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!!!
   

Raw Vegan Pecan Pie Cookies

There was a charity book sale at work today, and I ran in before a meeting started to see if there was anything good... first table, I see this book....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  Had to have this book!!!  So I bought it!!!   But I didn't get home until 9:30 and wanted to make something..... Couldn't wait... MUST HAVE TREAT!

So I flipped through the pages to find much more then just Dessert Treats.  Cleaning tips, Kitchen tips, Even Fruity Moisturizers for thy face!  So much goodness in that little book.

And then I found the Pecan Pie Cookie Recipe.........It said to use for the holidays... and so I had to make up a Holiday... We will call today, "New no-cook book day" There!  Perfect...

I Happened to havePecans... I had Dates... I had Cinnamon... Orange Juice and a Food Processor!... I had everything I needed to make this Raw Vegan Goodness!  Seeeeeeeee.....

 

Chop Chop Chop:

Just about 5 minutes, start to finish and I had THESE...

 

OH MY YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously, they taste like Pecan Pie.... And they won't last past tomorrow.  I can Guarantee that!

Think I'm really going to like this BOOK!

Hemp Milk Smoothie

I needed to use up the rest of that Yummy Hemp Milk I made last week, and decided a Smoothie was a good way to do it.

Hemp Milk, Spinach, Nut Butter, Carob chips, Frozen banana, Fresh Banana and a few ice cubes...

This turned out Soooooooooo Creamy, Green, thick and tasty!  Veg asked for Seconds, Hubby was mad we didn't save him more, and I drank all mine in what seemed like two gulps. 

Note to self:  MAKE MORE HEMP MILK!

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!

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!!

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!

Ah... Green Juice!

Look what I found at the Las Vegas Airport..... OH MY YUM!!!!

 

Fresh Squished even... Wheat Grass, Banana and Apple Juice on Ice....  A huge cup of Green Goodness... All is right with the world once again.  I have decided that I pretty much should not travel without 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 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!

Green Goodnes For Healing

Once upon a time there was a Broken Toe... In life sometimes things just happen.. I get that, and I roll with the punches.  Even the ones that hurt.... However this is the first "injury" I've had since dibble dabbling in to more raw foods.  Since really feeling myself going through something and being in tune with everything else happening.

Watching it start to heal and how the rest of my body reacts has been pretty interesting...  In fact, I woke up at 3am feeling like.... well... uh....  A broken toe!  My whole body ached, my stomach was doing somersaults, I was cold and clammy and my foot had swelled up from the toe to the middle....

"Excuse me, Body, are you listening... Its a TOE!!"  Not arm, Leg, Stomach, Kidney... ITS A TOE!!!  Why did all the rest of me feel so yuck?

Body said back.... "Because I'm taking all the blood from the rest of your body and putting in your foot..."

Not really, but that is what it felt like in case you were wondering!

You'll notice in this very bad picture, that my toe is taped...that other part that is red/purple is my Foot!

Funny enough, this is 1/2 what it looked like at 3am.. It actually looks really good now... I've been soaking with ACV and Water cold wash clothes, I've used Arnica, Comfrey Ointment, and Tea Tree..  I drank Lemon water (help with water retention)... And it got better....

I even found my old crutches, and mastered those today, to stay off the foot...And yet 1/2 my foot is still rebelling.

Then it came to me.... I needed some Feel Better Goodness....

Greens, My Friend, How are ya?

YUP --- thats what I needed!!!

 Green sludge filled with Feel Better Goodness!!!  Now if I only had some chocolate... Hmmm?
 

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..
 

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!!

Raw Lasagna

Another great recipe from one of Kristen's Raw Food Cook Books...

Today was one of Experimentation... I'll post pics of the other experiments after they finish.. *hint* banana fruit roll up and black bean brownies...  Exciting I promise!

But first This Raw Lasagna...

I couldn't figure out why the recipe called for Dehydrating the Zucchini strips for 45 minutes... But I followed the instructions and soon got my answer... They came out noodley.. as in flexible and a little gooey... It was the strangest thing...

