Saturday, April 30, 2011

Stay Active Saturday - Sports Snacks

Today was our day to bring snacks for Big Sprouts baseball game, and I've been struggling for weeks to figure out what to bring. Normally, we're not at all shy about our eating habits being different, but for some reason, Jim was concerned about Big Sprout being known as "the kid whose mom brought vegetables". My initial idea was to bring baggies of carrot sticks, grapes and mini Larabars, but both my boys were urging me towards something more snack-y (as in, from a package).

Jim suggested homemade cookies or cupcakes, both of which I vetoed. I'd certainly make either for a special celebration or end-of-season party, but I'm not okay with the message that it's okay for kids to eat junk every Saturday just because they've been active. I see too many "big kids" who still justify their food choices this way (I used to be one of them!), and I'm all about doing my (teeny tiny) part to help the next generation realize that the more active you are, the more healthy food your body needs.

We reached a compromise with these Back to Nature graham cracker sticks - definitely not a health food but a special treat I get for my Sprouts every once in a while. I found the individual packages at Whole Foods, and they made both my boys (the little one and the big one) happy. We also brought a small baggie of grapes for each team member, along with a cooler of lemonade made from water, lemon juice and agave nectar.

All the kids seemed to like it, and the team coming in to play the next game even tried getting in on some too! In hindsight, it seems silly to have worried so much about this, but I really wanted to strike the right balance and show that healthy food can be just as fun! And it's a good thing we figured it out since it's our turn to bring snacks for soccer next weekend!

Want to Win a Free Book? Enter Our Giveaway by Midnight!

There are still a few hours left to enter our April giveaway. Tomorrow is a bit crazy for me, so I'm just putting it out there that I probably won't be announcing a winner until early next week. But still get your entries in by midnight to win your choice of one of these three great books!

Disease-Proof Your Child











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












Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











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.

5. Share the news . . . earn additional entries by blogging about our giveaway or sharing it on Facebook (just send me a message to let me know you've done so).

6. Tell us what you're cooking . . . Have you tried any GHS recipes? If so, share about it here and receive two entries (one for your comment and one for trying a recipe).

7. Follow us on Twitter . . . maybe you can help me figure out what Twitter is for.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Final Days to Enter our April Giveaway!

There are still a few days left to enter our giveaway for one of three great books. Our winner from last month, Erin, selected Vegan with a Vengeance, so here's what's still available:

Disease-Proof Your Child











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












Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











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.

5. Share the news . . . earn additional entries by blogging about our giveaway or sharing it on Facebook (just send me a message to let me know you've done so).

6. Tell us what you're cooking . . . Have you tried any GHS recipes? If so, share about it here and receive two entries (one for your comment and one for trying a recipe).

7. Follow us on Twitter . . . maybe you can help me figure out what Twitter is for.

$10 at Infusion Tea for Only $5

Today's deal at Eversave is for $10 to spend on tea, veggie fare or yummy treats at Infusion Tea. You can check out my earlier review of Infusion here to get an idea of what's on the menu.

This is a great deal, but I probably have to admit that I won't be buying it. We love the food at Infusion, but honestly, we've pretty much stopped going because I get a less-than-friendly vibe there when we visit. If we're in that area, we typically prefer the super-friendly staffs at nearby Ethos or Dandelion. In fact, I just noticed that I let a past Eversave deal I'd purchased expire because I was so put off the last time we dined there.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Food for Thought Thursday - 20 Things More Dangerous Than Lead in Toys

I have to admit that when I saw this article earlier this week, the title really got my attention: Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys. And it turns out the article is a wonderful read. Although we don't use anything on the "Top 20" list, I found the article to be very thought-provoking and liked his description of the American media as "amusingly irrational when it comes to reporting scare stories."

It really made me think . . . why was the Mattel story such a big deal when there are so many companies who knowingly use dangerous materials in their products every day? Why are we so scared of lead and not scared enough of other toxic substances? And why do we scream at the top of our lungs about unsafe products made in China yet turn a blind eye towards environmental toxins produced right here in the USA?

