Monday, January 31, 2011

Kids in the Kitchen - Maple Pecan Cookies

Today I baked cookies. The cookbook was Vegan with a Vengeance in the cookie section. They're called Maple Walnut Cookies. We had most of the ingredients, and we only had two to buy - maple syrup and walnuts. And we also got a little extra pure vanilla extract.

Well this time I did it with no help, and my sister even tried to give it over 2000 sprouts. You mix all the ingredients together and then you put them on a cookie sheet with a tablespoon. Put them two inches away from each other and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

They were really good, and everybody loved them!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Gravy Bowl

Tonight's dinner was the Gravy Bowl from Appetite for Reduction. I'd made this once before, and it was a huge hit so I decided to get it back in the rotation.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the section on how to make a bowl - for each bowl, she specifies a grain, a veggie, a bean/tofu and a sauce from recipes included elsewhere in the book. The similar section on wraps is great as well.

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 3 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 3.5 sprouts

Newman's Own Salsa $1.50 Per Jar (or Less!)

Newman's Own salsa is also on sale at Publix for 2/$4 through February 11th. Combine this with a $0.50/1 coupon printed from their website, and you'll get some pretty inexpensive natural salsa at $1.50 per jar. Of course, if you stock up and combine it with a Save-a-Lot coupon, you can get it for even less.

$1.00 Rice Milk at Publix

The Sprouts and I just returned from an unusual Monday grocery shopping in which we hit two natural markets plus Publix. It seems like deals on natural and organic products are few and far between lately, so I was excited to find a deal on Rice Dream. Although we usually use almond milk, this deal is good enough to sway me for a few weeks.

Rice Dream refrigerated half gallons are on sale 2 for $5 until February 11th. At $2.50/each, you can buy 10 for $25, then print and use the following coupons:

- 5 of the $1/2 Rice Dream products from Whole Foods (competitor Q)
- 10 of the $0.50/1 Rice Dream products from Earth Fare (MFR Q)

This brings the price down to $15 for 10 cartons (they keep well), or $1.50 each. If your store accepts Save-a-Lot as a competitor (as mine does), you can also sign up for their Smart Shopper Club and use the $5/$25 coupon as well, bringing the cost down to $1/carton.

On a side note, Almond Breeze and Silk Almond Milk are also on sale 2/$5 at Publix this week.

Last Call for January Giveaway Entries

Today is the last day to enter our giveaway for January! This month's winner will have their choice of any of the following six books.

Disease-Proof Your Child












Eat to LiveEat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss












Skinny Bitch in the Kitch











Vegan with a Vengeance











Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











And . . . wait for it . . .

Appetite for Reduction!!!











Here's how to enter:

1. Sign up to follow Growing Healthy Sprouts . . . must be a blog follower to win.

2. Tell us what you think . . . earn one entry for every comment on the blog!

3. Tell a friend . . . every time a friend mentions your name in a comment, you both get an extra entry.

4. Like us on Facebook . . . we just like to feel the love.

Oprah and 378 Staffers Go Vegan for a Week

Oprah Winfrey and 378 of her staff members will be going vegan for a week in preparation for a show that will air on February 1st. The show will feature Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemna, and Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness. Lisa Ling will also be sharing her investigation of a meat-packing plant, of which Oprah says "whether you eat meat or not, you need to see it".

Click here to see the promotional video for the upcoming show.

Meal Plan Monday - Week of January 31st

I'm back from my mini-vacation and ready to get cooking . . . well, "ready" may be a stretch since I haven't grocery shopped yet.

Having spent a long weekend in St. Pete with my mom, I discovered another wonderful benefit of eating a plant-based diet - not being tempted by the dozens of goodies in bakeries and desserts at restaurants. Not eating dairy or eggs makes it so much easier to pass these by . . . whereas before I probably would have just given it up to being on vacation.

Moving on to our week, I think I can scrounge up some oatmeal for breakfast before we do school for the morning. If we can wrap up on time, I'm planning to take the kiddos out to lunch, then grocery shop on the way home.

Here's what will be cooking in our kitchen this week:

Advance Preparation
Make veggie tray (Jim) - Monday
Make maple pecan butter (thanks Celeste!) - Monday
Make balsamic dressing - Monday
Cook chickpeas and black beans - Tuesday
Make bagels - Tuesday
Make cashew cheese log - Tuesday 

Monday 
Breakfast: Oatmeal; fruit
Lunch: Out
Dinner: Gravy Bowl (chickpeas, brown rice, kale & chickpea gravy); salad

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green smoothie, whole wheat toast with pecan butter & banana
Lunch: Gravy Bowl leftovers with a salad
Dinner: Roasted asparagus, creamed corn, spinach salad with strawberries & walnuts

Wednesday
Breakfast: Green smoothie; fruit
Lunch: Southwest veggie wrap (will share recipe)
Dinner: Alphabet soup (will share recipe) & salad

Thursday
Breakfast: Bagels with "cashew cream cheese"
Lunch: Leftover soup & salad
Dinner: Gold Rush Chili, cornbread, broccoli  

Friday 
Breakfast: Green smoothie; apple with pecan butter
Lunch: Chickpea salad with broccoli & vegan feta (finally making this - will share if it turns out well!)
Dinner: Taco salad (using leftover chili) 

Saturday 
Breakfast: Bagel with "cashew cream cheese"; fruit 
Lunch: Out 
Dinner: Green Goddess Pasta; salad 

Sunday
Breakfast: Zucchini nut pancakes (will share recipe)
Lunch: Leftover pasta
Dinner: BLT's (made with Eggplant Bacon)

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Only 2 More Days to Enter our January Giveaway!!!