 

I didn't have everything handy to make the recipe (as usual, since I don't ever know in advance what I will decide to make at any given moment)  so I Improvised...

The "cheesey mixture" is a raw macadamia nut base.. with some other yummy fixins... Mr. Vita-Mix has been busy today:

 

The spinach was frozen since I was out of fresh.. so I had to let it thaw:

Here is the layered finished product:

Doesn't it look like the real thing?  Can you tell that it is raw, vegan, totally uncooked, and utterly yummy??

 

I showed Hubby the recipe in the book, and he said "Nuh Uh, it has cheese on it"  I said "it is a raw no-cook book, and vegan, how can it have cheese"  and he argues with me for like 10 minutes.

Then he sees my creation.... "See, I told you it has cheese" He proclaims...

"If it makes you feel better to think that it is cheese from a cow, my Dear, then more power to ya!  But I can tell you there is nothing COW'ish in this recipe....  And the "cheese" you are seeing is actually from Macadamia nuts, so if you find something crunchy don't be alarmed"

<Hmm! Fine>  He pouts... his fork starting in to his slice of raw goodness....  he looks at me, he whines a little bit... He assures me that I've truly lost my mind this time......

He grumbles some more, and FINALLY, puts the food in to his mouth... he chews...he smiles... he DEVOURS!  THE entire thing and then fills up his plate with more as in 1/2 the pan full...

It would be another 30 minutes before he admitted to how good this was.... He would eat it every night if I would make it, he says... But maybe next time I could add some real noodles to his side... he adds...

Poor Hubby, he just doesn't get it!

Gena’s Chocolate Almond Smoothie

There is a New Yummy Smoothie in my House, and the recipe comes from Gena over at Choosing Raw....

I was perusing her site last night when I noticed her post about not being so much a Green Smoothie Fan...

Gasp!  Its true!!   I however, am one of the people she mentions that doesn't get enough greens in my day without a smoothie.  And I don't have a Juicer...  So I'm all about the Green Smoothie... Since I'm not so much a food combiner per say, the smoothie combo's that I come up with seem to work for me.

Of course we are all different and that is what makes us all wonderful.... Gena did mention the couple Smoothies that are her favorite, and I tried the one today with Almond Butter and Chocolate..... OH MY YUM!!!   Of course I added Spinach to mine. (Sorry Gena)  But oh it was soooooo Good!  And so rich.... I had that for breakfast and didn't even snack again until around 1 or 2pm when I ate a salad for lunch.

My Vegman can't have Almonds because of his tummy, so this treat was Allllll Mine!  And I will be making it again!... Did I mention it was GOOD and Filling......

Thank you  Gena!

Vegan On the Go - Day 2

Today I packed, apples, almond butter, Green Smoothie Goodness, Raw Macadamia Nuts and Water.  Since it was a shorter day, I knew I could grab a bite after if I needed to.

But to my surprise, the provided lunch was Meaty Cheesy Mayonaise Sandwiches... And on a little table to the right, they had pre-wrapped but fresh made Veggie Wraps.

As in Roasted Veggies of ALL KINDS in an herbal wrap....  Lots and Lots of Greens, eggplant, carrots, sprouts, cabbage, Peppers, oh the list goes on... it was Soooooooooooo  Good!

I was very very impressed, for it being hotel/conference food!  Even took a picture (will post later)

Hmmmm... What will tomorrow bring?  It is an adventure just lurking in the wings...  I can say that Dinner tomorrow is at a place with "BUTCHER" in the name, so I'm sure my story to tell will be an exciting one....

Stay tuned..................

Vegan on the Go

A rare lunch break blog post because it is fresh in my mind... IT IS LUNCH afterall... And so I post!

Knowing I would be at a Business conference today, I decided to come in prepared.  Knowing lunch wasn't until 1:00pm and this gal can NOT wait until 1:00pm to munch, but also because there is rarely animal lacking food in attendance.

