A-rock Obama

Politics and a four year old. As soon as the camera was shut off she asked me, "Is Bush dead now?"

Yesterday, Isaac drew a picture of himself shooting a canon at George W. Bush. In the back ground one person is clapping and one person has hearts all around and is in love with Isaac.

I should have asked their opinion on the Bail Out. lol

Happy 4th Birthday, one month late

Ramsey celebrated her 4th birthday on September 1st. Since she loves to play tea party with her Yaya, we decided to throw her a fancy tea party. Girls only. The girl only part is a whole other story of her bitching.
Her is Ramsey still in her p.j.'s just starting to dress up.

And here she is checking out the goings on sans pants.

Now she is gussied up.

This really isn't the full spread for the kids but I liked this picture best. They had mini bagels with vegan cream cheese, pb&j, tofurky sandwiches, shortbread, scones, vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, mini veggies, and fruit salad. They were drinking ice tea mixed with apple juice.

The adult sandwiches were tomato basil with vegan cream cheese blended with balsamic vinaigrette, mock egg, and cucumber. The desserts were the same as the kids.

The kids dug into the cupcakes right away but then evened things out snacking on sandwiches and fruit. I don't think any of them touched the veggies.

And here is Ramsey and some of her friends exploring her loot. I made her the chefs hat.

She really did seem to have a great time, even without boys, and the grown ups had a great time chatting and snacking. Happy Birthday Ramsey.

America's Favorite Animal Shelter

Care 2 is holding a contest where people vote for their favorite animal shelter or rescue group. The group with the most votes wins $10,000. The four next highest groups get $5,000. And Adopt-a-pet.com is awarding $1,000 to a shelter at random each week.

I don't think I've ever posted anything like this before but it only takes a second to vote.

Grrrrr

So, we have two weddings coming up this month. One is the husband's cousin, Megan. The other is one of my brothers, Neil. I've had this green fabric sitting around since last year that was supposed to be Ramsey's last Christmas dress. She ended up talking Daddy into buying this other dress and the fabric was left unused. I decided I'd make her a skirt for the wedding.

Ramsey doesn't have any dressy tops and I thought I'd try my hand at inventing something for her. I thought that a black velvet would be nice and match the skirt. I started cutting out the skirt. I was preparing to sew it when Ramsey came in ready for me to measure her for the shirt. I put the skirt fabric down and started on the shirt.

Taking the shirt fabric out of the bag the store put it in was a surprise. When not in the lights of the store the fabric isn't very black. It almost looks purple. I decided to take a chance with it. There are still kinks to work out but it wasn't so bad. While I was sewing Ramsey was playing with the left over fabric and scraps.

Then came time for the skirt. I grabbed my piece of fabric and got to it. I found it odd that I kept having to make adjustments on the hem. It wasn't straight. When it was finally finished I called Ramsey in to model.
This is a bad picture but that puffy skirt was supposed to be knee length and puffy. Not ankle length. Ramsey had switched up my fabric piles and I didn't know it.

So, I have a skirt that's to long and wonky. A shirt that's not really black and still not right. I guess Ramsey will have to squeeze into her Easter dress.

Lazy Pie

Me and the husband were dying for something sweet the other night. Being the fair parents we are, we waited for the kids to go to bed to whip something up. I just tossed ingredients in a bowl until it looked like a pie crust should. Inside is some apples and cinnamon.
This was neither the best pie crust I ever had or the juiciest apples. However, it was not the worst and it killed the craving. I've never done a lattice crust and was playing around on the one. I think it would be easier on a full sized pie.

We will be going apple picking in two weeks. Expect some more pie or desserts along that line.

Adam and Eve

I awoke to lowered voices...


Ramsey- Isaac have a piece of chocolate.

Isaac- No, we aren't supposed to. You have to ask mom first.

Ramsey- No, I had three. I just sneak it.


Who has visions of my future life parenting a teenage Ramsey? Looks good, no?



