The long awaited post and some good food

I am back! Really I wasn't gone to far, but as my mom would say, "I am busier than a one handed paper hanger." :o) As most of you know we are expecting our first grand baby and the kids needed to find a larger place to live before the baby came. Brandie is in her 28th week and moving was not easy. She has a very sweet husband who did his best to make her comfortable, but Brandie is very independent and wanted so badly to help. This is where mom and dad stepped in. We were helping paint, clean, and doing some slight construction on their new house they rented for the past week. Usually we spent about 10 to 12 hours a day helping and they finally got to move this past weekend. It will take time to get all settled, but at least they are in. They rented a big 3 bedroom home. It is really nice and the rent is good for the area. I am sure Brandie will post pics on her blog once she has Internet so I will let her surprise everyone.

Also, DH and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary. I told DH we will never forget this one as we painted the kids kitchen and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. :o) No worries, being together is what really counts. Brandie and Micah had flowers delivered to me at work last Monday (yes we were married on St. Patricks Day). They came and I teared up, but when I read the card below I sobbed. What do you expect from a first time grandma. Look at what the card says, Grand baby! I totally agree that I am a sap, I can't deny it.

My flowers are a week old and they still look perfect. I just love them and the vase!

Thank you kids and grand baby!

Everyone remember our new addition to the family, Abby? Lets just say her and Kellie are getting along splendidly. We just love her. :o)

They cuddle all the time and Kellie tries to be the momma. Always cleaning and taking care of Abby. Look how big Abby has gotten! She is 8 months old and she weighs 12 lbs and is sleek and long like a black panther.

Spring is in the air and DH and I started planting the garden a month or so ago. Sorry everyone if you are still under snow, but here in San Diego our weather is almost summer like. Here is our first radishes of the season. They are so sweet!

For those of you who remember our garden from last year can see how DH expanded it this year. You can see our 3 types of lettuce and spinach in this picture. Along the bottom you can't see (cuz my camera died) we have dwarf sweet peas that are almost ready to begin climbing the fence. :o)

Who love Brussels sprouts? We do! I have to be careful or Brandie will take the lot. No not really, but she loves them as much as I do. As you can see I made sure to plant enough for both of us. DH and her hubby don't like them. Yeepee, more for us!! 9 plants in all.

Yes, peanut butter and jelly have been a mainstay while helping the kids, but I did have time on Easter Sunday to make some Cream of Broccoli Soup. I got the recipe from Vegan Dad. He has a great site, check it out. I did add some of BRYANNA'S HOMEMADE VEGAN "CHICKEN-STYLE" BROTH POWDER and some extra garlic, but other wise kept the recipe the same. I think next time I will cook the veggies in "no chicken broth" for extra flavor. No CREAM here and it is velvety smooth. A quick spin in the blender and there you go! Thanks, VEGAN DAD!

One dad I did get a decent breakfast. Tofu scramble burritos, pink grapefruit and a bit of hashbrowns. I just love tofu scramble. This version has spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, bell pepper (red and green) and BRYANNA'S DELICIOUS HOMEMADE TOFU SCRAMBLER MIX , which I always have on hand.

Here is a favorite of Brandie's. Bryanna's Chicken Cutlets from the Everyday Dish DVD. Simple wrap of seitan chicken patties, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and a tiny bit of vegan mayo.

That's all for now folks. Thanks for stopping by and reading this very long post!

Hugs to all!!!

Smokey Refried Bean Soup by Susan

Hi Everyone! I am so sorry I have been away from my blog for about 2 weeks. It has been a very busy time. We had a huge party at church and it took some time to help work out details and decorations. Then a week later I was asked to give a talk at church, which took the rest of my week preparing. Public speaking is not my favorite thing to do. The good news is that everyone enjoyed the party and my talk is over. I have to say that Susan saved the day, well actually the week with her Smokey Refried Bean Soup. This soup is quick, easy, and tastes fantastic. I did cook mine a bit longer to have it thicken up a bit. I also used "no chicken broth" and 1/2 tsp. of the chipotle chili powder, and topped it with a quick tomato salsa and cool avocado. What a meal, oh wait a few meals! Thank you Susan, you saved me.

