Broke as a Joke and Sick as a Dog

It's that time of year again. We just moved into a new, bigger place so I am pretty excited that we actually have the space for a real tree and visible decorations. I am a sucker for those big bulb lights, call me old-fashioned.

I brought this up because at this time of year, as I am sure it happens to many others, I am conflicted with my finances. Luckily, we have a fun Christmas Eve planned. We are taking the kids to the snow, which other than stockings I don't feel that the kids need much else. However, I am nostalgic of the time when I was a kid and how great it felt to have at least 1 present to open.

I am torn because I have limited financial resources to pay my bills, buy enough raw food for myself on top of normal groceries, AND pay for Christmas. Eat healthy food or buy Christmas gifts for my kids? It's obvious that my kids are to come first so it's been difficult when buying raw groceries... I am pretty much buying the bare minimum; Food I know my kids will eat and food that I know I will eat outside of work salads.

I have been sick with the flu for over a week now so my raw food intake has decreased because I have been too tired from work to get groceries, besides being poor, etc. I used leftover veggies in the fridge and made a hot stew. Being sick in the cold really made it hard to want to do anything, so some warm stew really hit the spot. Potatoes, some squash, carrots, onions and garlic with vegetable broth and garlic tomato sauce. Raiding the pantry rules.

This is what our fruit bowl looked like the other day. Yeah, pathetic. That's why I took a picture of it, haha!

BUT, I did luck out, I stashed some strawberries in the freezer a few weeks ago so I scored big time and made a raw smoothie. I made some cheaters almond milk (1 TB raw almond butter to 1 cup water) for this smoothie and threw in some maca powder, and raw agave. Simple and cheap and Melody loved it.

I am on WIC and with my checks I can get a choice of dried peas, beans or lentils. I had a package of lentils in the cupboard so I decided to try one of the raw salad recipes I found in a book. I didn't have all the ingredients and at the top of my head I can't remember what they were but what I did have I created this simple salad that doesn't cost a fortune.

Lentils soaked in water for a few hours, drain and put in large bowl

Chop up as much cucumber as you like

Chop up as much tomato as you like

Chop up as much onion as you like

Splash of raw apple cider vinegar

Splash of lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

A couple tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil (This recipe calls for both olive oil and Udo's Choice oil, which I have both but it is still good with just olive oil so don't worry about the expensive Udo's)

Mix all together and let sit in fridge for a few hours so that lentils can soak up onion flavor.

I really like this salad because it is filling and savory so I don't leave the table feeling unfulfilled. I also like this because I get the lentils for free and everything else I can buy or get at my work for cheap (Tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, olive oil...).

Now to the best part of my post. My last entry I talked about the raw vegan sushi that I wanted to try and I did it! One of the dishes that made me feel very proud and it wasn't that hard. I was a little timid when trying to roll the sushi when I don't own any sushi tools, but it came out just fine. I actually made this 3 more times. This is a recipe that I will keep because like the lentil salad, the ingredients are pretty much the same. One bag of Nori has enough sheets to last me 2 weeks. Other than cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes (which I can get at work), the only thing else I have to buy are sprouts. Again, cheap simple yummy.

I hope everyone has a great holiday.

To conclude this post here is a recipe for a raw dessert I found and being that it is the Christmas season I have been prone to looking up a lot of raw sweets. So you might be seeing some more sweet posts.

Carrot Fairy Cakes with Lemon Frosting. Bee's Knees Kitchen

Carrot Fairy Cakes:

1 1/2 c Carrot Pulp, from juiced carrots 1/2 c Almond Meal 1/3 c Coconut Flour 1/3 c Walnuts, chopped 1/3 c Raisins, chopped 1 tsp Lemons Zest 1 tsp White Stevia Powder 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or 1/2 Cinnamon + 1/2 Nutmeg 2 pinches Vanilla powder Add all the ingredients in a bowl and massage together to blend. Shape into 1-2 tbsp size balls and lightly press into the fairy cake molds. Set in the fridge until ready to frost.

