Vegmom Moments

Another Interesting Being Veg week

Sorry, I haven't posted in a few days, it has been quite the busy week - Let me tell you!!!  But I have a few quick things to post today. 

1st, My Non-Veggie Oldest and Dearest friend made a comment on the phone...

She said "I won't ever give up my cheese, but I could stop eating meat"  Or something like that... And so then I said (like any good friend would)..... "So Do it?  Give up the Meat".... Then she said... "I could"  and then I said... "So when are you going to start?".....  This kind of went back and fourth for a while....

And then I gave her a WEEK... I said, "Just one week, no Meat"  Then she had to ask details of this challenge...

No Chicken, No fish, No Red Meat, No pork, No Broth from dead critters, No beans with lard, no Spaghetti sauce with cow stuff, No Cesar dressing or worcestershire, No NOTHING that required an animal be killed to be made.... She would have to read labels... It was a Challenge.. for ONLY a Week...

So far she hasn't committed to the challenge, *wink*  I can say that she sent me pictures of her Veggie meal on Thursday and she is back to making Green Smoothies, AND she got a Glass Water Bottle.... AND she read some labels today..I know this because she called me... So the challenge is coming, I can FEEL it!    In the mean time, she has made some pretty awesome "GREEN" choices this week, so that is a wonderful thing!

But on the phone, I hear her little one say "That Coconut Water is Yummy"....  AWESOME!!!  This means she has Coconut water IN her house.  She is turning, one thing at a time... It could happen!!  I feel it!!!

THEN - My Dad wrote to say, he is still going after the Juicer..... Very cool!!

THEN - An Online Friend named Rachel left a comment to say she got her Vita-Mix this week and has made some wonderfully delicious things... How Exciting for her and her family!   Now if she can only leave the house with out it... That is the hard part *smile*

THEN - My Newest and Dearest Friend called to say she has been Veg for going on two weeks now.  She has made awesome food choices, tried new things, and offered great stuff to her kids, and they actually LIKED it!  Who Knew???  She Also introduced a Teenager friend  to the goodness of healthy eating...

What a WONDERFUL week to be Veggie *smile*

AND for the really funny part!  I was actually asked this week if I got my Protein from a Pill... THAT was a new one, even for me....

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!

Rosetta's Kitchen Lunch for Two

Veg and I stopped at this awesome place in Asheville NC called Rosetta's Kitchen...  I've been there once before, but had to take my little guy. 

They have Mac and Cheese...Vegan Version, and he thought THAT was pretty cool.  They let him try a little before ordering, which I thought was so nice. 

And he wanted some of these.. This was a SMALL... Can't imagine what the BIG looks like:

To finish off his feast, my Vegman picked one of these Vegan beauties:

Peanut Butter and Choco Swirl... Again, I say, This was the SMALL... they had a large version too.

Knowing we had a long day in the heat ahead of us, I wanted to go for something light.  A small little wrap, is what I was thinking... UM NO!  This is Rosetta's after all!

The thing was HUGE!!!! 

 

We ended up taking much of both our feasts to go, and turned out to be a great decision.  While we were stuck in traffic, these foods made our bellies really happy for the second time in one day.

So if you ever find your self in Asheville North Carolina, check out Rosetta's Kitchen... It really is an awesome Veg (and Earth) friendly place...

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...

Veg Meets Animal Haven

Today was one that allowed me to be off work... It is Summer... Which means, A Veg and Mom Adventure  day! 

Wait a Minute... rewind............ Several years ago Veg read this book:

 
In the book, Benji's Dad takes him to an Animal Sanctuary to help him understand why they don't eat meat.....Ever since then he has asked to go to one.

OK Fast Forward ...to a couple weeks ago..  Veg and I were talking and he said "Mom, when can I go to an Animal Sanctuary like Benji? Can I go when your off work?"

<Benji???> 

"Yeah, the book"  Oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....   then I began my research... The boy wants to go to an Animal Sanctuary, the boy shall go to one!! 