I promise she was not just trying to be a 'good sister' by offering him candy. She was planning ahead by offering him some. She would rather them both go down together then go down alone. I offer a warning to Ramsey's future party buddies (Sophia, Elizabeth, Quora, Maggie, Athena) if she gets caught she will rat you out.

Happy Holidays!

Who got a shiver up their spine? Admit it, that creeped you out. No, I'm not currently knitting up Christmas stockings or stock piling wrapping paper. But there is one thing I wanted to make that has to be put aside well in advance.

Homemade Vanilla
Easy, pretty, and impressive to gift receivers. (Any of my friends who receive this gift need to stop reading and ignore that "easy" part)

Most store bought vanilla beans are very pricey and at 3 beans for $5 you use them like there made of gold. I purchase my vanilla beans from a store front on ebay, Vanilla Products USA. They sell organic and not, grade A and B, several varieties and different weights. To give you an idea, I have a pound of grade B for $13. That is a lot of beans.

So, it was no hardship at all to split open two beans for each of these pretty bottles. Some people cover with vodka and some with Rum. I'm a Rum fan, just ask my friends. ;) I put these lovelies away in one of my cupboards and when I think of it I swirl them around a bit.

When the holidays arrive I will have a pretty, yummy, and useful gift.

Happy NOT Holidays.

Stock in Earth Balance

With all the tester cookies that I've made I feel like I should own stock in Earth balance. These chocolate chip cookies are a traditional . They are exactly what you think of when you hear the name. Better then a bakery cookie but the same enormous size and crowd pleasing abilities.
These shortbread are my favorite! The recipe is spot on and to die for. Tender, flaky, buttery. I can't rave about them enough.

Graham crackers just the way you expect them to be. Not as easy to make as Isa's recipe but very good crackers.

These gems are far better then their store bought counter parts. They look tiny but you get a lot of bang for you buck. We could only eat a few each.

White Russian's. I've never had the drink and soft cookies aren't really my fav. These were good but I wouldn't rave.

I do love coconut. These crispy coconut cookies were very good and extra nice with ice cream.

Thus ends our tester cookie tour. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

The good. The bad. The ugly.

Ok, so really it's just the good and the ugly. But the other sounds better, right?

I came across Rocks N' Rolls at Whole Foods being sampled one day. That's obviously how they suck you in because I found myself carrying a bag home. I finished said bag, with help, in one day. I also totally tore up my mouth with all that crunching but that's off topic.

The problem with Rocks N' Rolls for me is that I don't go to Whole Foods very often. They are $4 a bag. And most of all, I like to make my own stuff. These three points have caused me to try and recreate this recipe for the past two months.

This would obviously be the ugly picture. Turned out real well, eh? I'm only posting the really bad and the good. I didn't bother with the in between mediocre batches.

I had another visit to Whole Foods on Tuesday and snatched up another bag. Early I was comparing these cookies to a smoother, more airy, biscotti. I've finally decided they are more similar to animal crackers in sweetness and flavor and digestive biscuits in texture.

Here is the good. This is my best batch so far. They are very close to what I was going for. I was going to make another attempt but my friend and husband said they liked this version better then the store bought. We were taste testing them side by side.

I hope to work on more flavors but we'll see. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Vanilla-Lemon Crunchies

1 cup flour

4 tlb sugar (could easily be cut back to 3 or maybe even 2)

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tlb canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1/4 tsp molasses

2 tlb water

Preheat your oven to 375'. Mix together the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients. This will be a dry dough. Everything should be wet and but just clump together if pressed.

Mush teaspoon sized amounts into a circle or oblong shape. Bake on a lined sheet for about 10 minutes. They should get a bit golden.