For us, the 20 items on this list were (for the most part) cut out long before the Sprouts arrived and the makeover in our diet came later (and much more gradually). I suppose it's easier to give up dryer sheets than cheese.

All in all, I think the article does a great job of pointing out that, just as with our food choices, it's up to us to look past the TV commercials and do real research on which products are safe for you and your family.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Half Off Vegan Cupcakes at Raphsodic!!!

For those of you in the Orlando area, you've probably checked out Raphsodic Cooperative Company already and know what an amazing variety of vegan baked goods they offer, along with many gluten-free options.

With today's Living Social deal, you can buy a $20 gift certificate for only $10! If you plan to buy, please consider doing so through my referral link - then let me know when we're meeting for cupcakes!!!

Monday, April 25, 2011

It's Almost Time for Our April Giveaway - Enter Today!!!

I was getting ready to post that we're halfway through April when I realize that the month actually ends this week! Where did April go??? There are still a few days left to enter our giveaway for one of three great books. Our winner from last month, Erin, selected Vegan with a Vengeance, so here's what's still available:

Disease-Proof Your Child











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












Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World











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.

5. Share the news . . . earn additional entries by blogging about our giveaway or sharing it on Facebook (just send me a message to let me know you've done so).

6. Tell us what you're cooking . . . Have you tried any GHS recipes? If so, share about it here and receive two entries (one for your comment and one for trying a recipe).

7. Follow us on Twitter . . . maybe you can help me figure out what Twitter is for.

Today Only - $25 Organic Fruit & Veggie Box for $12

Today only on Living Social, you can buy a $25 box of organic fruits and veggies from Fresh Box Organics for only $12! Fresh Box delivers fresh, organic produce in Brevard, Orange and some of Seminole County.

Here's the current contents of this week's $25 box of organic produce:

  • 1 lb green beans (FL)
  • 1 lb carrots (CA)
  • 2 ears corn (FL)
  • 1 head green leaf lettuce (FL)
  • 1 tomato (FL)
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes (NC)
  • 2 fuji apples (WA)
  • 1 blood orange (CA)
  • 2 black plums (Argentina)
  • 1 bunch (about 2.5lbs) bananas (Argentina)
If you decide to purchase the deal, please consider doing so through my referral link.

Meal Plan Monday - Week of April 25

As you can see, I'm keeping it simple again this week. With my next bellydance show less than two weeks away, my calendar is filled with extra rehearsals and last-minute costuming details. Fun as it is, it always makes me a little crazy so I'm trying to keep life in the kitchen as low-key as possible while still having healthy food available for the whole family. We'll see how it goes!

Advance Preparation
Make veggie tray (Monday)
Make cashew cheese (Wednesday)
Make bread (Wednesday)
Make spinach dip (Friday)

Breakfasts
Green smoothie
Green juice (me)
Apple with peanut butter
Toast with peanut butter and banana
Fruit & nuts
Oatmeal with fruit & nuts

Lunches
Soup and salad
Green salad with Gardein tenders
Chickpea salad on green salad
Chickpea salad pitas
Raw veggies, Nut Thins & spinach dip
Leftovers

Dinners 
Monday: Some type of pasta; salad (Jim's night to cook - my juice fast)
Tuesday: Chickpea-Asparagus Casserole; salad
Wednesday: Corn on the cob; broccoli; baked tofu
Thursday: Raw veggies & Nut Thins with cashew cheese log; fruit
Friday: Brussel sprouts; baked sweet potatoes; cucumber salad   
Saturday: Braised Cabbage with Seitan; salad
Sunday: Out

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sweet on Sunday - GF Banana Nut Pancakes

I'd promised the Sprouts pancakes for breakfast today, but I wanted to try something a little different. Though none of us seem to have issues with gluten, I am looking for ways to utilize other types of grains these days. I've hear of buckwheat being used in pancakes quite a bit, and I've been enjoying the unique flavor that quinoa has brought to the baked goods I've tried it in, so I decided to try out a combo of those two grains.

