Integrative Nutrition Grads, Robyn and Quinn over at Healthy Cooking Camp have the cutest video and tastiest massaged kale salad I've experienced yet.
I happened to purchase this Mountain O' Kale to dehydrate in to crispies.
But after seeing their recipe, (and tip to remove kale from stem which is the coolest trick EVER) that green goodness became massaged green goodness salad instead:
And creamy at that! Creamy thanks to avocado... I do love avocado creaminess!
A new try this week was inspired by a cool recipe on the iPhone/iPad App called "Eco Chef".
The recipe was supposed to be simple and Raw, as in 4 RAW Ingredients. But I sort of made it my own with the ingredients I had in the house including non-raw nut butters. Then I added more stuff making it 6 ingredients. I even changed the apple type. Eco Chef would not be happy with me. (Sorry Eco Chef)
Here is the Peanut edition for Vegkid:
Green Granny Smith Apple slice on the bottom, Peanut Butter, then Raw Cacao powder mixed with Coconut nectar for the chocolate, slice of banana and more choco mix on top. Sprinkled all over with Cinnamon.
Such an amazing dessert, or maybe ummm, Breakfast for tomorrow morning with the left overs. (shhhh!)
The one (or two) I made for myself used Almond Butter:
OH MY YUM!! As IN dangerously Yum! I will say it does not taste like a Peanut Butter Cup as the App's title hinted.
Especially once I added all my extras and chose a sour apple.. BUT, the mixture of sweet, sour, salty, fruity, cinnamon spice and chocolate all in one bite made the absolute perfect bite!
AND this would be why I AM NOT asleep before 10:00pm tonight. A little too much sugar and cocao for this girl to handle in the evening.
But still no coffee *Smile*
This Happy Herbivore Cinnamon Bun Smoothie recipe is good just the way it is. How ever I was out of ingredients today, wanted some added green value and decided to kick it up a notch.
Soooo.. This beautiful Drink is a modified Cinnamon Bun Smoothie:
Hemp Seeds and Coconut Water to make a "milk" like consistency. Then Added bananas, vanilla, dates, cinnamon, spirulina powder, Spinach and Ice.
OH MY YUM!!!! Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix!
I was feeling like a creamy smoothie, and something different that I don't usually make. Which is when I remembered Happy Herbivore's Cinnamon Bun Smoothie that seemed to fit the bill.
BUT, we only had soy milk in the house of which I'm not consuming these days. Soooo, I put on my thinking cap!
1 Cup of Water, with some Hemp Seeds in to Mr. Vita-Mix and Voila!
Instant non-dairy milk for my HH Cinnamon Bun Smoothie:
Not to mention Raw, Frothy, Omega filled Goodness...
Then I added all the other ingredients to finish off this treat.
Sorry HH, but I can't make a smoothie without some greens! I added a bunch of spinach to the mix, and couldn't taste it a bit.
Hence the pretty green color. I also had to add an extra banana and a little bit more maple syrup since my milk was not pre-sweetened.
But OH MY YUM!!! This was delicious. Vegkid drank some too and gave a big thumbs up!
If only I had saved some for tomorrow?? Oh well, Just have to make more *wink*
I Love my To-Go Ware 3 Tier Tiffin
People often tell me that it is too hard or too expensive to eat healthy and pack your lunches. But everything in this tiffin is prepped in advance for 3 days worth of goodness. I just grabbed what I needed then headed out the door. (except the oat mixture, I added the banana later)
The Pre-Prepped food was enough for multiple meals for multiple people, so the cost really is low considering what it would have been for three of us to go out to eat for 3 days worth of lunches.
Here is a Tiffin filled with goodies from last week:
Spinach and Romaine Salad with chopped veggies and marinated chickpeas:
The chickpeas were mixed with chopped onion, then marinated in a mixture of Orange Juice, White Balsamic Vinegar, Braggs Aminos, Garlic Salt and Italian Seasoning. The leftovers kept in the fridge for about 4 days.
Like I said above, Hubs had a bowl full of chopped veggies prepped. I had a bowl prepared with lettuce and spinach. Then a bowl full of chickpeas in the fridge, so we just grabbed what we needed for our salads for the week. So easy to make lunches this way!
And for the rest:
My Oats Combination:
Oats, Almond Butter, Choco Chips, Mashed banana and Goji berries:
Apple Chunks and a couple Raw Cacao Goji truffles
I also try to bring a green smoothie and a resuable container full of water to give me my fluids for the day. Sometimes I bring an extra banana too just in case I get hungry.