Today was no exception.. Although they did have Beautiful salad options (with cheese and dairy/egg dressings) And they did have a great veggie medley (with butter and who knows what) And they did offer a veggie lasagna (with lots of cheeses)...

In the past I would have been pleased with those choices, most of the time they only have meaty sandwich trays, so this was a huge step up... BUT these days, this is nothing my belly or heart would be happy with..  And so I brought my own stuff... I was prepared....

Laptop - Check

Phone - Check

Plugs - Check

Apple Chunks, Carrot Chunks, Almond Butter, Raw Macadamia nuts,  Dark choco/Almond bar.  And a reusable bottle with filtered water. - Check!

My bag was full, My belly is happy!  My heart and brain are pleased...

Green Smoothie - New Try Show Down

I have a friend that is now making green smoothies... Even if her family won't indulge in the goodness (yet) she is doing so with the intention of making her self feel better.  Which I think is pretty darn Cool.

On top of that, she takes her Green Goodness to work and shares with her co-workers.  Which is doubly cool.  And her plan is to continue trying new things.  This part, I already posted about...

Funny enough, some of her things that she loves, I have never tried... some things I use, SHE has never tried!  So it has sort of become a show down... She tries, I try..... IT works!

Until she tried beets...  That went on her BAD list....  So yesterday I tried Rutabaga per her suggestion..  My Vegman was NOT a fan of the Rutabaga Smoothie... Hubby and I thought it was kind of strong but both liked it. 

Then I took some to work, brought cups for the crew, and let everyone try....  Hey Mikey... They liked it!!! 
Even if after I told them what was in it!

Now today, I went with Celery for my "extra" item, as my friend uses it.... And I was SHOCKED how much taste a single stalk of celery has... 

Coconut Water, ice, Apple, Banana, Grapes, Spinach, Yellow Squash, and One stalk of celery.

THE ONLY THING I TASTED WAS THE CELERY!!!   Not so sure, I liked it?  I'll have to give that one another go another day. 

My friend however has some dates and Goji berries waiting for her next smoothie... We shall see what she thinks *smile*

And the New Try Showdown Continues!!

Do you make smoothies?  Tried anything new lately?

A Pink Smoothie

I didn't make it to the store today, which means my fruit/veggie stash is down to Nothing!  Nada, Zilch, EMPTY!

Except a Lonely Avocado and a couple Sweet Potatoes

But my Freezer had a few things fruity, some spinach, and I had ONE lonely banana left.... Oh, also some lettuce from the Downstairs Garden.... A little bit of Pineapple Juice left, and a Smidgin of Coconut Water...

Oooh La La... Even with my Kitchen on Empty, I found enough stuff for 8 full cups of Pink/Green goodness!

I introduce you to my empty kitchen Totally PINK Smoothie:

And yet again, my Vegman downed a cup... make that TWO cups of the goodness.... I think he is off his hiatus.. So I shall pump him full of all the goodness that I can, while the Gettin's good!

As for myself... OH MY YUM!!  I drank a Tad too much (if that is possible), but did save enough for work tomorrow.  PLUS added water to a second cup to make a Juice in the morning...

Pink - Green Smoothies are Quite Tasty..  And I'm lovin' the extra creamy-ness that the Avocado gives.

THANKS AU Again for the suggestion, and for your guest photo in earlier post *wink*

Welcome Home Smoothie

So I learned while on our trip that Smoothies in a Vita-Mix look different then those in my Mom's blender.. Also my MIL's blender, and now my Friend's Blender...

I'm not sure what the deal is, since we use the same ingredients.... but upon arriving home, I wanted to make my own and see for sure the difference....

Here is my Green Goodness:

 

 

And here is my Friends:

Oh but they both taste soooo good!  despite the appearance!

And we both tried Avocados today in our green goodness...  We were out of everything when I got home, so I had to resort to juice and frozen fruits...