Not to mention he's been asking more questions lately about meat, and I thought this would be a good age to make an impression for his little noggin.

Sooo.. Fast Forward to this day!!  I found an Animal Sanctuary, and the wonderful people said we could come visit.   I surprised my Vegman with the news... and OFF we went!

To Beautiful Asheville North Carolina and Animal Haven... 

 

We spent A LOT of hours in the car... I mean A LOT!   As in single lane, sitting still for hours, A LOT..  But it was totally worth it!  We stopped Down Town, Had a great Vegan Meal, Purchased some re-usable non-plastic lunch gear, and Went to Animal Haven!  

At one point, Veg said... "Mom we are so crazy, to spend this much time in the car for an Adventure, but I'm sure glad we did".  I told him that we probably wouldn't make the trip again in a single day, but he said "Why?"  ha ha...

They had little barns/sheds all over the land, and each decorated as if they were home.  Most of the animals were sleeping due to the heat of the day, but they all looked so peaceful and calm. (As they should)  

All the Animals were rescued from horrid conditions, abuse, Neglect, even near death....  Some escaping factory farms, and Some just dumped on their property. 

Now they are able to roam in huge free spaces with their animal friends...  In and out of the barns/sheds.... The pigs have access to mud pits and clean sleeping quarters.  The goats can roam or sleep in the shade... The ducks and hens can do as they please... All with food and water and shaded spaces.. no chains or ropes or 2x2 cages...(or chopping blocks)

And this DOG!!  Oh my this dog...  She only has one eye, but she could catch a Frisbee... Or try to carry this ball... and try, and try and try.... for like an hour... it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen:

 

Veg was in love with the cats. There were a lot of cats in different spaces.  All cared for in wonderful condition.  Many different cat houses and structures and toys...

 

My favorites were the pigs... Eventually they woke up (but of course I didn't get a picture of that)... I'd never heard a pig snore.  I got such a kick out of being so close to some of them..

These guys/gals were sooo comfortable in there many sleeping spots and could care-a-less that we were in there with them.  Veg talked a lot while visiting the Piggies that he didn't understand how anyone could Eat them or be mean to them....  I think my mission of the Sanctuary Visit was accomplished in the first 5 minutes!  *smile*

 

 

I'm sorry, but HOW cute is this??.. I just wanted to snuggle up next to them and take a nap with these sleepy heads. 

We stood next to them and watched for a bit.  And then came back and watched some more.  Some of them were out in the pits, so I couldn't get their pictures.

The other Animals were just as amazing...  Couldn't get enough of this Cutie:

And you know, it wasn't like a petting zoo where they are begging for food and trying to eat your camera strings. There wasn't the sadness of a real zoo with animals on display behind glass...  There was a Peace... a Happiness....

Or maybe it was just the hot of the day....

They were happy and content, would maybe say Hi and walk away. 

Or just go under the shed with a Hen and Duck and go to sleep.  Or in a barn and find their favorite spot.  I mean there was no pushing, fighting, chewing on our stuff... It was an Amazing Experience.  There were a LOT of goats, and not a care in the world.

"Hey, you looking at me?  OK, Well be sure to get my good side"

 

And these guys, were Soooo Sweet.. They were rescued from a horrible situation.  But are resting in their own little space now.

When they feel like walking around, The door is open,  All this and more is waiting for them outside that fluffy Hay:

This little thing, had a whole lot to tell us... Walked right up and started talking.. and when the chat was over, it just walked away... We laughed and laughed!

If you ever find your self in Asheville North Carolina, be sure to check out Animal Haven.  Or just check out their website.  They do so much with their Outreach programs.  And all non-profit.  They take donations to help care for the animals, but also run a thrift store to help raise funds.

Thank you Animal Haven for making a little man's dream come true, teaching him a bit a long the way, and all you do for the animals.  

What a Wonderful Adventure..and Amazing Place!!!

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.

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!

Veggie Stars Aligning

So I'm not sure what is happening but within the past 24hrs I've heard/read the following statements...