The result was quite good. They're definitely not the prettiest pancakes I've seen, and they are more dense and moist than light and fluffy, but we all definitely enjoyed them. I decided on a banana-nut variety to balance the quinoa flavor, and I think it worked well. If I'd planned ahead, I would have saved some bananas and pecans to top the pancakes, but I used the last of what I had in the recipe. And speaking of running out of ingredients, I was also out of almond milk so I just blended up three cups of water and 1/4 cup of pecans in the Vitamix before proceeding.

If you're gluten-free or just looking for an occasional wheat alternative, I think you will enjoy them!

GF Banana-Nut Pancakes

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup buckwheat
3/4 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Wet Ingredients
3 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 bananas
8 pitted dates
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Combine buckwheat and quinoa in Vitamix or other high-speed blender until ground into flour. (Alternately, you can use 1 1/4 cups each of buckwheat and quinoa flour).

2. In a medium bowl (I like to use my big 8-cup measuring cup so I can pour the batter directly from it), combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon.

3. In the Vitamix, combine almond milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the banana, dates, oil and vanilla. Blend on high speed until smooth with no date chunks remaining.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.

5. Cook like pancakes!

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

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Food for Thought Thursday - Publix Cake Ingredients are Nothing to Celebrate

Looks delicious, doesn't it? The Sprouts thought so too - at least until I shoved it down the garbage disposal. But if you could unwrap this piece of birthday cake like a present, what you'd find inside is anything but a gift. So what brought me to buy a slice of Publix bakery cake just to destroy it minutes after coming home? Let me start at the beginning.

Last night, we attended a birthday dinner at a local restaurant. We're fortunate that most of the parties we attend have homemade vegan cakes without any food dyes, so having to pass up cake is rarely an issue. But last night I knew the cake would probably be coming from the Publix bakery - and I was right.

Now trust me, I ate many a Publix cake in my less-healthy days so I remember how delicious they taste. But I also remember the last time I ever thought about eating one. Before we switched to a plant-based diet, I thought about getting one of the Sprouts' birthdays. But I happened to look at the ingredients label before I did - and it as horrifying. The list is too long to type here (although I did snap you a nice picture), but I remember being shocked that the cake contained propylene glycol. I try to make sure my deodorant doesn't contain propylene glycol, so the idea of it in my cake was enough to make me swear off Publix cakes for good.

So back to last night . . . on the car ride over, I prepared the Sprouts in advance to let them know why we would be saying "no thanks" to the cake. It's certainly a much easier call now that we don't eat eggs or dairy, but it did make me think about how we'd been more permissive with this in the past - as if the other 50 chemical ingredients alone weren't bad enough.

As many people do, I think we justified it by saying birthdays are a special occasion that only come once a year - which is both true and false. My birthday, for example, comes only once a year - but it's always somebody's birthday. We easily attend 1-2 parties a month, so suddenly a "once a year" indulgence becomes a potential 24 healthy doses of propylene glycol (and all the other junk) a year.

I've heard other parents mention a concern about having their child feel "different" or "left out" by not eating cake (or other typical junk food) at a party. While I understand this concern, I firmly believe that this situation can be a wonderful teaching moment. I can't think of a better way to show my kids that it's okay (and in some cases, better) to make a decision that goes against what everyone else is doing. Right now, when they're 4 and 7, it's just cake that everyone else is indulging in at a party . . . 10 years from now, it may be something different.

Last night, passing on cake didn't make the party one bit less enjoyable for us. Preparing the Sprouts in advance really helped them say "no thanks" when the time came, and I did pack them each a Yummy Earth lollipop to enjoy in the car on the way home.

So, how does this story end with Publix cake in my kitchen? Well, I had the idea for this post while out walking this morning, so I headed straight to Google Images to find a photo of an ingredients list for Publix cake. For the first time ever, I was unable to find what I was looking for. Interesting, right? So I ran up to Publix to snap my own photo, but my camera battery was died. My $2 investment in cake was well worth not having to make another trip - and the possibility that there will now be an ingredients label on Google Images for others to see!

