  I bought a bag as my new try for that week, but then never used them... Because I was in a food rut...

Which you will see via the posts this week, that my food rut has come to an end....

So tonight I cooked the Lentils..I made A LOT of LENTILS.....  And then thought..."What are you going to do with all these"

NOTE TO SELF... little beanie, seedy or rice things expand, a lot when cooked....

Anyway, then I remembered my Raw Garden Fresh Salsa and Raw Creamy Guac from the other day... then I remembered my romaine lettuce in the fridge...And taco seasoning in the drawer...

Here, I introduce you to my Lentil Taco Bar Dinner...

Notice the salsa is 1/2 gone now... Hubby has been Chowing on that stuff...  For the "meat" I mean Lentils, I just grabbed a few spoon fulls from the Pot, mixed with Organic Natural Taco Seasoning and some lemon juice.

Then I just layered the three

Look at this AWESOME Taco...

It was sooo good, that I had a second... and while making my second... Mr. Hubby walked around the corner and SNATCHED IT!!

Yeah.. He did... Mr. "I'm not hungry"... "I'm not eating that lentil stuff" Hubby.... He not only ATE IT but he commented on how good it was and asked if there was more...

Then asked me to mix some up for tomorrow... and so I did... And made my self an awesome Tiffin Style Lentil Taco Salad for lunch. 

Thank you Meredith for the Lentil Inspiration... Next stop.... Sloppy Joes..... 

What else can I use Lentils for?  Anyone have good ideas??
 

Busy Mr. Vita-Mix Day

Food Prep Sundays always mean that Mr. Vita-Mix stays very busy...

My first attempt at Hemp Seed Milk, went pretty well...

Hemp Seeds, Water, Vanilla and Agave... that's IT!  Some mostly raw Goodness filled with Omegas and other nutrition that I'll take!

 

Blend Mr. Vita-Mix... Blend with all your might...... Pour in to Pitcher Via this cool bag:

 

Save the Gunk for something else:

 

And put the Pitcher in the fridge to use for many good things.... YUM!!!

Now it is time for some Garden Fresh Salsa (no recipe, just throwing things together)...  All Veggies are from the Farmer's Market...

Zucchini, Tomatoes, Onions, Pepper, Carrots, Garlic Cloves, Lemon Juice, Cumin, Lemon-Pepper, Cilantro, Agave Nectar, and Garlic Salt.

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix:

Hubby said the Salsa was like nothing he'd ever tasted before, but it was really quite good!  I'll take that as a Compliment.  And it filled a big bowl + little bowl.  So I'll find uses for this all week.

Next up....Some Creamy Guac, that I will actually use for Salad dressings and creamy sauce on my wraps this week:

It tasted soo much better then I thought it would..... I didn't rinse the Vita-Mix from the Salsa, so it has all those seasonings and juices.  Then I added the gunk of two avocados, some lemon juice, Agave Nectar,Garlic Salt and pepper.

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix... Yum!!

Here was my Dinner Wrap:

A layer of the Guac, A layer of the Salsa, then Lettuce, Carrots and Cucumbers.

 

Soooo Good... And filling!

I've heard people say that they aren't going to buy an expensive blender just to make Smoothies.  And I don't blame them... You can make SOOOooo Much more!!  *smile*

Did I mention this is going to be a good Food week!!

Food Prep Sunday

Today's food prep was every thing from Avocado Sandwich Spread, to cut melons, to Raw Cookie Dough and non-raw krispie treats......Salads of all kinds, some Hemp Seed "Milk" and so much more!! 

Look at this Fridge (only partially complete)

Salsa, Guac, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Breakfast Oat Cookies, Potato Salad, Cucumber Salad..  I was busy beaver...

 

More Freezer Goodness, cut bagged and ready to go on a moments notice:

 

When you have a little hands helper in the Kitchen, things go Much Faster:

 

 

Love little hands helpers... Especially when they are so careful with sharp objects.

But things also go a lot faster when you make them fun... Take this watermelon for example:

 

That is A LOT of watermelon... And Veg was being so patient while I cut and cut and cut...so when My little helper started to get a little tired, I suggested he go get his microscope.  There are LOTS of things to see when cutting fruit....