Only two days left to enter the first in a series of six giveaways. Our January winner will have their pick of any of the following six books.

Disease-Proof Your Child












Eat to LiveEat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss











Skinny Bitch in the Kitch











Vegan with a Vengeance











Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











And . . . wait for it . . .

Appetite for Reduction!!!











Here's how to enter:

1. Sign up to follow Growing Healthy Sprouts . . . must be a blog follower to win.

2. Tell us what you think . . . earn one entry for every comment on the blog!

3. Tell a friend . . . every time a friend mentions your name in a comment, you both get an extra entry.

4. Like us on Facebook . . . we just like to feel the love.

Contact Us

We'd love to hear from you! Please e-mail any questions or inquiries to growinghealthysprouts at gmail.com.

Sweet on Sunday - Banana Split Sundaes

As I've mentioned, my kids certainly aren't kale-loving creatures by nature. We foster good habits through a healthy plant-based diet, but they definitely love treats from time to time (or as often as I'll allow). Fortunately, I've found many healthier ways to indulge their sweet tooth - although you'll probably get plenty of traditional treats in here as well.

It may not look it, but this is the healthier version of last week's Banana Splits - yes, really. The only sugar is in the chocolate sauce, and the kids loved these just as much. We had company that evening, so this recipe serves a lot. I'd half it if you're just serving one family.

Banana Split Sundaes

Ingredients
8 bananas (roughly chopped and frozen)
1 1/2 cups banana (sliced and fresh)
1 1/2 cups strawberries
5 oz. vegan chocolate (I used semi-sweet baking chocolate)
2 tablespoons almond milk (more if you don't have a high-speed blender)
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Preparation

1. First, prepare the "ice cream" by blending the frozen bananas. If you have a Vita-mix or other high-speed blender, you can use just bananas and push them into the blades with the tamper. In a regular blender, add just enough almond milk to turn the blades.

Note: The ice cream will come have a soft-serve consistently. If you like a firmer ice cream, make it ahead of time and freeze until it becomes more solid.

2. Next, prepare the chocolate sauce. Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of almond milk in a saucepan, stirring frequently. This will make a smooth sauce that will stay soft when served. If you prefer the chocolate to solidify once you put it on the ice cream (Magic Shell style), omit the almond milk and use just the melted chocolate.

3. Put it all together! Split the ice cream between 8 bowls, then top each one evenly with bananas, strawberries, chocolate sauce and peanuts.

Sprout Ratings


Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - Out for a boy's night and didn't get to try it

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Track Shack Introduces Jr. Training Programs!

So right after Big Sprout and I talked about getting the DuathLONG club back in action, I received an e-mail from Betsy at the Track Shack to let me know about their new Jr. Track Shack Fitness Training Program.

As a veteran of Track Shack's marathon programs, I can tell you what a fantastic job they do with their training groups. In fact, I can't imagine having ever run a marathon (much less 11) without the support of a group and the advice of their coaches. Although the marathon training program was the only one they had back when I started, they now have a wide range of programs to suit any fitness goal.

The WRAP program is designed to help beginners improve their fitness through walking or running, while Five & Dime helps runners improve their 5K and 10K times. For the long-distance runner, Marathonfest and Galloway programs can help you meet your marathon or half-marathon goals.

The Jr. Track Shack Fitness Program, new for Winter 2011, is an 8-week training session designed for kids ages 8-12 that is designed to introduce kids to running in a fun and engaging way to instill healthy habits for a lifetime. The group will meet two evenings a week to train for the Smile Mile and the 2-miler at the Winter Park Road Race. The cost of the program is $80, which includes 8 weeks of training plus entry fees to both events.

If you're in the Orlando area and have kids in this age range, you can visit Track Shack's website for more information. Be sure to tell them that Growing Healthy Sprouts sent you, and I'd love to hear about your experience!

Stay Active Saturday - The DuathLONG Club is Back!

Nutrition is just one aspect of good health; keeping kids active is essential, too. On Saturdays, we'll be sharing some of the Sprouts' favorite activities and keeping you posted on activities for kids in the Orlando area. 
 Last year, Big Sprout told me that he wanted to start a club. I thought he was talking about the kind with a secret knock and a "No Grown-ups Allowed" sign on the door . . . but it turns out that he wanted to start a triathlon training club to teach all his friends how to do a triathlon. It sounded fun to me, so that's what we did.