Here is what I came up with:

Pineapple/Coconut Juice, Coconut Water, Frozen organic Peaches, Frozen Organic Spinach, 1/2 an avocado, 1 whole banana, and ice!

It also required a Tsp of Turbinado Sugar, as I didn't have enough sweet fruits and put in too much Spinach.  But that Sugar did the trick! and OH MY YUM!!!

Veg even liked it and drank a whole Glass... YAY!!!!!   (he's been vetoing smoothies for a couple weeks, so this was exciting)

Thanks AU for suggesting the Avocado..... Yummy Creamy Green Goodness!

Traveling Duo and Some Raw food goodness

Sooooooo... There was a trip... to Michigan!  Just me and my Boy!  And man was it a great one!! 

My Hubby didn't make this trip but the only thing I knew he would miss was my Green Smoothies.. So I made him a "Smoothie" Card with recipe inside.... And not only did he make smoothies for himself, but he took some to friends.

(ignore my hand cut blender please)

 

I actually left him about 15 different cards through out the house..So he wouldn't be sad that we weren't home.  (Told you I was busy last week) but he found almost all of them before we even left... Stinker!

Then it was time to Pack up the car...  and head out... 

The Mountains looked like Erupting Volcanoes with Clouds and Fog in the distance:

 

And the rain hit us on the other side of those mountains... but nothing too terrible....

We Stopped at a coffee place to rest my weary eyes along the way.   And they had this sign in the window.. So I figured I was welcome:

The rest of the trip was supposed to go along with my theme of no plans.. But then I made plans... And then none of them worked out as planned.

Day Light Savings threw me ALL off and we ended up leaving the house later then "planned"  From there, everything else just took a turn for the better!

Plans set for at least 5 people from hubby's family all shifted, and left me with extra open time to be with my Friend... Our trip ended up being 90% my family including my bestest oldest friend! 

We went shopping which was HUGE Fun.. As in shopping from lunch time through Dinner time in one day just us girls.  I discovered that my hiney fits in to a pant size that I haven't fit in since 16 years old.... Granted I'm just a "little" more jiggly then when I was 16... (just a little... really)

And my friend decided to make me dress like a grown up.  She found me the cutest tops (all cotton of course) to go with the bottoms I picked... I even found a pair of Organic Cotton Capri's.... LOVE THEM!!!  

We found a whole years worth of clothes for the Vegman at some outlets, and did a whole lot of talking! So much fun..

The food on this trip was The best...

Lots of these (thanks NeeNee):

 

Some of this:

 

Red Pepper Deli in Northville Michigan has the BEST Food... and my friend even decided to join me for some Raw Goodness.. (And she liked it!)

I had some Raw Bread and Seed Cheese for the first time!  It was quite tasty!

 

The best part was, the owner remembered me *smile*  And seeing how far they've come with Raw food Challenges, Organic food Co-ops, and classes since the last time I was there, is really exciting.  

We also tried a couple smoothies and a raw brownie for dessert!  Yum Yum Yum!!!

My Mom assisted with a Green Smoothie morning:

 

We also went to Tomato Bros. which I'd been told was the best Pizza in town:

It was pretty darn good!  My friend and I split a Veggie pizza (mine without cheese)  And a very yummy salad..

Most of my other food was either Salad, Fruit or Raw Veggies on Pita...

OH... I even got some yummy treats at this place.... I SOOOO NEED ONE OF THESE IN MY TOWN:

And was told that I couldn't leave Michigan without a coffee drink from:

The coffee drink was quite tasty, I must say!  BUT even better was the company... My friend and I sat out on the patio in the sunshine for  hours, and just talked and talked....

While Veg got some extra time with his NeeNee at an Arcade:

 

Veg spent so much time with his NeeNee this trip... and went to the park, arcade, out to eat.  They read books with Grandpa C, and played in the yard.  He also got to play putt putt and visit with our friends, and visit with another set of grand parents.  