Do you make your lunches??
{Note to self, don't blog about food when it is bed time... Soooo hungry now! *smile*}
I've been experimenting with Raw Sweet Potatoes ever since I tried making noodles out of them and a pad thai type sauce. But now I have a Mandoline
First I washed and peeled the Sweet Potato, then sliced it up at different thicknesses (going for real thin but had to do the ol' trial and error thing):
Veg was snagging these from the plate just the way they were. I even threw a few in his green smoothie too.
So if your kid is like mine, you can stop here.
But I was going for something more nutty and spicy!
Which is why I mixed up a spicy nutty sauce:
**Note** my sauce was not raw, but you could easily make it so!
This is simply a mixture of nut butter, garlic salt, a dash of schezwan sauce, dash of teriyaki or braggs amino and some water.
Then made little sandwich bites and gobbled them all up..
Vegkid liked them plain or with the nutty mixture. I also liked them both ways, but the sandwich bites were sooo good and filling.
I had enough sweet potato slices stored in the fridge that these lasted two days. The nutty mixture didn't make it past the first night though, so I had to make another batch of that.
But really, how easy??? Could be an appetizer, a main course, a snack, or a great Lunchbox treat for kids and adults!
Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Fast, Easy with a whole lot of Nutrition built in!!
A definite win/win!
An Easy Lunch:
Raw Vegan Coconut Wrap filled with Chick peas, Carrots, Celery, Spinach and sprinkled on top with Orange Juice, White Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic Salt.
Enough Said!
Hubs and I sat down last night to put all our memories from 2011 in to our little book. We basically write down everything that comes to mind from the year prior. For some reason it was hard to remember EVERYTHING. Thanks to this blog and my Family picture blog, I was able to piece together all the interesting events.
A lot of business travel, personal travel, several family trips to Michigan, an Awesome Florida trip where Dolphins and space shuttles were involved, An Amazing South Carolina trip where Dolphins, forts and long sandy walks were involved. Veg learned how to swim this year. We had several visitors at the homestead. Saw a light house, a great lake, went to Airforce Museum, Mountains, Chess club and sporting events. We grew lots in the garden, enjoyed the Farmers market, started Juicing, and So much more!
2011 was a Great Year!!!
We drank lots of these:
And these:
Lots of NeeNee Soup:
Lots of Raw Vegan Goodness:
This one is Bananas, Pomegranate and Pecans with Macadamia Cream sauce:
First Persimmon Try:
Raw Vegan Creamy Kale Salad:
Raw Vegan Baklava:
Developed a love for Cauliflower:
I completed my First and Last Full Marathon...
I simplified more in 2011, Made a lot more home body care products, Started my 10 Minute rule (breaking tasks in to 10 minutes so they don't seem so daunting). I also began being happy about what I have accomplished vs. what I still have left to do.
At the end of 2011, my Accomplishments were many!! Both in the house and out of the house. Both mentally and physically.. I even enjoyed crafts again as I prepared my self for 2012.
Prepared myself Mentally that is!! 2012 is going to be another Big year. I can feel it.
To start with, my Nutrition Classes will officially begin, and I'm super excited about that. I'm going to complete another 1/2 Marathon (if my hormones cooperate that is). But this time, I'm going to drop at least 15 minutes off my time. I'm going to focus on myself a little more, find MY HAPPY, while being the best parent and wife I can be. Most importantly, I'm taking back control of my happy! The moods of others should not dictate my own.
Yesterday I got out for the first 1/2 Marathon training day of 2012. For not running much the past few months, I was impressed with my Body's ability to jump back in. I went a total of 4.5 miles with the first 3 running non-stop with no pain. Powered by Greens!!!
My rest days for this 1/2 marathon training will be different! I'll be including some strength training and muscle stretching to the mix. If I want a different result, then I must do different actions. 2012 is the year for Different and for finding my Happy!
Bring it on 2012... This will be the best year ever and I'm ready!!!!
Between these two books I have officially made over 30 HH Recipes:
And this week was no exception:
Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple Syrup Drizzle for the kiddo;
Cauliflower Hash for me:
Fried Bananas for all of us:
More Chickpeas for Me (but I shared with Hubby)
Pinto Bean Patties for everyone (except mine was without the bread)
And Raw Sweet Potato Soup for the Kiddo (but he shared with me)
It has been a Happy Herbivore Cookbook
PS. The Raw Sweet Potato Soup was my new Raw try of the week, so I mastered two tasks with the work of one!!