Lemon Frosting:

1/4 c Cashews 1/3 c Lemon Juice 2 1/2 tbsp Coconut Oil, melted 1 tbls Agave Nectar 1/2 tsp White Stevia In a personal blender, process the cashews into a flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a few seconds. The frosting should have the consistency of yogurt. Using a teaspoon, spoon the frosting over the top of each fairy cake and smooth over the sides with the spoon. Place in the fridge until ready to eat.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen fairy cakes

I want to make this when I get more money, and also tackle a raw raspberry cheesecake!

Goodnight everyone!

It's Good to be Back and Budget my Money

I miss my food stamps. Yes, food stamps. When I first started this journey I was on food stamps and that freedom was so inspiring whenever going to the grocery stores or farmers markets. Bad news is that after starting my new job I make over their income limit, so my food stamps were discontinued. I gave up the idea of eating healthy because it is really expensive and I thought "How can I afford this?" But after reviewing my spending on eating out, I realized I need to reverse those eating out costs to buying good groceries instead. It has been difficult! Eating out is one of my most favorite past times.To teach myself and discipline myself into not going out to eat every other night is like constantly smacking my brain with a ruler.

I am also trying to focus on what I know I will eat. I can't go spending-happy in Whole Foods as if I could try a multitude of things at once... I need to plan ahead and pick my battles.

Here is what my latest grocery store trip looked like:

- I know that raw vegan "meat" can go a long way and I can use it for a variety of different things. Therefore, I bought walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes.

-I know I eat a lot of salad and a few other greens - bam there you go

-Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a must for many raw dressings. I needed a refill.

-Basil and pine nuts to make my most favorite pesto dish... Which brings me to

-Zucchini. Raw pasta galore

-Tomatoes for sandwiches, salads, sauces, and salsa

-Avocados for sandwiches, salads, sauces, and salsa

-Sprouted bread and tortillas for my daily wraps and sandwiches. They make quick and easy lunches for work!

-Raw cheese (When I get in that mode that I want something comforting, yet it still has it's enzymes)

-Bananas and strawberries. Smoothies and sorbets for my morning and pestering late night sweet tooth.

-Apples because I love to eat them with my kids. They are something we share very well.

-Oats. I eat them pretty much every day for breakfast.

-Raw Agave nectar. I need sweet sometimes, okay.

-Sprouts. A MUST for almost all my lunch dishes.

-Cucumbers. Probably one of the most versatile veggies in my kitchen. My kids love them like crackers so their are excellent snack material. They are also excellent in salads, they can be cut up for sandwiches... The list goes on. Cucumbers are the kingcumbers.

-Carrots. For my carrot oat bites, my salads and also for my miso soup

-Unpasteurized Miso and

-Mushrooms for miso soup and

-Un-toasted Nori for miso soup because miso soup really helps me out on these cold days when all I want is something warm*.

*the miso soup I make is not cooked but it is warm. To

make: Miso paste by the tablespoon to taste, nori and mushrooms with hot water over it to mix. Done and tasty:

--->

-Raw cashews for my cashew cheezy weezy.

-SEA SALT

-and raw ALMONDS!! Because I use almond milk every single day and I can't live without it.

I love it. And, I am trying to make this work. I will also when I can, be buying things I need to make certain special projects... But I will be smart about it and I will update when these projects happen.

Like this one! This is my next project which I already have all the ingredients for so I will probably make it for lunch tomorrow morning before I head out for work. xoxo

...

Raw vegan "Sushi"

Ingredients:

• 
  
  
  1 raw, untoasted nori sheet
• 1/2 avocado
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh dill
• 1/4-1/2 raw zucchini
• 1 handful of sprouts (alfalfa, sunflower, etc…)
• 1 small tomato
• 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes

Directions:

Cut the avocado and tomato into slices. Cut the zucchini into long strands using a knife or julienne slicer.

Next, roll out the nori sheet on a sushi mat or a flat surface. Lightly spray the nori sheet with water to soften it and make it sticky. Lay down a thin layer of alfalfa sprouts covering the top 3/4 of the nori sheet, leaving about 2 inches uncovered. Then add the sliced tomato, zucchini and fresh dill. Add the avocado slices last. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of dulse flakes over the avocado for a salty, seafood flavor rich in minerals.