Vegan Roast and its many uses

Hi ya all! I think, as a soon to be grandma, that I should begin today's post by showing off my grandbaby. Well, how about my beautiful daughter, Brandie, and her growing baby bump. This was taken a little over a week ago and after seeing her yesterday the baby is growing just fine. :o)



I finally had success in making a seitan roast. I used the recipe from Vegan Vittles. This roast is done stove top, by braising and turning every 30 minutes. It as a little time consuming, but was well worth it. I got the idea from Monica . Her roast has a really nice color. I am not sure why mine is so pale, but the taste was perfect. For the gravy the recipe says to puree the veggies that have been cooking along with the roast. I love it. It is orange due to the large amount of carrots. :o)

What you can do with leftover roast is fantastic. Here I took some of the roast, grated it on my box grater, the large grate, and then heated it up with some BBQ sauce. Served over baked potatoes with broccoli and corn. This was a perfect comfort meal. In fact, it was the best BBQ "beef" I ever had. :o)

Saturday was the first time I have had a "meat" sandwich in a very long time. I used lite vegan mayo, sliced roast, lettuce, tomatoes, on homemade bread. Boy was is delicious. I couldn't stop enjoying it!

My final use of the leftover roast made me a bit nervous. I was going to make "meatloaf" also from Vegan Vittles, which Monica made and looked so good, but knew I would be using all of my roast. I dare say I was a bit worried that if it did not turn out my lovely roast would be gone. I got hold of my emotions and ventured into the unknown. I also used some of my vegan sausage made from Julie's recipe and mixed both the roast and sausage together. The results? Fabulous! We added some country fried potatoes, using only 2 tsp. of olive oil and broccoli (my favorite veggie in the world).

I leave you with a cute picture of our Abby. She thinks playing in DH overnight bag was a hoot!

Time away and some food porn

I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I have been on my blog. It has just been a hard couple weeks. DH and I had to escape for some much needed sunshine, fresh air, and time together. We took time to just relax and enjoy the outdoors.


Our fur kids loved it! Josh packed our water, apples, tofurky jerky, and seed and nut bars in his backpack. You can barely see it, but it straps over his back and can carry 4 bottles of water along with a small amout of snacks. He loves it! Josh just puts down his head and goes for it. He is one outdoor dog. Shiloh on the other hand needs to smell every bush and take a potty break too. I always kid her that she should be a boy dog the way she marks everything. :o)



I love my DH. We had such a good time. I told him I didn't want to leave. There were no cars, no telephones, only the sound of the water rushing. I am hoping to paint some pictures that we took. We plan on going back on Monday if things work out. Just a day trip to find peace.

Brandie stopped by and I asked her to stand sideways so I could try and catch a picture of her baby bump. Well, it is barely there, but baby Huff is rock'n and a roll'n. Check out this aweomse video of baby Huff at their last ultrasound. I know, it looks like Brandie is holding up one of her girls, but actually she is just keeping her hand of potato chips away from her tummy for the shot. Sorry Brandie, but you look so darn cute I had to put it on my blog. :o)

My cooking has been on the back burner. Mostly leftovers and quick meals. Here we had some whole wheat spaghetti with Melody's awesome sauce and a Garden burger chick'n patti. They are so good!

Mother Hubbard's cupboards are kinda bare so Valentines dinner was heart shaped pancakes, heart shaped potato hashbrowns (baked not fried), tofu scramble and orange segments. DH said it was a fantastic meal. Simple, but full of love.

Love to all and hope to get some good food coming your way soon!

Get out and breath the fresh air. It really helped me this weekend.

Orange Tofu and Grandbaby ultrasound pictures

My girlfriend at work had left over Orange Chicken and it smelled so good. Well, not the chicken, but all I could smell was the orange sauce. She emailed me the link to her recipe and I was sold. Of course I made Orange Tofu and not chicken. It is so good. I did tweak the recipe a bit and I am sold!

Here is the tofu after it was lightly fried.

I began the making the orange sauce. While it was cooking I thawed some frozen firm tofu, pressed it, and put it in a shallow dish with about a cup of the cooled orange sauce/marinade. I was short on time so I only marinated it for about 20 minutes. I think it could have soaked longer, but time was not on my side. Once the marinating was done I cut the tofu into cubes, patted it with a paper towel and dusted it with a light coating of corn starch. I used a nonstick skillet to lightly fry the tofu. I sprayed my pan with some cooking spray added about a teaspoon of olive oil and began frying the tofu. Once it had a nice golden brown color I removed the tofu to a paper towel. I added the sauce ingredients to the pan and began stirring in the cornstarch and water mixture until it had thickened and turned nearly transparent. Back in the tofu went. Just lightly stirring so not to break up the crispy tofu. Served over brown rice with some delicious broccoli and dinner was served. The tofu has a perfect texture with just enough crisp. This recipe really is delicious! I hope you all give it a try! I tweaked this recipe into a yummy vegan dish. You can find my recipe below. :o)

Sheree's version of Orange Tofu
Sauce/Marinade
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Extra cornstarch to coat your tofu and about 1 tsp of olive oil for frying.