My Friend's Hubby Caved on the Green Smoothies And child likes them too.. Wooohooo!

My Hubby's Friend, Decided today's lunch was a great chance to try a meat-less meal.  He ordered All Veggies and LIKED THEM.

My Dad called.. (Yes, the same person that wanted to drop me in a hay field to find lunch)... He told me that after a medical procedure has decided to try Juicing to heal his little Bod and lay off the Red Meats....  I'm excited and shocked...I mean this is HUGE!   Even if he doesn't do it, just the THOUGHT that he was considering it.  It is HUGE! 

My Hubby Shouted after eating his delicious dinner that he "Loves being a Vegetarian"... He actually said those words... Then said... "I can't believe I just called myself a Vegetarian"  *smile*  He continued with,  "I'm not sure what your doing to me, and I never thought I'd say this, but I Love this food"  Yippppppppppppeeeee.... I think laying off the dairy for almost 2 weeks, has started to shift his taste buds again.  And all the flavors seem so much more.......well......... Flavorful !!!  

I heard from local Starbucks that more people are asking for their Choco Fraps with Water instead of Milk... That I'm no longer the only crazy person.  Awesome and Vegan by the way (shhhhh, don't tell)

PS... if you like the Java Chip Fraps... Get them with WATER instead of MILK....  Save yourself the calories (and other milk yuck), Save the added expense of Soy, and give some Cow Udders a break... It tastes Sooo good, with water, why bother with the other stuff??

Then I just read a Blog from a Mama that is starting to switch to more raw foods, which is super cool.. Check out her Cute Etsy stuff by the way...

Even my Vegman chimed in today... "Mom, I've decided that I want to be like you when I get older.  If I'm healthy, then I'll be happy and I like being Happy"

Is it just me or is something happening out there?  Have you had new motivations lately?  Anything your going to try on the health frontier?

Personally, I'm looking forward to the morning, when I can have another one of these:

Yum!
 

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!

Dropping the Cheese

Hubby said he's dropping Cheese.... Could it be so?  Could it be true? 

This is the most exciting thing I've heard since he gave up Meat for good.... Now if we could just get him to drop the eggs?  Baby steps....

Imagine, no animals harmed in the aging of my Hubs... Not to mention the aging of my Hubs will go much more smoothly.... Hooray, for Plant Based diets....And to my Hubby for giving it a try!

PS. All his Idea, scouts honor...*wink* 

OK, Maybe I showed him a little video about the link between Milk and Cancer... Maybe, it talked a little about arthritis and sinus problems... Maybe it mentioned a little something about what is in the milk...

Hmmmm... Maybe I should have showed him that video along time ago!

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!!

Farmer's Market Saturday

So many good finds today at the Farmer's Market... I just Love Farmer's Market Saturdays!!

 

That is a Vegan muffin at the bottom for my Vegman... He was excited about that.  I was more excited for that Watermelon!!!

Oh My Yum!

Vegan Coconut Brownie Bites

Haven't made these in a while, but we were all craving them....Think ooey gooey energy bar, with out the wrapper or heavy processing....  And then mix in the texture of cookie dough and add the taste of brownies..  THAT is what these are like!!

New to the kitchen were Sun-dried Raisins and Chia Seeds...

We also had Dates (I used maybe 5 of them), Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Coconut Flakes, and Cacao Powder

 

All layered nicely in Mr. Vita-Mix:

Blend, mash, mix... Scooped on to cutting board, and roll in to ball shapes, which go in the fridge.

 

Then I pop one at a time in to thee mouth and try not to eat them all in one setting!   OH MY YUM!

Have to say, I do like Macadamias much more then walnuts, but our store stopped selling them... something about contaminated batch, so I'm OK with not having them.. 

I also may Nix the Chia Seeds next time.  Its a texture thing.... but the new raisins were a hit.

Anyway, they are still so good and almost gone already.  Yum Yum...

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??