He also got to visit the Baby Dog (that isn't a baby):

 

We went here, which the picture doesn't do justice and it was the biggest indoor playscape I've ever seen.. As you can imagine my germ-o-phobe tendencies kicked in, but I put them on the back burner so he could have fun with his grand parents.   And fun he did have!

 

To finish up the trip, we stopped off at Luna Pier on our way home, so Veg could see one of the Great Lakes from his book...  

The Sun was just beginning to come up and the air was chilly, but it was a Great moment.  He was Sooooo excited to see Lake Erie that he had read about.  And EVEN said "This is the best day ever"  :-)

 

To make this stop even more special, this Biker Guy that lived near the Pier saw us and our out of state tags.  He came out and gave Veg a toy Motorcycle to play with on his trip... (a BIG one too)

Normally I would fear a stranger walking up to us in 1/2 day light in an empty parking lot.  But there was a peace over this fella.  And normally I wouldn't take a toy from a stranger, but knowing I had many many hours ahead of us, and my Vegman was very sad to leave his grand parents, I made the executive decision to allow the toy exchange.

Thank you Mr. Biker Stranger... You really did make our day and also showed us that the kindness of people is out there, big and strong!!

Then... my Mom sent me a link to this place in Cincinnati Ohio.. I stuck the address in our Garmin and Off we went!

At the Loving Cafe, I LOVED THE FOOD!!!  The name was quite fitting!  Not only Vegan, but to my surprise, many raw dishes too!

I decided to try a Raw Pizza, which came with a salad:

 

OH MY YUM!!!  I need a better dehydrator.  That Pizza "bread" was soooooooooo good!  And the salad dressing... Really did I say OH MY YUM!!!!!!!!

Thinking this will be our new Adventure Plan... Where we go, we shall find good Vegan and/or Raw Treats!

At this place we found both.  Veg had a Vegan Grilled Panini Sandwich and a smoothie.  While I had my Raw goodness.  Then we both split a piece of Vegan Chocolate Cake and called it a day....

That was all she wrote!  The boy slept in the car for the next 3hrs.  And I went in to an Energy zone, to get us home.. Speed limit of course *wink*...

It would be many more hours before we made it home, but Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... Home we are... There were those mountains calling me... Hello there!!

So there it is... the Adventures of a Traveling Veg duo.... Lots of fun, lots of relaxing, some GREAT food, some GREAT Shopping, the kindness of strangers and some great weather, and getting home safely...

What more could a girl ask for???  And as for the Vegman?  HE LOVED his birthday present.. But asked if we could fly next time.  HA!  Said that driving stuff is for the birds! *smile*

Green Juice in a Pitcher

I finally found a Glass Pitcher that was big enough to hold oodles of Green Juice...and had a lid.

My Green Juice is basically a watered down Green Smoothie.. So it serves that Quick Gulp feeling when I don't have time to make the real deal.

And this pitcher is just perfect to hold that Oodles of Goodness!!

 

Mmmmm, Good!!

A Birthday Smoothie

Veg wanted a Green Peanut Butter Smoothie for his Birthday breakfast.... And a Green Peanut Butter Smoothie, he did get!!

Candle and all:

Happy Birthday Big Guy!!!

Green Sludge for Three

Just because I can take pictures of Yummy Green Goodness, I shall...

This morning's Green Sludge for three (and notice the drip on the counter... always a drip)

Mmm, Good!! (and good for you)

EXTRA GREEN GOODNESS

Yesterday was our first Big Walk toward the 1/2 Marathon since we missed a Saturday from the Snow.  That put us at 8 miles with 32 degree temps.  We did pretty good finishing in just about 2hrs as we planned.  The next few weeks we'll increase speed slightly, but that's for another blog post....

Knowing Yesterday was such a big fast Walk, I needed to prepare... More Green Goodness and Extra Nutrients... Not to mention keeping sick bugs at bay from work and school...Keeping my soreness down and avoiding cramping etc.  This Green Goodness had everything I needed.....