Add to a medium saucepan 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir as it comes to a light simmer. Add in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chopped onion. Bring this mixture to a boil making sure your brown sugar has completely melted. Remove from heat, and let cool. Place your pressed tofu into a shallow dish and pour 1 cup of sauce over the tofu. Lightly stir the tofu making sure all of it is soaking. Reserve remaining sauce. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or longer. Once you are done marinating pat your tofu, cut into cubes, and lightly coat with corn starch.

Spray your skillet, add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil (sesame oil might be nice too) and heat over medium heat. Place the tofu in the skillet, and fry until golden brown. Once it is brown take it out of your skillet and place on a paper towel.

Wipe out the skillet, and add the remaining sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together 3 tablespoons of cornstarch along with 2 tablespoons water, and stir this mixture into the sauce. Reduce heat and stir until it begins thicken and turn transparent. Add your tofu, cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve of brown rice.

Now really good news! If everyone wants to see my grandbaby, just hop over to Brandie's blog. She has new ultrasound pictures!! I can't wait to hold my new grandbaby! He or she is already too cute for words.

Hugs and love to all!

News and good food!

Hi everyone! Thank you again for your kind words and thoughts while we were going through the loss of my brother-in-law. I have good news! First Brandie has started her own blog. All of you who wondered what her wedding dress looked like can pop over and see the little picture she has of her and Micah. The photographer is working on making the photo's right that is why you haven't seen any posted here. I hope you all go and visit. She would love visitors. She has a baby counter too! Second, we have a new addition to the family and no it isn't the grandbaby yet.





Here is our new baby! After the loss of Tilly my chiropractor and friend kept asking me if we wanted another kitty. We kept waiting giving ourselves time to grieve and just be happy with the memories of Tilly. A week ago we were asked again. Our friends, sister-in-law does animal rescue and she had this cut sweetie whom had been rescued from a home of 80, yes I typed the right number, cats. They think she is about 6 months old. Well, who couldn't fall in love with a face like this. She is wonderful. Everyone seems to be getting along. We have named her, Abby. We have already taught "Abby" to play fetch. I know most people can't believe that, but thanks to Brandie's kitty Thalia, we found out it is possible.


Isn't she the cutest little fur baby you have ever seen! She loves playing in paper sacks. Now onto the kitchen!

Bread making success! The dark loaf is called Hearty Brown Bread. This recipe was on the back of the box of my vital wheat gluten. I played with the recipe a bit so my bread machine could do the kneading and my oven the baking. The recipe calls for millet flour, which gave me the fun job of grinding some millet in my MAGIC BULLET!.

DH is so excited about that. Thank you again honey for the wonderful Christmas present. The light one is adapted from Dori's recipe over at the Bakehouse. They both turned out so good. Enjoy!

Hearty Brown Bread from my Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten box

2 1/2 cups warm water

1 T. yeast

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup vital wheat gluten

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 T. whole wheat flour

1 cup rye flour

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 t. sea salt

Place in your breadmaker machine according to your instruction manual. Use dough cycle for 2 lb loaf. When cycle is complete take out the dough, roll or form it into the loaf or loaves and place in oiled pans. Cover with towel and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. I made mine in one large pan and it took the full 45 min.

9 Grain Bread

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup of water 2 t. sea salt
2 T. Olive oil 3 T. Natural sugar (use Succant)
2 cups white whole wheat flour 1 ½ t. flax seed
1 cup whole wheat bread flour 1 ½ t. sunflower seed
1/3 cup uncooked 9 grain cereal

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1 ½ t. millet
1 T. yeast

When cycle is complete take out the dough, roll or form it into the loaf or loaves and place in oiled pans. Cover with towel and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. I made mine in one large pan and it took the full 45 min.