Gently roll the nori sheet, pressing it together with your fingers. Lightly spray the bottom 2 inches of the nori with water to make it sticky and finish rolling it. Give the entire roll a gentle squeeze to ensure the nori has stuck to itself all the way around. Try to keep the roll nice and tight as you roll it.

Let the roll set for a moment. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the nori roll into one-inch sections. Now it’s time to enjoy this delicious, raw taste of the sea!

Now here is your moment of Zen. Myrawkitchen :]

Hiatus

Three Kids and Fridge Full of Veggies,

It has been about 4 months? It's been a while... As with many drastic lifestyle changes, I had hit a wall. I gave up, I lost my motivation, I lost the raw food luster. Yet, here I am. Why? Something must have been knocking on my back door: Feeling overweight, tired, unhappy, and most of all guilty/ashamed of the food I was putting into my body. It wasn't the path that I had set out on, I had lost my way and I felt it was because I wasn't strong enough. Yet, here I am because something in my mind has been telling me that maybe I AM strong enough, maybe this is something that I CAN'T give up on.

I know what kind of foods make me feel good and I know what foods make me feel crappy - That's all it is to it. I am myself and nobody else, and I can be myself. Mommy of three, kick ass waitress, rock and roll girl, a drinker, a lover, emotional and still on my own road to growing up: MY OWN WAY.

After coming home today and putting away some groceries from Whole Foods, I realized that this second time around is a whole new view of myself. I think that before I was trying too hard to be somebody I wasn't. Trying too hard to be this "mold" of a "Vegan" or a "Raw foodist" when in reality I just want to make better eating habits.

I am not going to kick myself for screwing up, but just go day by day and try the best I can to be me and make better food decisions to better my health. Be a good mommy and to try to not be perfect. just me:)

2 Weeks of Photos: Work and Home Delights!

One of my last entries, I talked about the learning process of going vegan and raw while integrating that learning process into every day simple tasks. Tasks such as making a healthy lunch to eat at work to resist the temptations of unhealthy food like french fries!!

So the day after I made that post, this was my lunch. Sprouted grain tortillas slightly toasted, with homemade raw vegan pesto, tomatoes, mushrooms, sprouts, and some raw sun-dried botija olives. When I ate them at work I was so happy with myself and I wished I had brought enough for everyone! There was also some leftover pasta alla marinara that I ate.

They were so delicious that I made them again a few days later... But for dinner:

Orange juice beer??

That same night I wanted a citrusy kind of ale but only managed to get some Blue Moon (Not so tasty from a bottle, I recommend getting it draft only!!) I am a huge fan of any beer that can be paired with citrus such as orange, lemon and lime. So, I cut up some grapefruit, blood orange, regular orange, and lemon, put it in a glass and poured some Blue Moon. The fruit was tasty but like I said, draft is better. I thought I would share it anyway. Beer and fruit is the best!!

Spicy Bean Soup. A perfect match for a pepperjack Daiya grilled cheeze

The next day I was craving a spicy bean soup so inspired by the canned mediterranean soup that I buy from Whole Foods, I made my own! Black beans boiled with onions, garlic, Better than Bouillon vegetable base, El Pato Jalapeno tomato sauce, tomato sauce, chipotle to taste, salt and pepper to taste, red bell peppers, carrots, corn, a little bit of frozen veggies for color (I didn't have extra corn or green beans), and mushrooms! I was shocked how well I made it. There was a lot of flavor. A bit of a spicy kick and a little smokiness. I took some leftovers to my future mother-in-law.

For breakfast

I used another recipe from my Carol Alt book Eating in the Raw, under breakfast cereals. David Wolfe's Basic Breakfast Granola . It was okay. Not amazing but edible. I probably won't be making this again but it was a tasty morning treat before heading off to work.

Recipe:

2 cups raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours and drained

1/2 cup raisins

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Raw honey to taste

1 tablespoon distilled water (optional)

Place the softened almonds, raisins, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a blender, and chop until crumbly. Add honey and a drizzle of distilled water.