P.S.S The Sweet Potato Soup is not listed as raw, but I made it in the Vita-Mix per a "chef's note" and it turned out rather raw but warm and delicious. I will go lighter on the Ginger next time but otherwise.. Oh My Yum!
P.S.S.S The Chef's Notes in HH Books, are so absolutely awesome. Be sure to read them or you can miss out on something really tasty!
Getting back to my New Raw Food Tries, this one was super easy because it required no preparing (except washing and cutting) but OH WAS IT GOOD!!!
I have never in my life (that I know of) consumed a Persimmon:
Vegkid calls them "Percinnamons" for no reason except that is how it rolled off his tongue. Hubs calls them "Papples" because he thought it tasted like a mix of pear and apple.
I just call them Tasty! Because, well, they are Tasty!
It looks like an Orange Tomato. So I thought it was an Orange tomato with a fancy name. But when I cut into it, the consistency was certainly not tomato'ish. It was sort of Mango'ish texture. We just cut chunks and ate!
Anyway, we all liked it and fought for the last bite.
Must - Get - More - Persimmons!
Have you had them? Like dislike?
We have used Garlic and Onion for several years here in the Vegmom house. Everything from helping earaches or colds, to getting rid of strange skin infections and of course tasty additions to foods.
But let me tell you, NEVER have I experienced the healing power of this Feel Better Sludge until I hinted about it yesterday.
Citrus, Garlic, and Onion all in the power of a drinkable concoction:
Drinkable I say with a puckered scrunched up face, that is! And enough garlic that the vampires will stay away from me for a life time. Luckily my meetings today allowed me to sit in the back of the room (a full table away from people).
First let me set the scene..
Kids at Veg's school have Pnuemonia, three of them to be exact. Several have the flu too. I've been around at least 10 people in the past week that are either sick or have a sick family member. Every where we go there are people sneezing, coughing and talking about there month long sick bugs.
Hubs is on his 4th week of a cough (he went the medical route), Vegkid finally got it, and we nipped it in 5 days (naturally no medicine). So when I woke up yesterday with the sniffles, as in stuffy head all over, I knew that the yuck was pending. In fact I only lasted at work for a couple hours and had to come home.
I arrived home with a full head, clogged sinuses, uncomfortable, unable to sleep and beginning to cough. I took all my normal natural stuff to get me comfortable (including a garlic capsule) and settled in to the fact that this would be a doozy, but I would kick it fast. Figured a couple days Max!
Then I remembered this recipe.. I immediately whipped up a batch and thought "What in the world am I doing" The smell alone was enough to send me running. But I knew this HAD to go down the hatch! It would work, I could feel it in my natural bones.
TBS 1 went down the hatch. Surprisingly, it stayed down, and it seemed to settle in my belly OK. I noticed after the second dose that I was drying up quickly. My head no longer stuffy and I was able to rest. In fact I fell asleep, for 3hrs! Really!!
Before the night was Over, I had a couple more doses and FELT great! Slept better last night (as in deep dreamy sleep) then I have in years!!!
I woke up with out even a thought of a sniffle, had a clear head, tons of energy and ready to face the day. I've felt great all day! Even did a workout. (although did take a couple more TBS just in case)..
No cough, no sniffles, no headache, no clogged sinuses, no sinus pressure... Gone Gone Gone!!!
TAKE THAT YOU SICK BUGS! Less than 18hrs and you are Squashed!!!
As my Mom would say "I don't want any of your business"
This Raw Vegan Sludge may taste nastier then anything I have ever experienced, but you won't hear me complain!
Nope, not one single bit!!
Frozen Bananas, Spinach, Peanut Butter, Chocolate chips and Mr. Vitamix
Oh My Yum!!!
This is good with just the bananas and spinach which would make this raw, but my Peanut Butter and Chocolate chips make it not 100% raw. Either way, all ingredients go in the Vitamix, mash with the Tamper and Voila!
Creamy, Frozen, Tasty, Vegan Goodness
Thank you Mr. Vitamix
If you ever wonder what happens when you make a chia seed breakfast but leave remnants of breakast and bowl in car over weekend by mistake...
Well..
Chia Seeds Sprout. Yes, Yes they do!
Hmm? Wonder what they are doing inside my tummy?
Enough Said:
OH MY YUM!!! I was trying to find something fast for dinner that my Vegkid would like.