My omniman wanted salmon the other night so I made myself tofu fish sticks. Since DH's was in the oven cooking I lightly fried mine in some olive oil. I took some frozen tofu defrosted it, pressed it, then marinated it in a mixture of tamari, water, garlic, and organic dulse granules for about 15 min or so. Once the marinating is done coat in cornmeal and either bake or lightly fry in some olive oil. I have to tell you, these were so good. DH even tried them and said, "Hey this crunchy crust is so good!" Duh! They were fried and not baked. :o) Along with this meal I made up some homemade tarter sauce with my new Magic Bullet, cooked up some brown rice and frozen baby peas! Delish!

Obsessed! I am obsessed with this salad. Simple as it may be, my taste buds have been craving it daily. Chocked full of good fats, vitamin rich greens, crisp cucumber, and plump grape tomatoes how could anyone not enjoy this! I just mix what ever greens I have on hand, toss in some cucumber, halved grape tomatoes, handful of walnuts and ripe avocado. The dressing is Asian Sesame dressing. Now that you have seen my wonderful salad I need to confess that I love this dressing, but it has corn syrup in it, which I hate. I have tried to create the dressing on my own by reading the ingredients, but have failed miserably. I might have to have a contest and see what all of you can come up with. Does that sound like fun?

Last year, my that sounds so long ago, DH and I had pizza from our local pizza house. DH, my omni man, was struck with horrible food poisoning and he vowed never to eat pizza again homemade or not. Well, the next best thing is a calzone, which in my book is just a pizza folded in half. (shh don't let DH in on that secret) lol... So I made calzones. These tasty ones are stuffed with Julie's sausage recipe, Susan's lasagna filling, and my sauce. These were a joint effort of perfection. DH was totally happy with his and I still have one left over for my lunch. I also cooked up some spaghetti for the leftover sauce. The only thing missing from this meal was the checkered table cloth, candles, and violin music. :o)

Spicy Vegan Italian Sausage and Whole Wheat Bread

First let me tell everyone thank you for your kind thoughts during our past couple of weeks with the loss of Eddie. I was told that the best place to be during sadness is in the kitchen so here you have what I have been cooking.

Spicey Vegan Italian Sausage! Yes, folks you heard it right. Julie did it. She made a wonderful Vegan Italian Sausage and shared the recipe with all of us. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of a "chicken seasoning". Julie uses Bills Best Chik'Nish seasoning and advises that if you use another one be careful about the amount of salt you add. I used Bryanna's homemade "Chicken seasoning" and wasn't sure so I cut the salt way back in my recipe. Next time I will keep the amount of salt in the recipe the same. I guess Bryanna's is not too salty. Anyway the amount of spice is fantastic. I did use the optional fennel seed and red pepper flakes. AWESOME taste and texture. My uncle has a Summer Sausage recipe that is out of this world. I am hoping to use his seasonings with this recipe and make a vegan version. I think this recipe has limitless possibilities. I hope everyone out there give it a try. No kneading, boiling, or baking. These are steamed!

Here you see them after cooking and cooling.

Sliced browned up in a non-stick skillet and ready for eating. My dear omni hubby loves them. He ate them right out of the foil. Brandie came over and decided baby kidlet (she's pregnant) needed them too. lolDH has asked to have them in spaghetti and a dish I used to make with

Kielbasa and sauerkraut. I told him add them to the weekly menu. :o)

Vivacious Vegan makes a very light and completely whole wheat bread. Very simple recipe that she adapted from another blogger. You use whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, salt, olive oil, molasses, water, and yeast. Try going to a store and seeing those few ingredients in a loaf of bread. After my 2lb loaf was done cooking DH couldn't believe it when he picked it up. Light as a feather. We were both amazed. I usually make a hearty, heavier bread, but thought

I would give this a try. Fantastic!

Look how light and fluffy this bread is. Yum!

Enjoy everyone! See you in the kitchen. :o)

A sad couple of weeks for our family and more.

Hi everyone,

The past couple of weeks have been rough on our family. We lost 2 dear friends. Our dear friend, Lila, from church pasted away and my brother in law, Eddie. I have been helping my sister out this week so very little cooking has been going on. Lila's service was last Saturday and dear Eddie's is tomorrow. We are very sad for everyone's loss and will be happier when all of this is over. From there we move on. Like I told my sister when she asked, "What am I going to do?" You are going to get up every morning and be a mother to your children and a grammie to your grandchildren. We all have to move on because that is what dear Eddie would want. Here is what Brandie is greatful for: Her last dance with her Uncle Eddie at her wedding. We we always love and miss our dear Eddie.

So as not to leave everyone with sadness, Cowboys Wife is having a contest: Join in the fun.

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!