And so he did!

 

The watermelon looked really cool.... LOOK, I made my camera do a trick through the lens of the Microscope... Now you get to see what a piece of Watermelon looks like all magnified.

Because I know you wanna!  *smile*

 

More food prep posts through out the week... Stay tuned....

I'm going to eat something good now...So many choices!!

Colorful Tiffin

Today's Lunch + Snacks were quite colorful...(either that or my new camera takes much better pictures)

As promised, here are pictures of my Wednesday Tiffin Lunch...

Container 1 - Morning Crunchies and afternoon sweets:

Fresh Picked Blueberries + Raw Organic Carrots + Raw Organic Farmer's Market Green Beans

 

Container 2 - The Salad:

Organic Romaine, Organic Kitchen sprouts (from my kitchen), Organic Peppers, Carrots & Raw Organic Sunflower Seeds.

 

Container 3 - Dressing and more afternoon sweets:

Organic Apple Chunks, Raw Organic Walnuts (which I threw on the salad) and more Raw Coconut Meat from our last Coconut.  (that stuff has lasted a long time)..

The Green Goo is the wonderful new Creamy Salad Dressing Concoction I've been making lately.

1/2 Organic Avocado Smashed, with a Dribble of Olive Oil, a Dash of Real Lemon juice to thin it out,  a squirt of Agave Nectar (or sweetner of your choosing), Dash of Garlic Salt and a Dash of Italian seasoning (or fresh basil)

I just mix it all together.  When it is time for lunch, I pour on the salad.... Full of goodness... And makes my belly full too.  A Creamy Dressing without the Creamy! 

OH MY YUM!

Food Prep Saturday

Not sure if it was the Farmers Market, or the Blueberry Picking today, but I got some motivation... And when I get motivation, everyone best just get out of my way.....

And so I bring you a Food Prep Saturday:

My Fridge looks like this currently:

Giant Salad, Sprouts, Cabbage Salad.. and the following:

Washed, cut, and ready to go, some local, some fresh, all organic and all delicious:

Celery Root, Carrots, Pineapple, Blueberries (Fresh Picked this morning) , Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, Coconut Meat, Potatoes, Sprouts, Green Beans, And Cucumbers.

In to the freezer, went some Bananas, Pineapples, Peaches and Strawberries:

My Dehydrator is currently making the ultimate in Kale Crisp Goodness (I already snuck some.. shhhhh!)

 

Here are the blueberries up close from our hard work today... 

And two varieties of Green Beans from the Farmer's Market:

The flat ones are from the farm that Hubby helped work on, and she assured me today, they would be the best green beans I've ever had.  And she was RIGHT!  They are sweet, and delicious totally raw!

Great for snacking and that yummy crunch.  Hubby dipped his in hummus and kept sneaking them from my bowl.

Here is the celery root, cut in to chunks so I can throw it in smoothies.

 

This salad is so big, it will make my belly happy for a couple days:

Romaine, Kale, Cucumber, Carrots, Peppers, Sprouts and Sunflower Seeds

 

And there ya have it...  This will be a good food week.... I can tell.......Are you motivated yet??

Let the Kid Read (Ingredients?)

This week's worth of camp is over and my Kiddo had a GREAT Time!  But this is the first time he's really been away from us or his Montessori Teachers.  Or family and friends that know his food issues... So it was the first time I felt like I was sending him off each morning, not knowing.....

Will he rebel against his awesome diet after so long of feeling good and take a bite of something forbidden?

He could have....  After all, we weren't there!  But he DIDN'T.... NOPE, not a single nibble.... We packed his lunch full with enough snacks and lunch to get him through each day....  And he chose our food or their fruit over anything else that was offered.

I expect him to have to deal with kids not understanding, but did NOT expect him needing to stand up for himself to the Teacher....

He asked if her food had high fructose, milk or artificial ingredients. She said she didn't know and, put the food down in front of him and told him to just eat it.