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 Stop In Utah

I've posted a bit about my Vegas Experience.. but must go backwards to tell more about the Utah Stop..

When the plane lands in Utah you see this.. (Even in the middle of June)

 

There are Mountains all around and they were still snow capped.  It was soo pretty...

My Dad picked me up, and let me say, he is as far from "Vegetarian" as one gets.  Although he is eating much better these days.  And has no shame in teasing me about my eating habits.  Including the threat of dropping me off at a pasture to find lunch.

But then I asked him to take me to one of two Vegetarian Restaurants that I found on Happy Cow.  He obliged..... First place was not to be found (Although I do think it exists..we just couldn't find it)

Being a Trooper, My Pops kept going with our adventure until finding the Vertical Diner.

 

It was in the least expected of places, and we actually found it by accident.  But man was their food tasty.

If your ever in Salt Lake City, Utah, be sure to check them out.

I haven't been eating fries much, but had to give these a try, along with their yummy dipping sauce:

 

Oh Oh oH My Yum!!!  My Dad also agreed on the Yum Factor... In fact he liked everything he tried.  And I was very impressed with his willingness to try and not embarrass me too terribly.

I had to be sure to tell him that the "Chicken" wasn't really Chicken while reading the menu (in the spirit of honesty)  ..He had some great questions for the waitress.  "How is it chicken if it isn't chicken?"

She gave some very kind responses and was patient with us as well.  My Dad went with this Taco Salad and claims it was delicious.  All would have been right with this experience.... Until....

After my Dad had given her such a hard time, the waitress came up and asked him how he liked eating a meal that didn't have Dead Carcass in it.   I about spit out my lunch..... 

Oh, his face was priceless.......

I had this awesome Salad with Raw Dressing and cashews:

 

Anyway, I will go back to this great hidden spot if ever in Utah again....I hear they are best known for their Blueberry Pancakes.  So I know what Veg will be eating if he comes with. 

So... It was after we left the diner and headed up to Park City, that I started to feel really light headed.  And told my Dad I needed a nap...Which I thought was from lack of sleep the day prior.  It would be a few hours later before I got horribly weak, unable to hold in my food and felt like my head was going to explode off my body. 

As I posted earlier this week, my Brother and His wife suggested we head back to Salt Lake to Decompress my Noggin... And it worked...  The cloud swooped out of my body...  None of these symptoms directly associated to the diner, they were related to the Altitude. 

But I did learn after doing some research that you should not eat a big meal before going that high... NOTE TO SELF... Hit the diner on day two... NOT day One!  *smile*

All that to say... My Dad had this waiting for me when I woke up in the morning and was feeling better:

 

Chopped up melon in its own bowl... Who could ask for much more...  He really did do so much to make me feel better and my day enjoyable.  We had some great discussions as well.

And by the way.. I figured out where my obsession with orderly closets came from... I opened up a Cabinet at my Dad's Place to find this:

Now, if that is not an Orderly Cabinet, then I'm not sure what is....

As for Vegas??  The Conference is over, The food today was not Veg so I found a Salad boy.... I didn't see anyone get arrested, pass out, or 1/2 naked in the hall today, so that is a bonus.

Learned a bit about Penny Slots while here :-)  A little about Poker and tried my hand at Black Jack.  Had some OK food, Lots of Starbucks, met some amazingly intelligent people... and spent a record 23hrs in meetings, over two days.

Its time to go home now, and I CAN NOT WAIT.....  A Green Drink Will be in my not so distant future, as will some GOOD Food and hopefully a nice run outside if the weather holds up....

Then it is back to work time... Hi Ho Hi Ho.... you know the song!!

Good Night!

Smoothie Mystery

A blender is a Blender right?  I mean they all mix, chop, blend one way or another...  So they have to be the same right??? 

WRONG!!

My friend has a standard blender as does my Mom.  When making their smoothies, they both have said they don't look the same as mine.   Well my friend's blender is older and used, that must be the problem??  RIGHT?

WRONG!!