The cookies are mostly crunchy with a bit of moisture in the middle. If you like them completely dry I'd lower the temp down to 350' and leave them in a few minutes longer. Keep your eye out.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Libby

In the past I've posted pictures of our out going cat Miso. Miso discovered early on in his stay here that he could squeeze himself under the small gap of our screen door. The husband and I argued about letting him go outside. Me against, him for. It came about that Miso would sit and stare at the door knob for hours until he was let out. I let go of my protests and decided it was mean to keep him inside. Thus we had our first indoor/outdoor cat.

Fast forward to Miso being the king of our neighborhood. He united neighbors and neighbor cats alike. We figured he had a gang or something. There were always 3 or 4 of him and his friends laying in the sun spots. He would also go visiting into neighbors houses.

As of three weeks ago, Miso decided that he liked one of the neighbors better. He hasn't come back to our house. We were sad and the kids were really bummed. Kids being kids decided they wanted a new furry friend. We had them wait a bit and then started looking.
Here is our new friend, adopted from Friends of Cats. Her name is Libby. Well, actually someone with to much time on their hands named her Lady Liberty. Most likely the same person who obviously liked cats more then children. I figured Libby sounds similar enough and so far she comes for that name.

We were put in a room with no less then 20 cats and left to our own devices. This plan of action didn't really work for me. We asked a helper to come back in and point out good choices for a family with kids. As the choices were presented, Libby was digging my cell phone out of my purse, rolling around on Ramsey's hat, and head butting Isaac in the back for some petting. She made our choice for us.

She is a sweet little thing with a very loud meow. She is also a big jumper. The picture above is Isaac asleep in his top bunk. She had no problems getting up there to snuggle down with him. We are very happy with our new companion.

And if anyone is worried, the gap under the screen has been blocked.

Still tired

I'm tired. Very tired. The husband has been taking a class two evenings a week. He's been teaching a class 1 day a week. That's a lot of extra alone time with my 'angels'. We've been busy, very busy. And I've been tired, very tired.

I nearly fell asleep driving yesterday, with the kids in the car. I'm not sleepy but I am exhausted. My very wonderful friend Jill, who is home alone with two kids this week, came over and brought me fruit and ice cream. I could have kissed her and very nearly cried. This act of kindness managed to help me stay away from the store for an extra 2 days.

Still no food posts. I cook, some. I read, a lot. Some day soon, when I'm not in danger of falling asleep standing up, I hope to get back into the swing of blogging.

No food

I have been cooking, of course, but I have no food posts for you. I'm busy. I'm tired. And honestly the new freakin' camera and computer are throwing me off my game.

In the past 2 weeks we've been camping, swimming, and spent most days outside. Ramsey is working on her teenage attitude. Isaac has started teaching himself to swim. Joe is teaching a class AND taking a class leaving me alone with the children three nights a week. Yippe. I've polished off 4 books (amazingly not food related) and am in the middle of 3 more.

I hope to get back on my game soon but I'm not stupid enough to promise. Here's a little video clip of Isaac's first time sans floaties.

I have my new computer mostly figured out now. Pictures are still giving me a bit of problem but I'll brave forward.

I can only hear about how awesome a recipe is for so long before I have to cave and try it. This is how it was with the Blackened Tofu from edbv. I can totally see what all the hype is about. I loved the crust that the tofu got and the seasoning was spot on. Even the kids liked it.
I bought The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook because it was on sale for like $4. Who could pass that up. The first recipe we tried was the Melty White Cheese. I served it over macaroni and Ramsey was the only one who would eat it. I didn't even bother with a picture.

I was a little afraid with that kick off but found another promising looking recipe. I crossed my fingers and made Pasta with Sweet Onions & Pine Nuts. This was much better. Joe and I both enjoyed it and the kids were cool unless they got a chunk of onion. The dish itself looks pretty bland and would be a bit more eye catching, and healthy, with some broccoli or other veg. I'll make this again.

Last up is a slight variation on Lolo's Baked Vegan Donuts. We had a friend in town who is as crazy over lemon as I am. I made her lemon donuts as a treat. I left out the nutmeg and cinnamon and used lemon juice instead of soy milk. They turned out great and were frosted with left over lemon cream cheese frosting.