I topped it off with "Juliano's Whipped Cream". Juliano, Raw: The Uncook Book.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups raw germinated walnuts, cashews, or nuts of your choice. (I used cashews)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons dates, chopped

a few drops of almond extract (optional)

In a blender, combine the nuts, orange juice, dates, and, if you wish, a few drops of almond extract. Blend, and using a rubber scraper, scrape the sides to help the cream blend. Stop and check for sweetness and consistency; add more chopped dates if the cream needs sweetness; add more water if the cream is still too stiff. Continue blending until fluffy and smooth. Use immediately.

That same day I made a cashew cheeze!

Vegan Cashew Cheese

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cashews (raw is best, roasted is still great, and try flavored cashews too)

1/2 cup water (or slightly more)

1/4 cup red bell pepper (raw or roasted)

1/4 small red onion (if you're cooking for a date, or more otherwise!)

1/4 cup yeast flakes

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (on the health food isle everywhere, or use lite soy sauce)

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sea salt (optional) if the cashews are unsalted

Put everything in a food processor and blend it until it's creamy. If it's too thick, add more water. If it's too watery, add more cashews. It should have a Cream of Wheat-like consistency, or just a bit thicker.

So for lunch...

So my lunch was made from my raw "meat": walnuts, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and spices (Cayenne, salt and pepper..) A pretty good combo so I put them on a sandwich with sprouted grain bread, topped with tomatoes and sprouts. I really enjoyed my lunch that day!! On the side some leftover sauteed asparagus.

Now on to my reuben craze!!!

Here is a photo of what I needed for a vegan reuben sandwich. Sprouted rye bread toasted with Earth Balance vegan butter, smokey tempeh "fakin bacon", sauerkraut, I can't use swiss so I just used some vegan american cheese. Then I made my own 1000 island with vegenaise, ketchup and sweet relish.

It was FANTASTIC! AND it cured my reuben craving!! Will be making this again tomorrow, yup.

Satisfied,

Wendy

So at my work, we serve a Reuben sandwich and even though I haven't eaten the ingredients (corned beef, swiss cheese, 1000 island...) for over a month... The sandwich calls out to me. My wonderful experience with sauerkraut on Memorial Day has led me to want this sandwich even more. After researching some recipes online for vegan versions, I am going to attempt to make my own.

It probably won't be too much like the actual sandwich, so I'm going to just make A sandwich instead of a "Reuben" sandwich... All I really want is the sauerkraut anyway....

wish me luck!

Wendy

Circle of Life

A few minutes ago as I was folding up the "100% recycled material" paper bag from whole foods, I realized that my decision to be vegan has not just been recent, it's been my whole life.

I grew up always very sensitive to things around me. I cared a lot about the needs and feelings of others and usually had high expectations of myself to do things above-average. It is my belief that my decision to be vegan, to live animal-friendly and help the environment, was actually not a decision at all, but a realization of how I have always been.

Here are some things that stand out to me when I look back at my childhood:

-The Land Before Time. Yes it is about dinosaurs, but they were still animals. Even though I cried and cried when Little Foot's Mom died, it was still one of my favorite movies ever. Though my tears for the mother's death were in some part due to my broken home, I think a lot of it had to do with my empathy for animals.

-Bambi and Dumbo, Disney movies. Once again, animal death and sad feelings. These two movies as I recall were really hard for me to watch even as a very young child. I would cry so hard when Bambi's mother died, and forget about Dumbo. I remember when I was a child, I would get so mad at those people that tied up Dumbo's mom, all because she was trying to protect her baby. Those stupid kids teased Dumbo and she got upset, so the circus chained her up as a "Mad Elephant", UGH! I used to turn the movie off and storm out. I really didn't like those feelings that I had when watching those scenes. I was too young to understand but I do now, and I still feel the ache in my heart when I remember those moments.

-Another movie, Never Ending Story. The part when Artax dies in the Swamp of Sadness. I really didn't feel as much emotion with any other character in the movie except for Artax in that scene. And when I was a child, I didn't understand why he wouldn't move to save his life. Why Artax?? But he didn't move, he died... And I felt that sadness!

-FernGully. Save the rainforest. Plant seeds. Respect animals.

-Milo and Otis. They have to find their home!

-Lion King (Circle of life, death of Simba's dad).

-The Lorax. A powerful book!!

-When my mom brought home live lobsters to boil for dinner. I begged her to let me free them into the lagoon that we lived right next to at the time... (I was very young). I cried when she boiled them. Would YOU like to be boiled alive??

