Cookbook Inspiration

I was doing so well with Vegan MoFo, and then missed a day. Sorry everyone. The whole mouse fiasco has left me with a lack of desire to be in the kitchen. Hopefully that will be remedied soon. I've been flipping thru The Urban Vegan, and am salivating over a number of recipes. So I think I will be doing a cookbook series shortly, starting with this gem. Here are some of the recipes I am excited to try.

Grilled Cheese and Bananas

Havana Beans and Rice and Pan-Fried Plantains

Chocolate -Chipotle Chili

Marsala Mushroom Crepes

Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Can't wait! I have this bad little habit of checking out way to many cookbooks at the library and not getting to really use them, so I am going to plan for some of these recipes. It will give me a bit of practice on that whole meal planning thing that I have been wanting to give a whirl. My mother created extensive meal plans every week before she did the grocery shopping. I did not quite gain that commitment to organization, but a bit of planning wouldn't hurt.

Tomorrow I will post for you a recipe created by Matt. It's a good one!

P.S. The author of The Urban Vegan also has a blog. Check it out.

Mac and "Cheese" for a lousy day

Monday started out in typical fashion with the hum drum of another work week. Then once home from work I get a call from Matt saying that our land lord is coming over to put mouse traps in our apartment (What!). Apparently Matt has been seeing things and neglected to fill me in, but that is probably for good reason. So I let that go and went about my day and got a call that I didn't get the job I interviewed for. Needless to say Matt and I were both a bit depressive for a while. So the cure all was comfort food. Macaroni and "cheese" to be exact.

I used some spelt spiral pasta and some Daiya vegan cheese. Toss in some Earth Balance and some rice milk and cook until creamy. I also added salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning, as well as some smoked paprika for garnish. It hit the spot. Since my wounds were not quite mended I whipped up some peanut butter cookies using a recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I added a bit to much molasses, so they look like a cross between a ginger cookie and a peanut butter one. They hit the spot as well.

To counteract my emotional eating, I did some yoga. I have been really slacking in that area, so it was much needed and was hard work. I used the dvd Yogalosophy, and really enjoyed the mix of yoga poses with toning techniques.

So my evening ended up being enjoyable. That is until we heard some rustling under the oven. Sure enough it was a mouse. I am wondering if it is my fault for my lack of floor mopping. Matt says it is an old house and this happens, but I guess I never saw it coming. I know mouse traps are not the most humane thing and do not really go hand in hand with vegan ethics, so does anyone have any good ideas for future house protection?

Baby Shower

Baby shower day arrived and was pretty much a success. Not without minor mishaps of course, but regardless it went well. The major stress point for me was that we were still getting things set up when the guests arrived, but I didn't have much time for set up and had to figure some things out with the church kitchen supplies etc. But all in all it was a good time.

Now on to the apple cup pies. I was going to attempt pie pops, but this was a much better choice for the event. If you want to make your own cup pies, just mix up a batch of your favorite pie crust (I used a recipe that used earth balance, flour, salt, and water). Chill the dough for a bit, roll out into small circles, and press them into lined cupcake pans.

Fill with your pie filling of choice. For my apple pies, I precooked the apples in a saucepan for a bit before filling the cup pies. This way everything would cook through as with the smaller crust, less baking time is required. Top the filling off with a crumble topping and bake for about 1/2 an hour. Let cool and enjoy. I was really impressed with how these turned out and will make them again.

Now onto the shower. Here is the lovely cake my friend made for the occasion. I love the deer - so sweet.

I made my favorite sandwich, and wrapped them up in parchment so they wouldn't disassemble. It worked out really well and looked really cute. Note the baked cup pie. I didn't remember to take an after baking picture, so here it is.

Here are some assorted other pictures.

Now I can relax as my party planning is done for now. This week Matt and I want to lay low and make a point to not be busy. Sounds lovely!

Day Out

We had a day out today. We grabbed some friends and drove 45 minutes to our favorite restaurant, Cerulean. The lunch menu is the best with a number of main course dishes to choose from along with a bunch of delicious sides. I chose the spicy veggie maki roll, asian noodles, mung bean salad, and seaweed salad. Mmmmm. Can't wait to go again!

The baby shower I have been planning is tomorrow. I've been busy tonight making some cup pies for the occasion. More to come on that tomorrow!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Fridays

Friday's are for....

sleeping in,

an attempt at breakfast in bed, but failing miserably by dropping it on the bedroom floor,

moving breakfast to the couch,

catching up on laundry,

filling up a box for goodwill,

spending time with friends,

and

Sweet and Salty Roasted Squash.

Here is the recipe!

Cut a butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into slices and place in a parchment paper lined baking dish. Add the following ingredients.

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 to 1 teas. Tamari or Coconut Aminos

sprinkle with Cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste

Mix everything together with a fork or use your hands (it's easier). Place in a oven preheated to 450 degrees. Bake for about half an hour or until browned and caramelized. Serve with rice that has allspice and currants added for a yummy fall dish.

Four Years

Today marks four years. Four years of being with my favorite person. We celebrated simply with dinner at The Loving Cafe. Unfortunately they were sold out of their raw cheesecake, so we picked up a sweet treat while running a few errands. I've never had Ritter Sport's marzipan flavor before. I like the almond flavor mixed with the dark chocolate - lovely.

Here's to another wonderful year!

Busy Day

Day Three of Vegan MoFo was not filled to the brim with glorious vegan food. Rather it was made up of quick salads, delightful cucumber water, and hemp protein smoothies. Not much to write about there. I spent a lot of time with my sewing machine finishing up some gifts. Then I pondered and plotted the baby shower I am throwing on Sunday. Let the stress begin! Don't let that statement worry you, I love party planning and party throwing. The fun of it gets mixed with my perfectionistic attitude, and can cause a bit of anxiety, but I have made my list, purchased some needed items, and am really looking forward to the event.

Perhaps I didn't spend the day cooking delicious food, but I did whip these goodies up at 9:00 pm (it's never to late to bake). They are brown sugar and currant scones based off of my favorite scone recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Tomorrow is Matt and I's 4 year wedding anniversary. Part one of celebrating the occasion is breakfast.

On another note, I couldn't resist a bit of holiday cheer and strung up some christmas lights (a few weeks ago). I'll hold off on the rest of my decorating, I promise!