Greenandcrunchy posted her layered smoothie, and I tried to do the same but my picture is less then beautiful...Either way, you get the idea :-)

Started with grabbing lettuce from our indoor Garden:

My Layers have:

Coconut water, for hydration, calcium absorption, magnesium to keep away Veg's migraines and Potassium to keep away cramping along with all the other good stuff.

Spinach, Kale and lettuce Greens - for Nutrients and happy Spleen... Happy Spleen means happy Blood and no bruising.  Vitamin K, A and C, calcium and iron, great for immune and energy and blood and vision and skin and bones.   Also makes for a happy liver which means natural detox...  Keeping all the goodness flowing and cancer meanness away... And can't forget the fiber....I'm loving my greens, especially the drinkable ones!

Hemp Seeds - for those Omegas

Goji Berries- for their Antioxidants and energy

Banana - to make our smoothie Creamy but also some great potassium which helps with leg cramps.

Grapes - for their fiber and sweetness

Kiwi - for potassium and flavor and green goodness

Apple - Well because it keeps the doctor away of course

Dates - Fiber and Sweetness

And filtered Water Ice Cubes... Because I need some Icy stuff!

 

Blend Mr. Vita-Mix.... Blend with all your might!!

And that is some GREEN GOODNESS!!!  Enough fruits and veggie intake for an entire day.... . What a great way to start the day!! 

Enough for Me, Hubby and Veg....  And there was still some left at the bottom, so I added a little more liquid and turned it in to Juice... Figuring I'd have green juice for the next 2 days... Ummm NO!!!

My boys wanted seconds and thirds...  I decided to have seconds and thirds... This was some GOOD green goodness and we finished EVERY last bit within an hour.

Today, I made the same and didn't even bother with the juice!  We just drank it ALL up this morning! *smile*

Gulp Gulp Gulp.... 

OK, totally off topic, but just found this blog... Check out Lunchbox Limbo Lunchboxes... How cute are they?

FOOD PREP MONDAY

I spent Monday night prepping food for the remainder of the week so I could grab and go... Some raw, some not so much... but allll good, all Vegan and all easy!!  I didn't have too many hours left in the night, so my goal was to whip out as much as I could before crashing in to bed....

Here are some quick and easy items that will or have hit our bellies since Monday's Prep:

Beet Salad - 2 beets (peeled & washed) and a chunk of onion.   Chop chop chop both with Mr. Vita-Mix.   Pour in a bowl and stir in a TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar.  Easy, tasty and full of good red root nutrients.

 

Some Hummus for dipping, spreading, and mixing.... -  1 Can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, 2TBS Tahini, 1 TBS Olive Oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 or 2 cloves garlic and 2 tsp cumin (more or less to taste).

Mix Mix Mash all ingredients in Mr. Vita-Mix (or blender/food processor) of your choosing, and Voila!

 

Modified  Waldorf Salad --- I didn't have Walnuts so I made do...And it came out sooo good!

Mix together in a bowl, chopped apples coated with a little lemon juice,  a bit of chopped onion to taste, raw sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, a little olive oil and a little Apple cider vinegar.    Mix and eat, or put in the fridge and eat when cold.  Yum!

 

Made some Banana pudding... Just Bananas in blender (Mr. Vita-Mix) with a little vanilla and a little lemon juice.   So easy and so good!

 

Some Potato Salad... this one sounds gross but is really good, its a modified version from the Vegan Lunch box cook book, since I only make enough for a couple of us, I don't need a full version. 

In the bottom of a bowl, I put a little mustard, a little apple cider vinegar, a little olive oil, some chives, and garlic salt.  Mix all together.. Then add a chopped up baked potato and some chopped onion.  Coat the potato and onion with dressing... Eat warm or put in the fridge and eat Cold. 

 

Made some more Chick Pea Patties and popped them in the oven while making other things: 

ingredient list here

 

Some more Hemp Nacho Cheese (no cheese) sauce:

Original Story and recipe link here

 

Can you tell Mr. Vita-Mix was very busy???