We whipped out the Handy Dandy Happy Herbivore Book and all my planned concoctions didn't match what I had in the cabinets. Then the page fell open as if a sign from above..
"MAKE BEAN CAKES" the page said...
And so I did! The 23rd (I think) recipe I've made from HH. I used gluten free bread crumbs and threw in some oats as my modifications.
Vegkid ate his with salsa...and was sooo happy!
But I realized that mine needed something Cheezy! HEMP Cheezy at that!!
Kristens Raw Hemp Cheese to be exact!!
What a Delightful combination! I know Raw food should go with Raw food, and I'm sorry for the combo here.
But this really was sooo good!
Good News is, there are leftovers for tomorrow! YAY ME!!! Thinking my lunch will be quite tasty!
We tried the Cranberry & Pear Juicer Juice that I mentioned in this post:
It took two bags of Organic Cranberries and 2 Organic Pears to make two servings. Soo so so bitter, that we added some water, ice & Coconut Nectar:
For me, it was great. Still bitter, but kind of refreshing and tangy. Hubs, thought it was TOO tangy, but I kept seeing him go back to his glass and sip more. Maybe once the ice melted, it got better?
So I think I will add cranberries to juice again, but they will be an Addition, and not the main course.
Maybe Apple, Cranberry, Celery kind of a thing.... We'll see!
Otherwise, I'll keep the cranberries to Smoothies. That way everyone in the house will consume their flu preventing, antioxidant packed goodness.
Move over Maple Syrup, Agave & Honey, there is a new sweet nectar in the house... OH MY YUM!!
I don't use a lot of sweetener in a lot of stuff. When I say that I used Agave in a recipe, it is normally just a tiny dash. Otherwise I sweeten with fruits, dates, raisins, or just go plain. Like teas.. Unsweet All the way!
Recently I've been liking Maple Syrup in baking recipes for the veg kid, and a dash in my Chia concoctions. But when I ran out of Maple syrup one day, I found this in my cabinet:
I Purchased Raw Coconut Nectar
Veg didn't notice the difference in the recipe by not using the Maple, and I used it in my chia dessert concoction too with great success.
I see this sweet goodness finding a permanent spot in my cabinet and in our desserts too!
I've been reading a lot about cranberries of late including their Antioxidant effects, how they can be good for fighting off infections, are high in Vitamin C, they can help with skin ailments, blood flow, even cancer prevention, and keeping the Flu Bugs away. And of course all us girls know that drinking real cranberry juice can help with those pesky bladder and urinary infections.
But eating them plain is not something I enjoy. So last year (I think it was last year) I started putting them in my Smoothies. When added to a smoothie their flavor was much more enjoyable and I could consume more that way.
Now if I ponder too much on how they are harvested (flooded bogs and people walking in them), I'd likely avoid them all together. I don't focus on that so much! Nope, not one bit!! Really!!
Sooo The cranberries are BACK in our stores and that means they are back in our tummies.
Next try for the cranberries will be Mrs. Juicer... I watched this video where they make a drink at the end with Juiced Cranberries and Pears... Hmmmm, does that sound tasty or what??? I also like that she talks about eating bright colors and people are healthier that do so. And how blueberries help with sugar in our bodies, who knew?
When I went to the Herbal doc she said I should eat 3 servings of Berries a day. Now I know why! *smile*
Do you eat your berries? What are your favorites?
I found this recipe for Cauliflower Rice a while ago and finally decided to make it tonight.
Yes, Cauliflower RICE... OH my Yum!! I tell ya this Cauliflower stuff is pretty amazing. (sorry for the phone pic)
It is basically 4 ingredients + Seasonings and/or salt and takes a total of 20 minutes. So easy that even I can make it, and tasted delicious.
The surprise though... Vegkid liked it. He ate his entire bowl and asked for more. Even with the celery/onion chunks which he would normally pick out. NOPE, he ate every bit.
With the left over Cauliflower, I made raw "cheezy" Popcorn:
It was a Cauliflower kind of a day! YUM!!
If your counting, I have now made:
And now rice! The exciting part is that if I can make this "rice" base, I can add anything I want and make all kinds of dishes. Mexican, italian, Asian.... The possibilities are endless.
The Kitchen is open for business! Good thing I have another head of cauliflower in the fridge! Woah!!!
Well, it is day 3 of our journey and outside of a Vinkie nibble, I have avoided all my stomach upset culprits.
While still feeling fulfilled and ready for each day.