He asked her if he could read the ingredients first. And she didn't allow it. She even went so far as to say that I told them he could eat anything.... Hmmmm now do any of you believe that one????  (To her defense, she was not the person I talked to when I dropped him off the first day.)

Knowing better, My little man left the snacks to the side, and ate his own yummy goodness from his lunch box.  I can't even tell you how proud I am of that kid.... Taking his own health, in to his own hands no matter what kids or adults said around him for 5 whole days.

And I mean really... What 7 year old kid asks to read the ingredients... how hard would it have been to humor the boy?

Needless to say, I'll be sure to have a longer conversation with anyone that "teaches" him going forward so that he has an easier time.

But at least I know that I don't have to worry about what he puts in his Bod when we aren't around. 

(at least for now.... I don't even want to think about the teenage years)

Good Food Choices

While I'm still eating a lot more raw food then the average bear, my time to prep the food has been limited.

Which means my variety, has been limited....  And that means my food choices have not been the best.

But this week, I'm making a conscious effort to try new things again, as well as get my greens!!

So here are the events of this day:

Morning Green Goodness:

Spinach, Kale, Avocado, Celery Root, Banana, Fresh Coconut Chunks, Apple, Peach, Kiwi, Coconut Water and Ice...

 

Peach Goodness - Organic Peaches from the Farmer's Market... I do love Farmer's Market Season... especially when I can find peaches.

 

Awesome Salad Goodness:

Romaine, Kale, Carrots, Cucumbers, Sunflower Seeds, Sprouts, & Avocado Dressing.

My first batch of home grown sprouts are finished.. Veg said they taste like dirt.

But I kind of like them..And when thrown in his stir fry, he won't know the difference.  As for me and Hubs.  We'll eat them raw on our salads and by the handful.

Sprouts are Good for ya!  Or so I've been told.

 

Here is the Salad dressing I concocted today:

1/2 Avocado guts mashed, then mixed with a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, dash of Agave Nectar, sprinkle of Garlic Salt and some fresh chopped basil from my Deck Garden.

 

Do you see the GREEN Theme today???

Now these are NOT Green, but look what Hubby harvested from the real garden this week:

 

Anyone need some potatoes? 

<NO MOM - I won't eat those raw!  *smile*>

After all that Goodness, I accepted an Anniversary Dinner Invitation from my Hubby and our Kiddo...

That nice Dinner date consisted of Veggie Fajitas (not raw) and a shared Vegan Brownie for dessert.

It was a GooooooooD  Food day!!

As for the Anniversary.. It is #19, Which is just CRAZY Talk... Just Crazy! 

I can't believe I've been married to this  Wonderful, Funny, Annoying, Sweet, Aggravating, Loving, Strong, Silly, Caring Goofball for 19 Years...  Wow... I usually reflect on our anniversary and leave a nice blog post with all of that reflecting.. but for some reason... This year, I'm just saying WOW!

So I'll leave you with that!  Some Green Goodness and WOW!

Ice Tray Lunch

Think Muffin Tin Lunch but replace with Ice Tray... *smile*  Was trying something different for the Vegman.  He was pulling weeds in the flower beds today, and needed some thing light for his break....

Thought this would do the trick...

When he gave me the "Thanks Mom, this is Awesome" nod of approval!  I knew it was a keeper idea...

Left to Right... We have Tofurkey Rolls, Barbecue Chips, Celery with Peanut Butter and carob chips... Carrots, Yellow Peppers, Apple slices, Avocado Slices and Dried Cherries.

He ate every last bit... except one piece of pepper... And then chowed down a Banana for dessert...

Watermelons are Back

YAY!!  I was jumping for joy to find a USA grown Watermelon at the store this weekend.... Of course the whole thing is already in my belly...(I mean the red stuff is in my belly, not the skin).....

OH MY YUM!!!

Spinach Spread

Another Winner from the Vita-Mix "cook book"....  And soo easy!  Just throw all ingredients in to Mr. Vita-Mix, turn him on and Voila!  This is the Vegan part...

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix

 

The recipe called for carrots.  I've never made a Spinach Dip/Spread that had carrots in it.  But the different flavor was quite tasty.  I also added marinated artichoke hearts (that wasn't in the recipe) Veg loved it just like this.. we "spread" it on crackers for him, and I dunked chips for mine.  We also saved some for today.