 I Chopped some Carrots and apples... great for throwing in our lunches, grabbing for snacks or topping a salad.  I realized that we will eat more fruit and veggies, if they are cut, washed and in the fridge waiting our greedy hands.... 

On Tuesday Hubby chopped cucumbers, peppers and more carrots, so we are prepared to throw salads together at a moment's notice for at least 5 days.

 Veg wanted Stir Fry, so I made a big pot of Short Grain brown rice to have on hand at dinner time for my growing boy... Makes it much easier for adding to lunches in the morning as well.

My Fridge was VERY Happy!!

Our Bellies have been very happy too!!

Whoop!  Almost forgot the Kale chips... Can't forget the Kale Chips...

Oh sooo good!!  Original Kale chip story and recipe link here

 

So there ya have it!!  I started the Kale in the morning, and let it do its Dehydrate thing all day.  But for the rest of my prep..... That happened AFTER Veg went to sleep and was all done and cleaned up in a couple hours. 

Allowed for quick Lunch making, on the go snacks, and faster dinners.... A Win/Win for all....Now, if I could just be this prepared EVERY week, we'd be all set!

I'm getting there though! :-)

BANANA AND MR. VITA-MIX

Mr. Vita-mix loves bananas... You see they are soft, easy to blend, and can be made in to everything from Pudding to Popsicles....

And Today, he did all of the above:

First was Smoothie.. A super super green smoothie:

 

Blend Mr. Vita-Mix - your not quite done yet....

I don't like the green speckles.. In case you were wondering..

 

Then there were bananas... a whole lot of bananas:

 

Mash Mash Mash... and pour then freeze:

 

But your not done yet... Oh No!!  We want some pudding!  Add a dash of lemon juice to keep the color, a dash of Vanilla for some flavor.... And VOILA!

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix... You are done for now!!

WHO PUT THAT SALAD IN MR. VITA-MIX?

Me Me... I did, thank you very much!  And it sure was tasty!

When preparing foods,  I tend to cut a bunch, since I'm already in cutting mode.  So each of the next several days, I can dip in to my pre-washed, pre-cut, pre-prepped stash....

In some cases, I just throw it all in Mr.Vita-Mix for a yummy dose of Green goodness.

In this case you see a LOT of stuff... Including Romaine Lettuce, Cucumbers, Carrots, Bananas, Apples, Kiwi, Cranberries.  And I wanted it a little creamy'ish like a milk shake.   So I added some Frozen Bananas to the mix.

Oh, I'm still using Coconut Water as my Liquid... Its seems to be full of great things like Magnesium, Potassium, Electrolytes... Good for hydration during the summer sweaty months.  But I find it good now for the winter dry skin months.  I hope its actually good for us and not just a claim, because I use it almost every day.  (not so tasty straight, but good in a smoothie of goodness like this one)

 

 Delicious, as NeeNee would say!

PRODUCTIVE

Such a Productive weekend!  Not only did I have fun and relax as posted earlier... But this blog is now up to date "HELLO", make sure you scroll to see the other happenings, you don't want to miss the post of the smoothie Smile!  Really, its too thrilling to miss...

NeeNee's 12 Month, hand stamped, and photograph scrapbook calendar is complete... Yippee, in time for your Birthday NeeNee... :-)  And other craft projects, see here, are ALL DONE~ 

Almost Every Drawer, Closet, Cupboard in my entire house has had an over haul....(Tip - as you walk in to a room do one drawer, one cupboard or put at least one thing away... over time it all becomes clean)

The bathroom, the Kitchen, the bedrooms, The computer area, EVERYTHING.... Ready to start the New Year.

I'm talking about finding homes for EVERYTHING and If it doesn't have a logical home, then it does not belong in the house.  I had PILES!

Nothing on the floor ANYWHERE that doesn't belong there.... I was in a Mode!  And it was GOOD!

Toys in their cubbies, not a single one out of place:

 

Games in their spot:

We have a lot of games!  Family Game time is the BEST!