Thanks to my new Mini Cutting board, the lemon water to start my day has continued:
And Organic Fruit of Plenty have found my belly:
I'm also becoming a Chia Seed Addict.
A tiny bit makes a great filling snack, while a bit more with nutbutter added, makes a filling breakfast. It is the best hotel food EVER!
Its easy to travel with, easy to make and good for me too:
The other great thing about Michigan visits are the salads. You can pretty much go ANYWHERE and find a great big salad:
You can't tell by this picture, but the bowl is so large that it could fit my whole head plus some.
Needless to say there have been some good eats (And some good coffee)
As for the People, well they've been alright too. *wink* 3/4 of those that we normally visit are sickly, so we are staying away from them which is a bummer. Veg got to spend some time with his Uncle and Grandma which he has been bouncing off the walls about.
And tonight he got to meet some people that I haven't seen in 20 or 30 years... Interesting to say the least!
....too be continued.....
I'm Not talking about a restaurant or cafe that also carries Vegan fare, I'm talking about an entirely VEGAN spot IN the food court at Dayton Mall.
I thought that was the coolest thing:
I had a Salad:
Veg Had Spring Rolls and Sweet Potatoes Fries:
I will not confirm or deny this, but I may or may Not have had some of those fries.
Then we shared some Potato Leek Soup:
And for dessert, we shared a VINKIE... Yes that would be a "Vegan Twinkie" A Vinkie!
I posted the other day that for me to eat something with wheat again, it would have to be really worth it.
Yeah, Well... Having one bite of this thing was soooooo worth it! And soooo Good!
Disclaimer: I don't have Celiac, or even a Vinkie wouldn't tempt me to eat wheat, but since mine is just a sensitivity, I know the consequences of my digestion/skin and head, by partaking in such a treat. And thankfully, this bite didn't hit me too hard. Besides, I HAD to try it, as the good responsible parent before allowing Veg a bite, right???? *wink*
FYI - It was French Toast Flavored in case you were wondering, and OH MY YUM!!!
Also in the food court was a Saxby's Coffee, I noticed all their Fall stuff, and asked if by chance their Pumpkin Spice mix was Vegan. And she said YES!!! REALLY???? There aren't many Vegan Pumpkin Spice options, so I was surprised and had to support the cause.
I mean, I didn't have a choice right? I was left there with a Vegan option in front of my eyes and another 4hrs worth of driving before our final destination.. It was a critical moment (or maybe lapse in judgement)
But I got an Iced Americano with a Pump of Pumpkin Spice (Coffee, Water and Pumpkin).... Yum!
It was actually a little sweet, but nothing I couldn't handle.
That concludes our Stop in Dayton.
If you ever find yourself there, be sure to check out the Airforce Museum, and maybe some yummy Vegan Treats! (We even passed by an Earthfare). Not a town that I will go hungry in, thats for sure!
Thinking we'll be stopping through again!
As I continue this adventure to Optimum Health and Feeling my 150% Best, there are lots of things I'm still learning about what my Body is OK with and what it doesn't like.
Some Raw, Some Cooked but Almost All Vegan...
However the list of things I don't eat is growing:
Things I won't eat as a Vegmom:
Things that are Veg friendly but I've learned my body doesn't like:
And of course there is the list of things I just won't eat, whether my body pretended to like them or not:
So people now ask "What do you eat?" (as if they didn't ask that before) What I have discovered along this journey is my absolute LOVE for finding great natural, plant based foods that I enjoy and that my system can tolerate...
The more I search, the more I find things that I never would have tried before. And the more I find, the more I love to eat. The more I learn, the more I realize, I've probably had these sensitivities my whole life.
<Hello Projectile Vomiting Baby, breathing issue kid and fainting teen, just sayin!>
Many of the things I'm enjoying now are not cooked, and several are cooked but served with Raw items.
Currently my two favorite things are Raw Cauliflower and Cooked Chickpeas!
This weeks Cauliflower was mashed!
And the Chickpeas? Well.. They are Happy Herbivore Hawaiian Chickpeas of course:
So while travel is going to become more difficult (I can't just go grab a pasta dish or cheese-less pizza) I am up for the challenge to feel my best.
This next Michigan Trip will have me on my toes. Will I cave and eat my old bready favorite foods, then feel it the next day? Or will I make the trip a successful Gluten Free adventure and see how I feel.