Hopefully, I'm back on track now and can figure out this new photo software.

Busy, busy, busy

We've been having a crazy busy week. I apologize for the lack of posts. I have a new computer and I'm learning all it's bells and whistles. I'm also still transferring stuff over from the old one and that includes pictures.

Right now, it is 10:21 at night and our house is 90 degrees. It's making sleep a wee bit difficult.

You still won't believe it's Vegan!

Alright, this is going to sound like bragging because it totally is. Honestly, I think more then half the people who read this blog know me in person. The little bit of bragging here isn't going to come as a shock.

On to the bragging. Isn't this picture awesome! Yah, I wish it didn't have the stuff in the background but COME ON! It's awesome.

The awesome picture is of Chickpea Socca from You Won't Believe It's Vegan. It was a very beautiful dish and super filling. The recipe was slightly labor intensive but that had a bit more to do with the timing then the actual work. The layers are of a white bean puree, sauteed greens, marinara, the chickpea socca and topped with caramelized leeks. This is super impressive for company.
Ok, so this is not an awesome picture but it was a fun day. We had a girls day with my mom, friend Denise, her two girls, me and Ramsey. We made the Crispy Wonton Packages and they were wonderful. Even the kids liked them. I really thought that there would be to many but we managed to polish them all off.

We also made a few dessert wontons. Growing up my mom would make these but I have no idea if they are her recipe. You mix together equal parts sugar, shredded coconut, and walnuts. Fill the wontons and fry like normal. They are to die for even if you aren't a coconut fan.

The Baked Samosas recipe was a very pleasant surprise. I was to lazy to make the traditional samosa dough and figured these samosas wrapped up in a tortilla would be good enough. They were much better then good enough.

Once the tortillas were brushed with oil and baked, they were perfectly crispy. The filling wasn't to bland but not overly spiced to where the kids didn't like it. I had the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Also shown is the Cashew Rice without the cashews, I only had raw not roasted. We all liked the rice, even Ramsey who is a rice snob.

So far, You Won't Believe It's Vegan has not let me down.

Sweet Tooth

I wanted to try out another batch of cookies and found a great excuse to make one of the recipes. On Thursdays we often do a little bit of science, and a lot of eating, with a friend of mine and her two girls. Both big kids are the same age and both little ones.

Bella decided that she wanted to know more about teeth. Denise and I got together some pictures, explanations and worksheets the night before. Today, while me and the kids were waiting for Bella and them to come over, I had a mini brilliant plan. Below are my efforts.
The kids were very impressed with the cookie tooth cake. Us adults thought the frosting might ruin the chocolate chip cookie for us but we were wrong. The frosting was awesome and we all loved it. Here is a picture of the unfrosted cookie cake.

An apricot foldover tease. These were way to easy to just keeping popping.

And some almond cookies.

I need a big glass of soy milk.

Foxy Poxy

Here's Foxy Poxy and her spotted brother. I wish I could show you her back but she won't let me take a picture. (My children are both some how 10 times more modest then I am. Go figure.) She has about 5 times as many pox on her back as he has on his whole body. In any case, both pox monsters are on the mend. We should be past our contagious stage tomorrow as everything has scabbed over. So, we are really looking forward to our weekend.

I have learned something of interest during a 2 am bath of Ramsey's. I bought the kids bath crayons to distract them during oatmeal baths. I was dead tired and just started writing random letters on the bath tub. Evidently Ramsey can read both uppercase and lowercase letters. Out of order, not just memorized. I had no idea she knew that. Then we were in the car yesterday and she points to a sign and tells Isaac it says zoo. She was right.

So, not only do I feel stupid for not knowing she could do this. A touch smug that my kid is smart. But validated that my laid back approach to homeschooling is working out all right.
And just to tease, here is a picture of a recent batch of tester cookies. They are thin and crispy peanut butter cookies and they are wonderful. I'm not a giant pb cookie fan but I loved these.