 

Laundry Baskets are EMPTY:  (yes, I really took pictures of laundry baskets - Sorry Mom)

 

Only been 3 days and I have GREENS Growing in my Basement... Hi There little plants... We will try to help you live a long and green life! 

This is the happiest pod!  His Bio-dome will be removed tomorrow, and then he will get big and strong and give me lots of Greens!  The other pods are a little slow, but picking up pace.

I have Veggies Cut and Vita-Mix Hummus ready for munching:

 

Lunches made for Tomorrow (pictures of mine only, but Veg's is done too):

Organic Apples of course:

Salad, with Veggies, Romaine, Broccoli Sprouts and Sunflower seeds:

Almond butter for snacking, Marinated Raw Green Beans, and some Creamy Raw Vita-Mix Guac which will be used for my Salad Dressing.  Yum Yum...

Making lunch had me so hungry that this guy became my dinner... OH MY YUM!!

Even he is smiling... Can you tell?   Actually he is sticking his tongue out at you..

Sorry, This is a salad with Attitude:

 

Bills are paid, even the dog's yard is picked up (Took advantage of the freezing temps today... dog poo is much easier to scoop when it is frozen, in case you were wondering) 

Veg's Nails are clipped, Dog's Nails are clipped, our annual page in the Marriage memory book is filled in, Counters, mirrors, sinks, floors are clean...  I'm telling you, I was PRODUCTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Water bottles are filled, car is packed for our first day back to work/school and clothes are laid out! 

I am ready for 2010.....  Can you tell!!  Good thing, since its already here!  *smile*

KALE THE NEW GREEN

I ran out of spinach... how can it be??  How could I run out of spinach...  How can I have a Green Smoothie without the spinach....I need my Green goodness...  Really I do...

There are things in life we want, and things in life we need!  I NEED GREEN SMOOTHIES!!!   I wandered the fridge, the freezer, the cabinets.. Could I find anything green???  

Then I saw it... this wonderful green goodness staring at me in the back of the fridge:

 

I wasn't sure if it would do the trick, or be too bitter... It was purchased to make "chips" (will post about this later)

And so I needed lots of sweet to offset the taste, just in case.  I filled Mr. Vita-mix to the Brim with goodness.

Added the Kale, some Romaine, Grapes, Apples, Pear, banana, and dates... (coconut water and ice)

Yes, he is full from the counter to above my cabinets....... I'm telling you, IT WAS FULL!!

 

Hi There Green Goodness... we are going to Drink you now!

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix!  Look how bright..  It was full of color, and tasted even better!!  The Kale filled in so well, that I didn't even go buy spinach.. We've been Kale'ing it all week!  And I can't complain a bit!

A VEGAN MEXI-FIESTA

Our Annual Mexi- Fiesta was another great one...

I had to combine a little Raw with some not so Raw.  But all Vegan and Delicious.

The Bean Dip with Veggies on top:

 

Mr. Vita-Mix Guacamole:

 

Mr. Vita-Mix Hummus (yes I know this isn't mexi, but it tastes great on a burrito in place of sour cream, so there):

We also made some Brown rice, not pictured here, and Veg got a little stir fry since he doesn't like our Mexi Dips... Hubby and I munched on the Mexi stuff.   He went through a bag of Tortilla Chips.  I used the sprouted grain tortillas and made burritos.  YUM!

And Some Steamed Broccoli for the Vegman (his favorite):

Some Yummy No Dye, Organic Candy Canes:

 

Which I used to make this Delicious Cocoa Mint Green Smoothie Dessert... (Mr. Vita-mix can mash some candy canes, let me tell you)

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix.. I think this one goes to the top of my Favorite list... I'll have to fight Veg over the last of the candy canes to make some more of this goodness.... OH MY YUM!!!

Of course our day had other things like Apples, Pears, Pomegranates, and such... But if I took a picture of Everything, I think my Hubby would be calling the picture police to come take me away.

He just doesn't understand Blogs... But then again neither do I.

Hope you had good food where ever you may be!