While the first and last lists above are non-negotiable, the middle one does make things a little more complex. All I can promise right now, is that it will take me being Very Very Very hungry or very very very weak that I cave to the goodness of my favorite wheat filled veggie foods.
And if I do Cave, it better be for something really really really good!
Like this amazing Veggie Pizza from a place in Howell:
Stay tuned, as my healing food journey continues!
I received a great question today from Rebecca:
"I am trying to go vegan but want to make sure my kids eat the good food and get enough nutrients. Any suggestions or advice? I have a 2 and 4 year old"
Which made me want to create this post out of oldies but goodies... It will be long so be warned!
My parenting style in general is to allow the kiddo to think for himself. Set safe boundaries and then allow him to make choices within them, with the thought that some day, I won't be around, and he will have to make choices anyway. I'd prefer he make the RIGHT ones whether I'm there or not!
Now I can't say this will work for every child, but I've seen it work at least 100 times with mine. Soccer Games, Parties, School, Camp... he CHOOSES the right foods because he wants to. And if he WANTS to, then he doesn't need to "sneak" or "rebel"...
Making them WANT to, is the trick!
Soooo, HOW did I make him want to? Well, I have the advantage that certain foods do make him physically ill, so he knows to stay away from those. But as for everything else... That took Trickery!
Here are my top 15 Tips to making Tricking kids in to eating well:
#1 - Keep things COLORFUL:
#2 - Don't ever make them feel left out. If its Pizza day at school/camp, send them with Pizza:
If there is a party, be prepared to send them with dessert that they can eat.
#3- Prep Food over the weekend!! Keep Washed, Fresh and Cut Up Yummy Food in the Fridge so they can grab easily (age appropriate of course) or so MOM can grab easily.
When your in a hurry, it is so much easier to grab the junk food because it is fast. But if you take away the need, you leave your self with healthy options instead. Ready for everyone to graze on.
This link probably has the biggest prep day I ever had: Major food prep sunday
#4 - Take them to Sustainable Farms in your area, so they can interact with the Animals and see the Gardens first hand. They learn to appreciate the animals and the great food as well as to see natural vs. not so much.
#5 - Educate!! Explain your choices as early as possible and answer questions that come up. If they want to know what is in a burger.. Tell them the truth!
Watch movies together when age appropriate
Read Kind Books:
Or take them to classes at the local health stores. My son Still talks about a class where he learned about Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I think he took that class 3 or 4 years ago.
#6 - Make Eating Fun
Mashed Potato Turkey with Asparagus:
Food as science experiment (watching the fibers of a watermelon), doesn't get more fun than that for a curious Tot!
#7 - Let them help - it may not be perfect, but who cares. They can help meal plan, shop, pick recipes from books, prepare foods and cook. Even a one year old can point to a picture and help choose what goes on his/her plate.
Veg prepares his own lunches now. He knows what is going in his box and how much work it takes, so he rarely brings home any waste. Here is an example..
1/2 Avocado, Raw Macadamia nuts, Strawberries, Apples, Veg Sushi
#8 - Take a trip to a Farm Sanctuary, learn about the animals and their stories that brought them to the sanctuary.
I mean really, who could eat this sleeping beauty after meeting her and hearing her sweet little snores:
#9 - Compartments.. My kiddo LOVES food Compartments, even when I was making his lunches and variety. Always offer variety, allow them to choose what they will eat, and try new things. If they don't like one thing, there are stll 4 others that they do like.
Variety also provides a good mix of nutrients, protein, calories and healthy fats for their growing bodies.
Ha, just realized all the pictures I chose for this post have grapes... I promise he eats more than grapes *smile*:
Spaghetti, Tings, wafers, celery and grapes:
Banana/Peanut Butter dogs, cranberries, pretzels, grapes apple:
Coconut Yogurt, Pear, Grapes, Peanut butter cookie, Cranberries, Flax Crackers:
Apple Sauce, Oat Bar, Cucumbers, Snack mix, & Tofurkey Rolls:
Muffin Tin Dinners - Another great compartment alternative. For the little tikes I used the little cups and for an older veg, I used the big ones. At 8yrs Old he still asks for Muffin Tin meals.
(Yes, I know it is not tin, but you get the idea)
This one has Cucumber salad, Sweet Potato mash, Strawberries, Grapes, Vegan Quesadillas:
#9 - Plant a Garden big or small. Even a flower in a window.