More cookies coming soon.

Atomic TuNo Salad

In our pre-gan days tuna sandwiches were about the only thing that Joe could make. Or at least make well. I was thinking about it the other day and had to veganize his recipe.
Joe's Atomic TuNo Salad

1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped (or more)
Veganaise to taste
balsamic vinaigrette (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mash you beans with a fork or potato masher. Add the remain vegetables and mix together. We end up using about a 1/2 a cup of Veganaise but it's personal preference. I also add a splash of balsamic vinaigrette because I like the tang. (In the pre-gan days we were Miracle Whip fans. I plain on testing vegan versions of Miracle Whip in the future)

We like our Atomic TuNo on toasted sourdough bread with lettuce and tomato. Try it out.

I actually have an excuse for my delay in posting this week. The kids have chicken pox. I'll try to get a good picture out of them tomorrow.

Compare and Contrast

This really isn't a fair test of comparing the old camera with the new. The pictures from the new camera are of the kids and the old camera are of the food. I had to find a way to squeeze in some pictures of my monsters some how.

Isaac is the proud recipient of my old camera. He is in love with it and I'm pretty sure he knows more about its functions then I ever did. His favorite thing to do is to set the timer and be in the picture of what ever it is. It's a lot of fun for me and Joe to go through and see what he's taken pictures of. It's neat to see what has caught his interest and at the some times odd perspective the picture is taken at.
We spent the morning down in Little Italy and Ramsey hammed a balloon out of the folks at a camera shop. I don't think it's possible for her to look any more like Joe.

Back to the old camera. Booo. The old cameras pictures are almost completely gone. The next three meals are all from The Candle Cafe Cookbook. These Tex-Mex Tostadas were my favorite of the three. The tortillas were baked until crispy and I found that much easier then frying. I loved not having to keep an eye on them. The salsa was good but not out of this world. The seitan and it's seasonings were great. There is also beans between the bottom two tortillas. I'll be making this again.

This recipe for Mini Potato Latkes makes an insane amount. There are still some hanging out in my freezer. I cooked these on my electric pancake pan but I know they would be much better cooked in a skillet with a bit more oil. Still they were pretty good. I'm not super good judge because I can't recall ever having had latkes before.

This sandwich is not much to look at. The bread is homemade and the title is Tuscan White Bean Pate Sandwiches with Arugula and Tomato. That's a mouth full and so was the sandwich. Obviously I used lettuce and not arugula, the store was out. In spite of that the sandwich was still very good. The bitterness of the arugula really would have rounded everything out. I'll try again.

I just checked my file and there is only one more old camera picture left. Next I'll have to get some cute new plates to show case my food on.

ExtraVeganZa

There was a slightly blustery day a few weeks ago that caused me and a few of my mom friends to wimp out of park day. Instead I had my friends and the children over to my house. That means that the kids play, the moms talk, and I stand in the kitchen baking way more treats then I should.

I had just received ExtraVeganZa so that was where we were working from. First up was Kahlua Chocolate Almond Cookies. I really wasn't expecting these to be as good as they were. The kids basically formed a line that just kept circling around until the cookies were gone. All of us moms loved them, too. This recipe would be in my top ten. The second treat was the Lemon Poppyseed Cake. The cake part was good but I can't give it a higher rating then that because it was hard to taste past the frosting. This frosting was BAD.

First off the frosting was sort of melty. So the texture wasn't what it should have been. Second was it was insanely salty. The recipe doesn't actually call for salt, so I'm blaming that on the rumor that Earth Balance was changed. Even after blaming the Earth Balance the sugar/margarine proportions just didn't seem right. It should have had twice as much powdered sugar or half as much margarine.

I'll try this cake again but with a changed or different frosting recipe. Other fun news is that I've been accepted as a cookie tester for an upcoming vegan cookie book. I'm very excited to be involved but mostly to try all the cookies.