Unfortunately, kids triathlons are in short supply, so we settled on a kids duathlon instead, for which he chose the name DuathLONG ("Long" is our last name). The kids trained for the run-bike-run event for two months and on race day, all seven of them completed the race, including Little Sprout who was three years old at the time! 

Two months later, Big Sprout and a friend completed their first triathlon together, and he went on to complete two more triathlons later in the year. The last triathlon of the season was open to ages four and up, so Little Sprout was thrilled to get to make her triathlon debut.

We've been missing the club lately, so since we can't find any local multi-sport races, I suggested to Big Sprout that we pick out some running events. He decided on the Smile Mile, a one-mile race just for kids, and the 2-miler at the Winter Park Road Race for moms and kids to complete together. If you're in the Orlando area and would like to join us, we'd love to have you run with us!

 

Friday, January 28, 2011

Fun Food Friday - Cashew Cheese Log

When people hear that we eat a plant-based diet, I almost always hear the same thing . . . "Wow, I could never give up cheese." Very few people talk about how they'd miss meat, milk or eggs. It's always the cheese. Or maybe it just seems that way because that's what I said for so long.

In fact, cheese was the last animal food we completely eliminated from our diet. Up until last year, we were completely vegan at home but would still have a little cheese from time to time if we were eating out. But now that we're completely cheese-free, I can honestly say that I don't miss it at all. Having it sporadically over the past few years, I got to see the affect it had on my body that I never noticed when I ate it all the time. And trust me, I don't miss the gastrointestinal distress one bit!

That said, the Sprouts do get super excited about vegan cheese or anything that remotely resembled cheese. And we all get super excited whenever I make the Pepper-Crusted Cashew Cheese recipe I discovered a few years ago in Vegetarian Times . . . which isn't often because I can't get past the guilt of making a recipe that consists almost solely of nuts and oil.

So recently, I decided to see if I could take a little of the guilt out of this favorite treat and still make it worth eating. I swapped the oil and water quantities so that it had 6 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of oil (rather than the opposite) and I left out the tahini, mostly because I didn't have any. I also shortened the prep time by quickly simmering the cashews rather than soaking them overnight.

The result, if I do say so myself, was phenomenal. Because the mixture was a little thinner to start, it blended more easily and ended up even creamier. Definitely a big hit with Sprouts of all sizes!!! Oh, and I had to use the original Vegetarian Times photo because I didn't get to photograph ours before the Sprouts dug into it.

Cashew Cheese Log

Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
 
1. Place cashews in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.
 
2. Drain the cashews, then put them in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

3. Spread mixture into a piece of cheesecloth, and shape into a 6" log. Wrap the cheesecloth around the log, then twist and tuck under the ends to secure. Place the wrapped log in a strainer and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 minutes. Chill, unwrap, serve and enjoy!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Fun Food Friday - Lentil Loaf & Onion Rings

Kid-friendly food and Sprout favorites are on the menu for Fridays - sometimes prepared by the Sprouts themselves! We'll share recipes and pictures for healthy food your kids will love.

Wow! This meal turned out to be a big winner with everyone. Of course, I knew going into it that with Big Sprout's favorite dinner, Little Sprout's favorite veggie and a brand new Appetite for Reduction recipe that looked amazing, I most likely had a hit on my hands.

This is the second Lentil Loaf recipe that I've tried, and it's definitely my favorite of the two. That said, if you try it, keep in mind that it will not taste like meatloaf. It's one of those cases of it being an entirely new creation, rather than an exact veganized replacement of a meat dish. Everyone enjoyed it, as we always do, but Big Sprout outdid us all with three heaping servings!













The OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings from Appetite for Reduction really do warrant the fancy name. I'm not even an onion ring fan and the Sprouts had never had them before, but you can be sure we'll be seeing them in our kitchen on a regular basis.

What can I say about Steamed Broccoli? You know how it works. Easy, tasty and we made enough to have leftovers for my chickpea salad tomorrow.

Sprout Ratings

Lentil Loaf: 
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 4 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 4 sprouts

Onion Rings:
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Six Book Giveaway - Which One Will You Choose???

Only five days left to enter our January giveaway . . . I'm trying out a monthly giveaway for Growing Healthy Sprouts because there are so many books I love that I want to share with others!

The drawings will be held on the last day of each month, and I'll be collecting entries all month long.

Here's the scoop.

1. Sign up to follow Growing Healthy Sprouts . . . must be a blog follower to win.

2. Tell us what you think . . . earn one entry for every comment on the blog!

3. Tell a friend . . . every time a friend mentions your name in a comment, you both get an extra entry.

4. Like us on Facebook . . . we just like to feel the love.

Just for fun, I'm purchasing six books to give away from January to June. Our January winner will have their choice of any book, the February winner can pick any of the remaining five, etc.

Here are the books our January winner will choose from:

Disease-Proof Your Child











Eat to LiveEat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss











Skinny Bitch in the Kitch











Vegan with a Vengeance











Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











And . . . wait for it . . .

Appetite for Reduction!!!











Which one will you win???