They get to see the work involved, feel the accomplishment of a harvest and watch their plants grow. if your lucky enough to get a bounty, you know exactly where it came from:
Let them make Garden Rainbows with the hose:
And Don't forget to Compost for your garden. Put younger kids in charge of filling the bin in the kitchen, and older kids in charge of dumping in to the compost outside.
Teaching the circle of garden life, is not only being environmentally responsible, but your Garden will thank you and your kids will have fun:
#10 - Find Alternatives:
When they ask to try something they see with a friend, make sure they know there is an open door policy and that you'll listen.
Then make sure you LISTEN...Find a Vegan, Organic or Healthier Alternative. Empower them to feel good about their choices and that they can talk to you when needed:
Find treats that you feel good about providing them.
#11 - Don't keep bad stuff in the house, makes it too easy to munch. If you decide to allow treats, or non veg foods when outside of the house, make them the occasional option.
Inside the home is like a Veg Safety Zone, variety and color. We don't even allow family to bring meat foods in to the house any longer. It is seriously a VEG Friendly Zone now that Hubby is on board. Of course that wasn't always the case. But it is all my Kiddo knows.
If they know no different, they act no different.
#12 - Themes, create fun themes, whether that is holidays, colors, or in this case we were learning about Mexico and had an entire day of Mexican Food.
Veg's favorite of course was this Mexican inspired Vegan Dessert:
#13 - Bulk Section - I don't have much counter space, but I did dedicate a portion to my "Bulk Section". There are always nuts, seeds, or grains and dried organic fruit of some sort. This provides go-to powerhouse snacks for all of us, and quick grab options when making lunches.
This has transformed over time, for age appropriate Veg as I allow him to grab his own snacks at will. Obviously as a toddler, I wouldn't keep choking hazards within reach. But as he grew, and could reach the countertop this became a wonderful solution.
Also by empowering him to grab all his own snacks, I never have to hear "I'm Huuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnggggrryyyyy" I eliminated so much whining by giving up a section of my counter.
He also has a drawer and all other dried goods are in there for his choosing.
#14 - Go Fruit Picking - You know where the food came from, they get to see where it came from, you can talk to local farmers, and just have a very fun outing with a delicious bounty:
#15 - LOVE - the most important item of all. Model love to yourself, your family, the planet and the animals. Be a good example for your children so they can follow. Put love in everything you do, including the food you provide..
And if nothing else works, make green juice or green smoothie with a heart on top.... Who wouldn't consume that??:
A totally random post for this Wednesday!!!
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Most Sundays, I prep salads for the week, this Sunday was no different.
But most weeks those salads become mine for lunches because Hubby says the guys will Tease him if he shows up with salads.
WELL, this week he grabbed a salad.. WHY? You ask? Because everything else he takes already has them calling him a health nut, and apparently as of this week he is officially the Site Health Nut!
Thinking I have done my job, when the Hubs is labeled a health nut! <she says with a humble grin>
So now he takes salads. Stranger things have happened!
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Tomorrow the Vegkid has a presentation at school and he needs an outfit that represents Ben Franklin...
In his picture, Ben Franklin has a Ruffle thing under his coat on his chest. I'm not going to purchase a ruffle shirt just for one presentation.. and the Kid was NOT happy with me about that! Call me a Bad Mom! Ok, not just yet!!
I decided to grab an old T-Shirt, cut around the collar, so the collar will fit over the character's head. Then use the rest of the T-Shirt to bunch up all ruffled and put the jacket over to cover up the sides of the T-Shirt.
It worked..(look for picture soon) Took Only Scissors, an Old rag and 3 minutes, to make the perfect Ruffle thing for our Fake Ben Franklin. Not so bad if I do say so myself!
Vegkid says "Wow, you are a Crafty Lady, aren't you?"
Hey Mikey, He likes it!!
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I hear all the time in Blog Land about Chia seeds and how great they are for us. Antioxidants, Protein, Fiber, Omegas, etc. Full of goodness, and filling and versatile. Even my Friend got them after reading about their goodness in a book.
So finally I purchased some... YUCK! I mean, the texture alone was enough to make me gag. When wet they get all slimy, and the taste... Ewww... I tried. I really tried. I really wanted to like them. But just couldn't. So they went on a shelf and sat there all by their lonesome.
Until Tonight:
I saw this post from Pure2Raw and realized I like Tahini... Hmm.. I have Chia Seeds, and I like Tahini.. why not? I gave the Chia seeds one more try at life in my kitchen.