The Prize:
The winner will receive a brand new Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!

About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.

Happy New Year!

I am sure I am like everyone when I ask myself, Where did 2007 go? It has been quite the ride and I am looking forward to where the highway takes me next. Santa did not bring me a copy of Veganomicon, but luckily you can get a few freebie recipes from the PPK. I am in love with lentils and one of her recipes is "Snobby Joes". They are fantastic! Some who have tried them have cut the amount of chili powder in half, not here. The spices are perfect. It is a twist between your traditional sloppy Joe and BBQ sauce. I will keep these on the family menu forever. Here we have them over a baked potato with broccoli and spinach.

Diann's Pumpkin, Millet, and Chocolate Chip (Rockin’) Muffins are the best. I have posted about them before, but this time I used my new Christmas present, "The Magic Bullet" (thanks DH) and ground my carob chips into tiny flakes. Now instead of a few bites with a carob chip you get little flakes of goodness with every bite. If you haven't made her muffins you should. Hint: you have to toast the millet to get the fun little crunch bites.

Yes, tradition! I don't know where or how the black eyed peas tradition began, but it has stuck with me my whole life. My version is very simple. Saute some onion and garlic add a cup of dry peas, cover with water, sprinkle with your desired herbs, and cook until done. We served ours up with another great recipe from Susan's, "Corn Cakes". I added some frozen corn to the batter too. One hint of advice, don't double the red pepper flakes like I did, we like spice. You will burn your mouth off. Oh so good! :o)

I leave you with this wish to all, may everyone have a healthy, happy, and safe New Year!

Enjoy your highway too!

Happy One Year Anniversary to Boo's Blog!

Happy Blog Anniversary to me!!!

One year ago today I stepped into the unknown world of blogging. I am thankful to all my blog buddies for their inspiring blogs to help me on my way. I missed my One year Vegan Anniversary, October 1, 2007, that was a rough time with our Tilly and sickness. I have been watching the calendar and was not going to miss this Anniversary! This has been one of the greatest adventures to me. January 1st will be 15 months for me as a vegan a lifestyle I would not give up for anything. It is because of all you in blog land that made my transition so easy. So a great big THANK YOU along with a MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all who have given me inspiration, shared recipes, and friendship!

Christmas morning brunch.

I don't care much for orange juice. I like the real thing, the whole fruit.

My parents are habitual coffee drinkers. They always have a pot on and a cup full. We don't drink coffee nor even have a coffee pot, but I sure can make a mean cup of soy milk hot cocoa, which everyone enjoyed.

Susan's Skinny Fig Bars. Not only are these delicious they are really fun to make. I pressed the fig filling out on wax paper until I had the shape of the pan I was using. Then I put it on top of the crust and slowly peeled the paper away. It worked like a dream. These were a big hit. My mom called me yesterday to tell me she had eaten a some more of them. Thank you Susan!

Bryanna's Waffle Iron Hashbrowns. I also got this recipe from Susan's site. Another fun dish to make and also very delicious. DH who hates cooked carrots loved these. Brandie who also hates cooked carrots did not like them. Now I don't know if it is because she is pregnant and her taste buds have a mind of their own or if she really could taste the carrot. DH could not taste the carrot and therefore loved them. I guess everyone out there should give them a try and decide for yourselves. I think you could make them without the carrots, but I want to try substituting the zucchini for the carrots or sweet potatoes!

Of course what is a brunch without quiches. Susan's Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches are the only way to go. I didn't have any mushrooms so these are filled with red bell pepper, green onions, and garlic. My dad didn't even know they were made from tofu and loved them. Susan's right about making more. I only had enough tofu to make one batch, which meant we were limited to only 1 or 2 each. Sorry for the blurry picture.

Here are the show stoppers. I have been making my "Cinnabons" for years. They are vegetarian, but this year they needed to be Vegan. It worked! You could not tell the difference between the veggie and vegan ones. I am in Heaven! Granted these are only made once a year unless there is a really good reason. They are moist, delicious, sweet, and totally void of all nutritional properties. :o) Well, there is tofu in the frosting so that may give them a tiny boost of nutrition. They are 100% white flour, sugar, earth balance, and more sugar, but they are a family tradition and therefore we figure once a year we are allowed. I have a yearning to try them with whole wheat pastry flour and agave and see what happens. I will keep you posted on the outcome. Hmmm maybe stevia?

I leave you now with my plate of Christmas yummies and another thank you for helping to make this year one of my best years yet!