So without any further ado, here's the lovely list.

$20 for a Month of Classes at Martial Arts Center for Health

You may remember a few weeks ago I wrote a post about the Martial Arts Center for Health in Altamonte Springs. Jim has been taking classes there for over two years, and both my Sprouts have attended as well.

In case you've been wanting to check it out, I thought I'd share today's Living Social deal - $20 for one month of classes.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Top Tip Tuesday - Give Some Choices

Let me start by saying that there's no short-order cook in our house. We all eat what's cooked - or we don't eat. So making each kid a separate meal is definitely not the type of choice I'm talking about giving. As I've mentioned before, I feel strongly that good nutrition is just as much of a safety issue as using carseats/seatbelts and should be treated just the same (as in, not optional). But that said, I still look for ways to give the kids small choices when I can.

Often, if I'm making something loaded with veggies, I'll let the kids each pick one thing for me to leave off. For our recent Roasted Veggie Sandwiches, Big Sprout chose to leave off the artichokes and Little Sprout opted out of zucchini. It's no more work for me, and they get to feel like they have a say in what they're eating - plus, I get all the other veggies in the sandwich in them with no complaints.

I'm also happy to give options when there is no "bad" choice. "Would you like strawberries or oranges with your oatmeal?" or "Should we have our salad plain or in a wrap?" Again, it makes no difference to me but empowers them with choosing between two healthy options. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Meal Plan Monday - Week of April 18

Easiest meal plan ever!!! Jim is out of town a few nights this week, so I'm thawing out leftover chili for some super-simple dinners. Throw in a dinner out for my father-in-law's birthday and some plans for Easter dinner, and there's not much cooking left for me. I'm looking forward to a nice break!

Advance Preparation
Make veggie tray
Make cashew cheese

Breakfasts
Green smoothie
Green juice (me)
Apple with peanut butter
Toast with peanut butter and banana
Fruit & nuts
Oatmeal with fruit & nuts

Lunches
Soup and salad
Tofu salad on green salad with fruit
Chickpea salad on green salad
Veggie wraps
Zucchini marinara

Dinners 
Monday: Green smoothies, nuts, fruit
Tuesday: Chili tacos, salad
Wednesday: Out
Thursday: Raw veggies & Nut Thins with cashew cheese log; fruit
Friday:  Broccoli pesto pasta; salad  

Saturday: Chili, cornbread muffins, salad
Sunday: Out

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sweet on Sunday: Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Where have I been the last few days? Not eating these gluten-free cupcakes, I assure you - they didn't last long enough. Although they had a distinctly different taste from a cupcake made with wheat flour, they really were delicious. I made them for a party on Wednesday and have been overwhelmed with busy days ever since. So just in time for Sweet on Sunday, here is the recipe.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup brown rice
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine almond milk and vinegar. 

2. Place quinoa and rice in Vitamix or other high-speed blender, and process until it has the consistency of flour. Transfer the flour to a large bowl, and whisk in remaining dry ingredients.

3. Add remaining wet ingredients to the milk/vinegar mixture, and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. 

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix well with the electric mixer. 

5. Using a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, fill each liner 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until cupcakes are golden. When cooled, top with your favorite frosting (I used a simple chocolate ganache).

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

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What's for Dinner Wednesday - Easy Veggie Pie

Since I had plenty of potato left over from making our Cheesy Potato Skins, I wanted to make some type of shepherd's pie dish this week. My original intention was to make the Skillet Gardener's Pie from the Fat Free Vegan blog, but I was lazy and just threw something easy together.

It turned out to be quite tasty and made quite a bit. I had visions of not having to cook tonight, but Big Sprout had two enormous helpings and left us short on leftovers.