But made a single serving quick snack try from their recipe. I only used 2 TBS of filtered water, 2 TBS of Chia Seed Mix, 1 tsp of Tahini, a Dash of maple syrup and a dash of Cinnamon. Mix Mix Mix and sit for 10 minutes like they suggested! Voila!
Chia Pudding, that I really really liked!!!
Who would have thunk it? This may now be the perfect go to snack or breakfast for this busy Mom. I can even take it traveling and just add cold water plus toppings no matter where I am.. Sooo Excited!
Thanks Pure2Raw for another great Veghouse Try!
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And that ends this very random post... OK one more... Can I just say that I really like my Juicer!
That is A LOT of juice! Oh My YUM!
Good Night!!!
Came on to post this and saw all the Forks over Knives Facebook visitors.. Was awesome to read the comments and see how many people also let their children watch Forks Over Knives. Welcome to Vegmom Moments if this is your first time here, feel free to say Hi in the comments or add to discussion.
Now for that post:
I tend to place pics of my Glass Bowl Tower lunches or Tiffin Lunches or more Tiffin Lunches and the Vegkid Laptop Lunches but I realized today that I have never (or don't think I have) posted the kind of food that Hubs packs for his lunch + daytime snacks.
So here is what he took with him today for snacks (all organic of course):
Green Juice= Apple+Parsley+Celery
1/2 Avocado, Whole Peach, Strawberries & Grapes
And for his main lunch, Left over Brown Rice (gluten free) Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Veggies:
Don't worry he doesn't combine all the fruit with the pasta *I hear gasps from those that food combine* but he munches his raw stash threw the day for breakfast and after lunch if snacks are needed. Then chows the left overs or a sandwich at the lunch hour.
He also took a Vegan Choco Chip Cookie for his dessert which I didn't get a picture of. I haven't talked him away from the cookies yet! *smile*
Yes - He has a long day, hense all the food for one guy, and eats a little at each break.!
But this is NOT the type of lunch you would have found him eating several years ago. And that's what makes this post truly awesome. Actually, I wouldn't have even mentioned on this blog the lunches he ate a few years ago.
There was a time when the Hubs was eating a S.A.D diet, and very SAD it was.
A couple Kidney stones, some Gout Attacks, Chronic Sinus infections, Constant Bloody Noses, Stomach problems, a cough that wouldn't go away and one Xbox later... I now have a Veg Hubby! (PS. the Xbox is another story)
Curious? How many warning signs do we have to get from our bodies before we say "Wait a Minute, Maybe I should make a change?"
For my Husband, it was quite a few. But now I get to call him a VegDad, and that makes me a very happy Vegmom!
I started eating more celery because it is a good anti-inflam food. But lately, I've been craving it.
As in, can't get enough celery...
Good thing it is quick to wash and chop!
Crunch, Chew, Gulp!
YUM!
Thank you Mr. WoodPecker for waking me up two mornings in a row, by pecking the paint off my house (directly over my bed).
Do we not have enough trees in the yard for you?
Thank you to my Tummy for tolerating Raw Green Goodness again... This Massaged Kale was quite tasty with dinner:
Thank you to Fall for officially being here, and bringing back the Honey Crisp Apple:
Thank you Eden Organic 
And Thank you Happy Herbivore for the Hawaiian Chickpea Recipe that used up every bit of the goodness in that can!
Last but not Least.. Thank you to my collection of Glass storage that allows me to make a food tower like this for work tomorrow:
Apples, strawberries, hemp/oat/almond butter granola, Kale & HH Chickpeas
Hope everyone had a great weekend!!
ENOUGH SAID!!!
I was feeling like something Nutty for Dinner tonight.. so I shredded up my new favorite Raw Veggie, and created a pad thai'ish sauce using ingredients from several recipes.
The longest part of making this concoction was the shredding of the raw yam:
I used 1/2 in this and baked the rest for my Vegkid.
The easy single serving sauce was a mixture of the following (sorry no measurements, I just mix until it tastes good):
Nut Butter, a dash of Tamari, a dash of schezwan sauce, a bit of garlic and Lemon juice! Mixed all that together then folded in to the yam "noodles".
Came out a tad salty so I will make an even smaller dash of tamari next time and add some sprouts or veggies for good measure.
The schezwan gave it just the right amount of spicy to feel like I was eating something warm and cooked. Even though it was totally not warm or cooked. But Sooo good!
Another great concoction to go in my personal favorites. Veg kid and Hubs were not on board to even try it, so this was just for me!
And I'm not complaining about that ONE BIT!