-One of my first pets was a turtle named Samantha, and a guinea pig named Laura Ingalls Wilder (Yes, at 9 years old I named my pet after a famous author)

-I really hated milk as a child but only for its taste. Then after I had children, I learned that dairy cows are constantly impregnated to keep their milk supply going. To make it worse their babies are taken away for veal or livestock. It kills me to think of how it must feel to be impregnated against your will and then the baby be taken away. So it has not been hard AT ALL to give milk up.

-Any kind of scene in a movie where an animal gets hurt or killed... Even movies where aliens get hurt such as E.T. and Mac and Me. Sadness!!

All of these moments (That I can think of at the top of my head) had big impacts on how I feel about animal cruelty and environmentalism.

More to come another day. I can't stay on the computer too long,

Wendy

How to Handle This

I feel like it has been forever since I updated. I have lots of great photos to share! I started my new job and it has been kind of a big change for me, schedule wise. I am used to working late nights and now I work early mornings. The first week I barely got up in time to get my oldest ready for school and my others fed and dressed all while getting myself ready for a 6-8 hour shift. This means me scarfing down a bowl of raw cereal. Yep, that's right, and NOT making myself a lunch for work. I work at a restaurant that is pretty popular, and it has a large menu, but among the 11 pages of food choices, there is only about 2-3 things I can eat, and only if I alter it such as removing cheeses or meats. Therefore, I don't eat lunch. What does this all mean? It means that I come home from work starving and very tired. My energy level at this point is pretty low and any motivation to whip up something raw and tasty, is pretty much non-existent.

Me being a slow learner sometimes when it comes to being responsible, I have set my alarm for a half an hour to an hour earlier so that I may have some time to get myself ready, my food, and my kids, all without rushing through the door 5 minutes before I have to be at work. This really is a learning experience people. I really am learning how to change my lifestyle A LOT. Eating raw and vegan takes some preparation and I think once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. It's the same with when you were a kid. Learning how to tie your shoes, brush your teeth, get dressed, etc. It becomes easier. So I am trying to be patient and always keep my mind and eyes open for new ways to make better choices.

Here's to getting to bed extra early!! *Rolls eyes*

Cheers

This what has been getting me by at work. I feel full for a good 5 hours. I got the idea for this from my Carol Alt book. The reason why I didn't do this recipe exactly is because it says I need to chop it up in my food processor first at 8 in the morning, it's just too early. I really need to blend this the night before and have it on hand.

What I made: Oats, germinated almonds, germinated walnuts, raisins, strawberries, bananas, cinnamon, raw agave, raw almond milk. The book includes lemon juice and less milk to make a kind of granola.

Before I mixed it up by hand:

One of the best snacks I have discovered on this raw food journey. I highly recommend it for those who are switching to a more raw food diet and are having trouble with resisting sweets and bread. I used manna bread. Manna bread uses all sprouted grains, seeds, nuts, fruits and berries. Very moist, a lot like cake. Delicious and great with pairings.

I discovered this sweet blend of ingredients. Multigrain Manna bread, raw almond butter, banana slices, and raw honey drizzled on top. I seriously. Can't. Believe. How. Freaking. .... Delicious. In fact, today I had another helping of it. This is my newest "guilty" pleasure. Please, try it.

Then my Mom arrived for another weekend visit! I always love her visits, we have a lot of fun and the kiddos love seeing their "Puma" (Grandma).

After picking up the boys from school, I was really craving a fiesta-like meal. I got these sprouted grain tortillas so I made some homemade raw guacamole. So simple.

Avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime. Bam. You're done. I threw some sprouts on there for a little extra texture. I will be making this again except I will also throw on some raw taco "meat" (Refer to Raw Burger entry).

Not the greatest picture yeah but at least I got a picture before scarfing it down.

Still somewhat hungry and wanting something slightly warm, I dove into this recipe thanks again to my Carol Alt book Eating in the Raw. I really need a new recipe book. Next paycheck thanks!

1 cup boiling water poured over some unpasteurized miso and Braggs Liquid Aminos to make a semi-warm broth. I did not have any seaweed so I improvised by tossing in some raw kale. I also included some raw mushrooms and carrots.