When we got home from school, I asked Veg if he wanted any and he said:

"Sure, that would make a great Appetizer"  *smile*

But I knew Hubby would want his "Warm"  So I poured his in a glass pie pan, sprinkled some Parmesan on the top (this would be the NON-Vegan part)... and stuck it in the oven... 

The directions said "Broil" if you wanna or eat it cold.  I've never broiled anything.  So this is the point I call my friend and say "How do I broil"...

My very sweet friend gave me instructions... And here is Hubby's Spinach Dip:

The entire pan was gone before he went to bed, so I think he liked it!!!

Here is the Recipe but the one in the book called for onion also.  I added the artichoke hearts (will do without those the next time I think)

I also used Vegan Cream Cheese instead of Tofu because that is all I had in the house....

Now I'm going to go look for more recipes.... Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix

A Raw Vegan Tiffin Lunch

I haven't posted pics of my Beloved Tiffin in a while so I caught a few shots yesterday..

Because everyone wants to see my Tiffin?  Right?  *smile*

1st we have, Yummy Crunchy Organic Granny Smith Apples and some Raw Macadamia Nuts

Then we have some Raw Hemp "cheese" Dip with Brad's Raw Chips.

 

And my third Tier had some more dipping crunchy favorites:

Carrots, Celery and Red Peppers!  All organic of course and quite tasty!

For those that think this isn't a plentiful day of food, I must share THIS:

Hello Green Goodness!!!

Shhh Don't tell the Vita-Mix, but I actually brought two BIG cups of this to work with me... Raw Green Goodness at its finest X2.....Yum!

A Shopping Day

If we run out of bananas there is a crisis in our home.. Some people need bread, some need ketchup, pickles or mayo... We just need our Bananas. 

We use them for so much.  And at the point they are gone, you KNOW it is time to go shopping....

Hi There Bananas.. Welcome Back:

I also refilled most of our "Bulk" section of the kitchen:

Oats, Raw Sunflower seeds, Raw Macadamia, Raw Cashews.

Banana chips, Dried Mangoes, Dried Cherries and Dried Cranberries.  Also some Goji Berries..

The Almonds and Walnuts still need filling, but the rest should get us by for a few days *wink*

Then we had produce.. Lots and lots of Produce:

 

Must Get in fridge... Look how pretty those greens are?

 

And my favorite drawer in the WHOLE house!  Don't those colors make you hungry?

I won't bore you with the rest of my Fridge details... but I can tell you.. There is some Goodness in that fridge! 

Here is Veg's Muffin Tin Dinner to start the week... Yes, he still likes these :-): 

Those Strawberries were organic and HUGE.. Bigger then the cups actually...  There is a TON of broccoli in those cups, but you can't hardly tell, and the bottom right contains Soy Nuggets Stir Fry.

 

This will be a good food week... :-)

Diamond Organics

I found this great post on Kristen's Raw Blog about staying Raw, while not in your own kitchen.  I then kept the links to delivery places handy.

Now my Mom is working really long hours and doesn't have time to get to the store.  And truth be told if she went to the store right now, there is no telling what she would get... (sorry mom) But I want her to keep eating goodness... Green Goodness and organic as much possible.

I want whats best for Me and my house worth of family, why would I want any less for my Mom... So I thought this was a great week to try out Diamond Organics, and send her some Green Organic Goodness.

Well... Well... Let me tell you... She got some goodness... overnight from when I placed the order.  Amazingly fast.  Great Service.  Free Shipping for the one I picked.  And Check out the pictures she sent me of her package:

 

Tomatoes, potatoes, kiwi, oranges, Brussel sprouts, beans, Lettuce, Greens, Mixed Greens, carrots, garlic, and more and more and more.... lots not even pictured here.

They even sent recipes.  And she said everything was fresh, and still cold, and deliciously organic.

Salads, Smoothies, Soup, she is set for the week.

Way more goodness, then I even dreamed of when making the purchase.  I will definitely order this again...