I saw with my own eyes when visiting my Mom.  No matter WHAT I did, I couldn't get my Mom's smoothies to taste or look the same as mine using the same ingredients.  And her Blender was brand new.

Then I went to my MIL's House and tried to introduce her to the Raw Green Smoothie Goodness....  She had tons of fruit and veggies, nothing I did made it right.... 

Maybe its the altitude?   I mean all three people can't have three different blenders that don't make perfect smoothies? RIGHT?

WRONG!!

We were staying at a condo this past week that had a fancy shmancy new'ish looking Blender....  We washed the blender and I told Hubs to be on alert.... "This smoothie isn't going to taste the same as ours at home"  I told him...

HE disagreed...  A Blender is a Blender... Same Ingredients... Same taste... he kept saying....  He was determined to use this Blender and make the PERFECT Smoothie Green Goodness.

Well knowing what I know about this Blender situation from past experience, I closed my mouth and said to myself

"He will learn to appreciate Mr. Vita-Mix after this Condo Smoothie"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I'm Baaaaaacckkkkk....  We decided to take an unplanned beach trip during our time off from work while the getting was good....  Found a deal we couldn't pass up, and off we went!!!

While gone, I had a little Birthday.. which is normally no big deal in our house, but I woke up in our hotel Condo thing, to a wonderful "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" greeting from the Vegman.   Which then Hubby said "OH YEAH, Happy Birthday"... Because he is sweet like that!

But both my Men from that point forward decided the day was MINE!  And I could do Anything I wanted...

SO I DID!  *SMILE*

Hubby snuck down to the resort Market and found me this card (could it be any more perfect?):

And this cute little Banana Muffin that we divided in thirds and chowed down....

 

This was the day I decided to take a solo jog on the beach, along with a very long relaxing walk.. which was followed by another day with jogging on the beach... (more on that to follow)

This was also the day, I discovered Watermelon at the beach concessions...  Sorry.. I ate every last bit before realizing a picture needed to happen.  Because maybe someone didn't know what watermelon looked like?....  <insert Hubby saying, "Why are you taking a picture of chewed up watermelon?">

But this was also the day, that I agreed to leave the resort... up until then, we stuck to walking distance entertainment...  You know like THE BEACH.... and other stuff like that!

On my Birthday however, we ventured out... (after the beach walking/jogging) and hit a little place called 

The SPROUT

 

Where we found THIS:

 

This Green Juice/Smoothie thing was something I soooo needed... It had been a couple days with out Mr. Vita-Mix at this point, and I was seriously going through withdrawal.

Just look at this Green Goodness!!!  OH MY YUM!!!

And some of these:

 

This Goodness for me:

And THIS of which Hubby ate.  His first experience with this kind of Veggie "Burger" and he ate it all up.

We also got to try some samples of Soup, which Veg LOVED, even talked about how great it was the rest of the day...  And a slice of "sushi" which was quite delicious....

Hubby got a Berry Smoothie while the Vegman picked a protein packed Peanut butter and Coconut Milk beverage.

This lunch date was Totally worth the drive from our comfy condo and worth every penny of the purchase price.   By the way... Hubby, ate their Energy snacks and said they were better then my Nutty Date bites... Oh sigh... How could it be??? 

In summary, If your Ever in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, be sure to stop by The Sprout!  OH MY YUM!!!!

Our next adventure, took us here:

 

Where we found some fixings to make our own smoothies back in the condo... (minus Mr. Vita-Mix, more on this to follow).... We also found lots of Organic fruit and raw veggies for munching the rest of the trip.

We had some more Beach Fun, some Pool fun, Some Awesome Vegan Veggie Fajitas for Dinner and then watched the sun go down...

 

And Really.... What more could a Birthday Girl ask for??  Start the day with Solo Beach Jog, Continue the day with two wonderful human beings, and end the day watching the sun go down...

Ahhhhhhh... and that was only ONE DAY.... Stay tuned for more adventure details as this Veg Family took on the Isle Of Palms.