Easy Veggie Pie

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 large broccoli crown, finely chopped
1 10-oz. bag of frozen corn
1 10-oz. bag of frozen peas
1 recipe chickpea gravy
4-5 medium potatoes, baked and mashed
1/4 cup almond (or other non-dairy milk)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large pan, saute onion and garlic in a little water until onion is tender. Add the broccoli, adding more water if needed. When the broccoli turns bright green, add the corn and peas and cook until the broccoli is tender and the corn and peas are heated through.

3. While the veggies are cooking, you can make the chickpea gravy. I used the recipe from Appetite for Reduction,but if you Google chickpea gravy, you'll fine plenty.

4. Mash the potatoes with the almond milk, butter and salt.

5. Mix the gravy into the veggies, then pour the mixture into a rectangular casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes, and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Sprout Ratings:  
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4.5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 4 sprouts

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Adventures in Gluten-Free Baking

Well, I thought my first attempt at gluten-free baking was going to be a total flop - literally, my cupcakes had fallen and were pretty sorry looking when I pulled them out of the oven. But apparently, there's nothing you can't fix with ganache.

A few coats of melted chocolate-y goodness and they look pretty respectable. I haven't sampled one, but Jim said they're delicious. Not bad considering I have no idea what I'm doing and decided to wing it rather than using a recipe. I ground up some brown rice and quinoa (which at the time, I thought was millet) in the Vitamix and used that as my flour. The full recipe will be coming this week for Sweet on Sunday.

Two for Tuesday - Chili in Bread Bowls, Taco Salad & Cheesy Potato Skins

I know, I know . . . these don't sound like healthy meals - but they are! Easy, nutritious and very kid-friendly. Plus, once you cook the chili you have three nights worth of meals from it. I love shortcuts in the kitchen!

Chili in Bread Bowls
 I had to adjust this recipe afterward because my original made way too much. After getting through all three meals, I still had a full Pyrex dish that I put in the freezer. I'll thaw it in the next week or so for another chili dinner. The leftovers from that will star in Little Sprout's newest dish - she had the idea last night that the chili would be great as taco filling. Oh, and the bread bowls are optional, of course, but the Sprouts really thought they were fun!

















Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
3 cans beans, rinsed & drained (or 4-5 cups cooked) - I used kidney, black and cannellini
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste (can sub ketchup if needed)
3 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 small package frozen corn
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons molasses

Preparation:
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in a little water until onion is tender. Add beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water and frozen corn. Stir until combined, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and add the chili powder, salt and molasses. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

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

*  *  *

Simple Taco Salad
Dinner doesn't really get any easier than this. I was going for something resembling my favorite dish at Dandelion Communitea (the Giddy-up). It was close, but I didn't quite get there. Not sure what was missing - the vegan queso they use or the luxury of having it made and served to me. In either case, it was still a good dinner and a hit with the Sprouts.

















Ingredients:
4 cups leftover chili
8-10 cups lettuce, washed and chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
4 cups baked corn chips
4 tablespoons vegan sour cream

Preparation:
Reheat the chili while you wash and chop the veggies, Arrange lettuce onto four plates, and top each plate with about 1 cup of chili. Divide tomatoes and avocado between the four plates. Garnish each plate with corn chips and top with a dollop of sour cream.

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

*  *  *

Cheesy Potato Skins
And finally, the Cheesy Potato Skins. The Sprouts have never had potato skins before, but for me, they are a distant but yummy memory from my less-healthy eating days. This version brought me a taste of flavor from my past in a much healthier way! I saved the potato that I scooped out from the skins to use in a shepherd's pie this week. 






















Ingredients:
6 small/medium potatoes
2-3 cups leftover chili
1 package vegan cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Daiya)
Salt

Preparation:
Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for one hour or until tender. Remove from oven, and slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the potato, leaving only a thin layer inside the skin. Place potato skins on a baking sheet, give them a quick shot of cooking spray and a sprinkle of salt and broil for five minutes. Remove potato skins from oven, fill with chili and top with cheese. Broil for an additional 5-10 minutes (watch them closely!) until the cheese melts.