For those who don't know, miso is apparently a good source of B12 for vegans, FYI!

And, the Braggs liquid aminos is a good source of the amino acids that are the building blocks for our bodies. It brings a lot of flavor to salads and I think makes a very tasty broth. It's live too, not cooked.

Saturday, we went to one of my favorite farmers markets!

I got a Falafel sandwich with hot sauce sans tzatziki sauce. IT WAS SO GOOD I ATE THIS WHOLE SANDWICH!!!

I got some oranges at the farmers market, the boys made fresh squeezed OJ. Nothing beats fresh squeezed juice!!

I tackled the "Pasta Alla Marina" recipe (Yet again, Carol Alt book)... It was the most meticulous recipe I have attempted thus far.

This was the before photo. Everything I needed.

It required like 5 different fresh herbs all which needs to be stripped off the stem and chopped. This alone took me a good 20 minutes to half an hour because I am a rookie. Please do not let me scare you away because of my inexperience, because it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. My mom calls it the "Italian salsa" because it really did look like salsa with a complete italian flare. I doused some yellow squash strips with this sauce I loved it. I mean, I really, really, loved it. The recipe makes a huge batch so I have lots of leftovers. I enjoyed it more than plain spaghetti. I feel great after I eat it.

The recipe:

5 lbs yellow summer squash

marina sauce:

6 large tomatoes

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch fresh basil

1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup cold-pressed olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 dates, pitted

1 tablespoon evaporated sea salt

topping:

1/4 cup olives, chopped

1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup red bell peppers, chopped

1/4 red onions, chopped

Carol Alt referenced this recipe to one of her fav restaurants in NY, Quintessence.

This entry took forever. I need to get up early tomorrow. My next post I will share my adventures in... Eggplant

lovewendy

Marinated Kale

Been super into kale lately and I doubt that it will ever really stop. It's so good for you and I love the taste. I eat it every day in smoothies, salads, sandwiches, and wraps.

I found this recipe while browsing. I just need some flax oil and hemp seeds.

Marinated Kale Salad

Marinade:

• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1 lemon, juice from (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (you can substitute your favorite sweetener)
• pinch Himalayan salt
• pinch pepper
• 1/4 cup flax seed oil

1.Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, agave, salt and pepper.

2. Slowly pour oil into the mixture while still whisking. Set aside.

Salad:

• 1 bunch kale (I used dinosaur kale for this recipe. see: dinosaur kale)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1/4 head purple cabbage, chopped
• 1/4 purple onion, diced
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds

1. Remove stems from kale leaves and tear into bite sized pieces.

2. Combine kale with marinade. Massage for a few minutes to well coat, set aside.

3. Prepare tomato, avocado, cabbage and onion.

4. Stir into kale mixture and mix well.

5. Top with 1/4 cup hemp seeds and mix in.

Raw Burger

One of my favorite places to eat here in San Diego is Evolution Fast Food. It's a fast food drive thru alternative that offers all vegan food and smoothies with some raw options. I absolutely love their "raw burger". It's wrapped in cabbage and the "meat" patty is this like... nut mixture... and there is this raw "cheese", topped with onions, sprouts and tomatoes. UGH! SO GOOD.

I really wanted one today but I didn't have all the ingredients. So what? I made it anyway... I have cabbage and some nuts, with a little research online, I managed it.

"Meat":

Walnuts

Sundried tomatoes rehydrated

Cayenne

Chili powder

Sea Salt

"Cheese":

Germinated Cashews

Garlic 1/2 clove

Cayenne pepper

Sea Salt

Unpasteurized miso

Water

The "meat" and the "cheese" mix separately in a food processor.

Wrap it in cabbage. sweet and tanginess of the sundried tomatoes flavored nice with the miso flavored "cheese". This batch made enough for about 4 "burgers" and I don't have any tomatoes or sprouts but I did have some avocado. It turned out just fine. Can't wait to get paid!

Love

Wendy

Getting to 50% Raw; A Long Way to Go

My new favorite breakfast: uncooked oats with raw almond milk, strawberries, bananas, and a drizzle of raw agave. I think I like uncooked oats better.