Thank you Diamond Organics, for putting a smile on my Mom's face!

A Green Foods Day and Some other ramblings

While I tend to have green foods these days with or without minor injury...I had lots and lots of it today, just because I was home and I could...

Of course this!  Actually - 2 of these: (the white froth is coconut.. yum)

Reason # 539 that I love having a Dehydrator (and am home all day to use it):

Kale Crisps... Ooh La La:

 

The start of a salad with raw asparagus by the way... my new favorite thing:

And the lettuce thrown on top...Look at all that green:

These... NOW THESE are not Green... they are supposed to be raw but I didn't have any raw nut-butter, so they are actually not raw, but Soooooooooooooo  Good!!!  Oh my...I didn't even know food could taste so good.  Really!! 

Before going to a mostly Plant based diet, my taste buds were so different.  Things that taste good, really really taste good.  Sensations in my taste buds that I didn't know existed.

The strangest combination of ingredients and NO Machines needed.  Just a bowl, a spoon and some very sticky hands, then a freezer..

Another recipe from Kristen's Raw - Dessert Book.

And this little guy...  The green thing... It is our little compost bin that we keep in the kitchen.  It has a filter on top to keep the smell down.  Veg is the Compost police.."It MUST go out once a week Mom, and we have to clean it every time"....

As much stuff as we put in this thing, we will actually empty more often, especially in the hot summer months coming soon.

We've already noticed a significant difference in that Big Garbage can having less contents.  In Fact, I think we only used two bags in that thing all week and one of them just changed out today.  And the one from today, was because we emptied all the other trash cans in to it for our Sunday clean up.

 

If you need a little compost bin, we found ours at For Small Hands. The site also has extra filters and books all about composting.  We've had it filled with stuff for two weeks (knowing our tumbler was almost in place) and no stench in our kitchen at all.  I was really impressed.  Not even the banana peel smell came through.

So there you go... Some Green and some not so green, but a very Yummy day to say the least!

Banana Fruit Roll Ups - Veg Style

A couple weeks ago I got the special inserts for my Dehydrator so I can make ooey gooey goodness..

First Try:  Banana Roll Ups...

I threw some Bananas in to Mr. Vita-Mix with a dibble of Lemon juice...  Mix Mix Mash and pour:

Then Dehydrated for about 10 hrs or so:

Pealed in to triangle sections and rolled them right up!

I put them in a Glass sealed container and they kept all week for our munching pleasure...  All three of us liked them and they passed the people at work test also.

Easy, Fast (the prep at least was fast)...  And Nutritiously Delicious without anything added.. I made two trays, and that was enough for about 5 days worth of ooey gooey goodness.

PS... Bananas smell so yummy in the dehydrator..
 

A Free Bag of Chips

I was talking with a friend the other day about Blogs and Contests. 

That I see people do contests all the time on their blogs and it is all about driving traffic, blah blah blah... But sometimes it is about driving awareness, and I'm just not there yet, as I'm not a contest kind of person.... and besides, after all these years, I still only have a couple people that check out this blog and I kinda like it that way!!

But But But.... We finished the last of the Brad's Raw Chips!  And I need to order some...

Then i thought, "ooh since I don't do contests, I could have a bag sent to someone".

Awareness...at its finest!   A little something to show that Raw Treats can be tasty!! And yes, I said one bag... I'm on a budget - sorry!! So before I place an order for myself, I'm thinking I'll order an extra bag for someone else... But Who?.

So here's the deal...Go to bradsrawchips.com and then come back here and leave a comment of the flavor you'd most like and why.   I'm thinking I'll collect comments until this Saturday.. that way. I can place my order sooner then later.

On Sunday April 25th I'll have the Vegman look at the comments and choose who gets a bag of chips!  I figure if no one comments, then I'll just send my Mom a bag of chips... Actually, I may just send her one anyway....:-)

Happy Herbivore Black Bean Brownies

A few weeks ago, I was browsing through one of my favorite sites ieattrees.com and found her picture of the Happy Herbivore Black Bean Brownie

Hubby looked up and saw the picture too... "MMMM, those looked good, you going to make some of those?"