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

Monday, April 11, 2011

More Farmer's Market Finds



I've been having a great time scoping out the local farmers markets, and so far, Sanford is still my favorite. I found the Wednesday market in DeLand to be too big and too far to go for too little local produce, and while I did find a great local vendor at Lake Eola, I'm not sure I'd make that drive every week.

Here's what I got on my last trip to the Sanford market - two huge heads of broccoli, a large head of romaine, a huge head of red leaf lettuce, a bunch of plum tomatoes and more turnips (with greens) than would fit in the fridge - all for $12. The farm that has the greens mentioned that everything had been cut the day before, and I love the idea of the food being so fresh and it lasts incredibly well. On my first trip there, I had chard that lasted close to two weeks!

Meal Plan Monday - Week of April 11

We've had a super-busy weekend, so I went with a really simple meal plan this week.

Thursday has become a crazy night for us - Big Sprout's baseball practice at 5, Little Sprout's soccer practice at 6 and me leaving for dance around 7. Last week, I tried serving dinner before we left, but taco salad at 4PM didn't go over well with any of us. This week, I decided to make what the Sprouts like to call a "snack-y dinner" for Thursday, so we can take it with us and they can eat it whenever they're hungry.

Big Sprout will also be back in the kitchen this week, as he's chosen to make the samosa recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance. I've never made this one and it seems like it may be a bit tricky, so I'm anxious to see how it turns out.

Advance Preparation
Make veggie tray (Jim)
Make cashew cheese

Breakfasts
Green smoothie
Green juice (me)
Apple with peanut butter
Toast with peanut butter and banana
Fruit & nuts
Oatmeal with fruit & nuts

Lunches
Soup and salad
Tofu salad on green salad with fruit
Everyday Quinoa-Chickpea Salad
Veggie wraps
PB&J with raw veggies & fruit

Dinners 
Monday: Some type of pasta; salad (Jim's night to cook)
Tuesday: Skillet Gardener's Pie; salad
Wednesday: Corn on the cob; broccoli; asparagus
Thursday: Raw veggies & Nut Thins with cashew cheese log; fruit
Friday:  Creamy zucchini and basil soup; salad   
Saturday: Out 
Sunday: Samosas (Big Sprout's night to cook)

Friday, April 8, 2011

Fun Food Friday - Bread Bowls

If I'm remembering correctly, I first discovered bread bowls on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. This was way back before the days of Panera and other places who do it all the time now. At the time, it was a novelty - and delicious! After all, what goes together better than soup and bread?

Novelty is what I was going for when I decided to make up some bread bowls for our chili this week. I was already making dough for Little Sprout's pizza rolls, so I just made them all at once. To do just the bread bowls (2 big, 2 small), about 1/4 a recipe of Basic Whole Wheat Bread would be plenty. Just roll the dough into balls and bake!

When the bowls have cooled, use a paring knife to cut a circle around the top of each. Remove the top, then use the knife to slice around the edges (being careful not to cut through the crust). Use a spoon to scoop out the bread (I saved mine to make bread crumbs).

So easy, and Sprouts both big and small were delighted!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Orlando's Ethos Vegan Kitchen Earns Recognition in VegNews

Orlando's own Ethos Vegan Kitchen earned recognition in one of my favorite magazines, VegNews, in a recent feature on the seven best sandwiches in the country.

The What's the Dilly, Philly? - filled with seitan, grilled peppers, onions and vegan mozzarella - is a definite favorite in our family, too. In fact, the Sprouts actually split one for lunch today (with a salad and watermelon on the side to make Mama Sprout happy).

Also on the list was the wonderful Grilled Daiya from Sticky Fingers Bakery in Washington DC that the Sprouts and I enjoyed on our last visit there.

And not that I'm trying to eat my way around the country or anything, but I'm also looking forward to trying two more list-makers (the Chicken Salad Sub from DC Vegetarian  in Portland, OR and the TLT - a vegan BLT - from Hillside Quickie in Seattle, WA) when we visit the Pacific Northwest this summer!