My new love: Radishes. I have been eating them every day for the last week.

I got a recipe from a movie I watched (I'll talk more later about the movies I have been watching lately, as they are food related). This is called "orange pudding" though all that is in it are sweet potatoes, brown rice, and vanilla almond milk (But you can use other dairy-free milks). Deelish. I don't remember the exact recipe so I just used 1 sweet potato and about 1 cup brown rice, with enough almond milk to get the consistency I wanted.

Today I was feeling kinda down in the dumps and was really craving a hearty, feel-good kinda meal. I made a nice grilled cheese sandwich on rye bread, with earth balance vegan butter and pepperjack daiya cheese. For the soup I used a canned organic "Mediterranean veggie soup. You gotta love the grilled cheese dipped in soup. Brings back that little girl eatin her "girl cheese". ahhh le sigh

I am trying to up my raw intake but I have been about 90% vegan for the last 3 weeks. The only time I have had any dairy was some raw cheese I bought from whole foods.

i am tired.night.

Post 3-Day Weekend Vegan Cupcakes

On Tuesday, after Memorial Day, we made some vegan cupcakes. I just got the Arrowhead Mills brand organic "Bake With Me" cupcake mix. Substituted Ener-G Egg Replacer, and vanilla almond milk for eggs and cow's milk. Good to go!

So easy

My mom making the icing. Tofutti cream cheese (1 container) and about 1 stick of Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks, with as much powdered sugar as you want.

I didn't have any berries to make the icing a different color, so I just dropped some green food dye in it. Not the best I know, but... I am learning.

Here is Joaquin getting a taste of it while icing the cupcakes

Johnny gets a turn now

A little sprinkle of coconut and voila! I ate THREE of them!! The boys got to take some to their pops house. I hope they enjoy them like I have!

Feeling more confident in making vegan sweets

Love

Wendy

Memorial Day

What a day! I had one of the best home BBQ's ever and I made it vegan friendly for myself and my Mom. It was my first attempt at a vegan BBQ and it was so successful that I feel like the world is wide open for me to dance and spin around in! So cheesy huh?

This morning I fixed the boys kitchen to toddler size because Miss Melody is getting old enough now to play with it. Doesn't she look so cute? She sauteed some play lettuce

Then the boys got hungry! BBQ TIME!

I stuck with my menu and made some vegan lentil burgers. Awhile ago I had bought some "Better Than Bouillon" no beef base vegetable stock and on the back gave me a recipe for vegan lentil burgers, how cool is that? The recipe was so simple that I decided to make it because I had all the ingredients. I really like the better than bouillon because it doesn't have any MSG in it. I can't believe that the other stuff like the bouillon cubes, all of those have MSG in it. Gross. If anything can give me headaches, it's definitely MSG.

Here is the recipe:

Cook the lentils as instructed (No soaking necessary, boil about 10-15 minutes)

Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup chopped carrots in about 1 TB olive oil

Then in a food processor or blender, combine 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I just used some sourdough), the onions and carrots, 1/4 cup water, 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils, and 2 TB's of the Vegetable Better Than Bouillon base. Blend. Form them into patties and either pan fry them or bake them. I pan fried them, tee hee.

The patties. They tasted so rich, kinda salty but worth the recipe. I wrapped one in some romaine and topped with some veganaise. I ate like 1 1/2!

Here is a set up of the grill. I got carrots, eggplant, asparagus, pineapple, marinated portobello, and some Tofurkey Beer Brat Sausages!! I was really impressed with the sausages. There was a lot of flavor and the texture was very enjoyable.

When I saw them in the store, I immediately thought of some... Sauerkraut!!! I found some raw sauerkraut at the store by Rejuvenative Foods.

I put the sausage and sauerkraut in a sprouted hot dog bun, and topped it with some grilled bell peppers and onions. SO GOOD! I can't wait to eat more tomorrow!

Here is a photo of the grill. I got my pineapple on there, the boys really enjoyed them. By this time, I was so full that I only managed to eat one carrot stick and half of an eggplant slice. Good thing for leftovers!!! Lunch all week.

The boys insisted on being Ninja Turtles

And Miggs drew their bodies.

All in all it was a wonderful day.

Time to get back to reality!