Yup - Sure Am....  Little did Hubby know those delicious looking brownies were made out of Black Beans.... Muah ha ha ha.....

So fast forward to Sunday...  Just when he'd thought I'd completely lost my mind with the Raw Lasagna, I decided to offer up some of those Brownies...  Using the recipe Directly from the Happy Herbivore site.

Hubby and Veg Loved them, and I thought they were pretty tasty myself.  I took some to work for others to try and no one could tell they were beans.  Of course I fully disclose everything in case of allergies.  I'm not one of those Veggies that sneak stuff on people.  But they tried it, and liked it...

One of them even said she would make them at her house!!  I promise, there is NO bean taste!!!

But even better yet, I now know about the Happy Herbivore site.  Which is so cute and has soo many yummies!!

Thank you I eat trees for sharing, and Happy Herbivore for the recipe!!

Brad's Raw Chips

Last year, we went to a Raw Food restaurant while on vacation and they had Raw "Crackers" that I could buy and bring home.  They were fresh from the dehydrator and Soooo Good! 

This year, we went back to the same place and they had none..I was sad thinking I may never again find such yummy "crackers" of the raw variety...

---UNTIL----

Last week, I received a request to try Brad's Raw Chips...  I've always wondered how Bloggers get to post all their freebie goodness... But now I know...  They contacted me, and it is Raw and it is Goodness...

OF COURSE I WILL TRY THEM.....  So I said so... and within a few days, This wonderful box arrived in my mailbox:

 

Wait a minute... back up <<<<<<<<<<<<<  The other day I had a little anxiety.. what if they aren't any good?  What if I don't like them?  Then what will I say?  How could I provide thanks... oh no oh no... what will I do??

OK Fast Forward >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The box arrives.

Inside that box were two bags of the most YUMMY Chips ever...

 

Vegan, Gluten Free, Raw (un-baked) Goodness.... I know this because the bags says so... But inside those bags...Oooooo.... These CHIPS!!

 

Crunchy and crispy, but not too crunchy or too crispy... Sweet and tangy but not too sweet or too tangy... The red pepper had a little spice but not too much spice.

They were JUST RIGHT!!  Hubby liked the Red Pepper ones best and was dipping them in his Hummus within 2 minutes of me opening the box... (Sorry, I know hummus isn't raw, but he was loving the chips)

Lil'Veg and I were munching on the Green Kale chips just plain.  He kept asking for more, which makes this whole food goodness even better.   When my kiddo thinks something is a hit, you know it has to be tasty!

Problem is...we only have two bags and there are three of us.. I have a feeling they won't last long...

Good News.. They have a website so I can purchase more !!

Thank you Brad's Raw Chips for our Delicious Healthy Treats...  And for a very informative Blog!

Raw Asparagus

I was boiling up some Asparagus for the Vegman last night.. In between building circuits for light bulbs and reading encyclopedias... 

PS. Can someone please tell me how I got a kid that enjoys reading the Encyclopedia?

Anyway, the asparagus was starting to go in the water when I heard a few pieces cry for help.... "No no, not the water"

And it dawned on me that I could probably eat those Raw?  So that was my new try for the week.  I washed them real good.  Put half in the pan for Vegman... And saved the rest...

Searched all my favorite websites for a Raw Asparagus recipe and I got NOTHING!  So I went off on my own and did the following:

I discarded the yucky parts, and cut the asparagus in to small sections, put them in a bowl with some raw walnuts and some dried Cranberries.  Then coated with a tiny bit of Olive Oil, a tiny bit of Apple Cider Vinegar, a dash of Garlic Salt and a dash of Season's Salt...  Mixed all together, put a lid on tight and stuck it in the fridge.

Today, I ate my concoction for Lunch:

 

OH MY YUM!!!!   I Never knew Asparagus could be so good!  And by eating it raw (except for the dressing) I got all those good nutrients packed in to my tummy.... 

The nutrients that normally would have been wasted in the water and washed down the drain with my strainer.  But not this time... No Sirree!!

I will be adding this to my favorites book... Especially with Organic Asparagus from USA coming back in the stores!

YUM!