tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35613951851679824692024-03-13T00:07:25.120-07:00Blessed Vegan LifeWelcome to my blog and the vegan creations that I make for my family. Instead of being caught up in worrying about what makes a more noble vegan, I just aspire to give my family good, quality food that doesn't harm any fuzzies. I hope you like some of them, as well. Enjoy!blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-3590983084689936872020-09-18T15:47:00.001-07:002020-09-18T21:35:52.587-07:00Vegan Chickenless Seitan Cubes<p>Here is an easy recipe for seitan that can is versatile for use in many different recipes. The first time I made these, I used them in vegan quesadillas, which are pictured below. Since then, I've used them in a few other recipes, like pasta bakes, soups, etc. What's nice about making your own seitan is it doesn't take much time to mix all the ingredients together, and if you plan on sauteeing it, dinner can be ready in under 30 minutes. If you are planning on making larger pieces of seitan mixed with tofu and beans, then usually, pre-steaming is in order before frying or baking, but this recipe goes straight into the iron cast skillet. One of the spices I used is Trader Joe's Vegan Chickenless Seasoning Salt, but if you don't have it, feel free to sub a combination of sea salt, onion powder, turmeric, and garlic powder. Enjoy!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyPvKnw0oSPvYA9WCOIu5NdGyZnQ5fBJsIhbdqfsPj6g0fMuW3Q4X6Sohr0ed5y0AAjgjcQNSw2flafbeiZKS0xKSt4SGO-jpx-WiNhZX-dYcPiK2xjAJv2twu_4x3Eg0ZJGvfJIMKLg/s2048/Preparing+Seitan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyPvKnw0oSPvYA9WCOIu5NdGyZnQ5fBJsIhbdqfsPj6g0fMuW3Q4X6Sohr0ed5y0AAjgjcQNSw2flafbeiZKS0xKSt4SGO-jpx-WiNhZX-dYcPiK2xjAJv2twu_4x3Eg0ZJGvfJIMKLg/w400-h300/Preparing+Seitan.jpg" title="Preparing the seitan" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing the seitan<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZH0o2ho7KR4cbmF4Oxo3XHeVoXiRspltABbWBhjqVjD4LLspy6a5NpbaBeddpfpFyPYO5NVtYJvSZ9uxRA70mFBZGT1x_fnwUZtTBnAk_uZbcW3DakXFOpmeefaTSHBmV0V2RGyoc_U/s2048/Seitan+Quesadillas.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZH0o2ho7KR4cbmF4Oxo3XHeVoXiRspltABbWBhjqVjD4LLspy6a5NpbaBeddpfpFyPYO5NVtYJvSZ9uxRA70mFBZGT1x_fnwUZtTBnAk_uZbcW3DakXFOpmeefaTSHBmV0V2RGyoc_U/w400-h300/Seitan+Quesadillas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One use for the seitan is in delicious seitan quesadillas!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><u><i>Vegan Chicklenless Seitan Cubes</i></u></p><p><i>Ingredients:</i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>2 cups gluten flour</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1 and 1/2 cups water</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1 tsp liquid smoke</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1/4 cup soy sauce</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>2 Tbs Trader Joe's Vegan Chickenless Seasoning Salt</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>2 tsp garlic salt</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1 Tbs onion powder </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1 tsp. black pepper</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Olive oil for frying<br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Directions:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the oil. You want to mix until the ingredients are just incorporated; you may have to use your hands. Once incorporated, don't mix further or else the dough may toughen. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or a pan of your choice. While oil is heating, dice the dough into one-inch chunks or smaller. Add about a quarter of the chunks at a time to the pan and stir frequently. Once browned, about three to five minutes, put in a bowl lined with paper towels, and add another batch to the pan. Repeat until all the chunks have been cooked. You can continue to customize the seitan in different recipes,either by adding spices before mixing the dough, or by sprinkling them with additional spices as they cook. Delicious! Feeds at least five hungry vegans.<br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></div><p><i> </i><br /></p>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-79642798873285796352015-12-30T17:06:00.000-08:002015-12-31T08:49:58.524-08:00Sweet Yam and Marshmallow Casserole and Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, 2015Before 2015 completely came to a close, ushering in 2016, I thought I'd sneak in a final post of the year, highlighting our recent holiday meals.<br />
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The family, as usual, picked the various eclectic dishes to create our Thanksgiving feast, some traditional, some not so much. G picked a sweet potato casserole, and I hunted up a classic recipe with marshmallows that I veganized and slightly tweaked. It came out deliciously well. The recipe will be posted at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Here's the breakdown of our Thanksgiving celebration:<br />
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JK picked Soy Chicken and Steamed Rice<br />
GR picked Hot and Sour Soup and Sushi<br />
SR picked Takis and Cranberry Sauce<br />
G picked the casserole and the Tofurky meal, which included the roast, gravy, wishbone, and brownies<br />
I added roasted potatoes and veggies to the Tofurky and made my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-cream-cheese-roll-and.html">Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll</a> to go with the brownies<br />
Sparkling apple cider to drink.<br />
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See below for some yummy close-ups.<br />
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Sweet Yam and Marshmallow Casserole</div>
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My Thanksgiving plate.</div>
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Thanksgiving Dessert plate</div>
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Christmas was a much simpler affair this year. I only made one type of cookies, and our breakfast was modest. Below I show you our morning meal and the dishes I brought to the larger family gathering at dinner.<br />
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Christmas breakfast: Tofu Scramble, Fried Potatoes, and Chorizo.</div>
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The cookies I made: Chocolate Tops</div>
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I brought three things for the evening gathering.</div>
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Number One: Gardein Beefless tips, to which I added Teriyaki sauce.</div>
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Number Two: A big, beautiful salad chock full of goodies.</div>
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Number Three: I also realized I've never made my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll, so I made that again and brought it to share.</div>
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How were your holidays? Did you have wonderful food? Any new dishes?<br />
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<em><strong>Sweet Yam and Marshmallow Casserole</strong></em><br />
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<em>Ingredients:</em><br />
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<em>Five Yams (Purple skinned, with orange flesh)</em><br />
<em>Water to cover</em><br />
<em>1/4 cup vegan margarine</em><br />
<em>1/2 cup brown sugar, packed</em><br />
<em>3 Tbs. orange juice</em><br />
<em>1 Tbs. Cinnamon</em><br />
<em>Non-stick spray</em><br />
<em>2 and 1/2 - 10oz. bags of Dandies large marshmallows</em><br />
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<em>Directions:</em><br />
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<em>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the yams, chop into large chunks and place in a large pot. Cover with water and turn heat on high. Bring to a boil, and boil for fifteen minutes. Drain the water and leave yams in the pot. Add the margarine, brown sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon. Use an electric hand mixer to completely blend ingredients. Spray a 9x13 inch dish with non-stick spray. Spread the yam mixture evenly in the pan. Top with the marshmallows. Bake for 30 minutes. The marshmallows will brown and be super soft, and the yams are sweetly delicious. This was definitely a hit. The only challenge was when eating the leftovers, finding that several smaller hands had picked parts of the casserole bare of the marshmallows. Feeds five hungry vegans for a few days</em>.blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-63585465206463087472015-04-26T16:11:00.000-07:002015-04-26T21:22:52.973-07:00Roasted Tofu and Red Potatoes with Paprika and RosemaryI veganized this recipe recently, and my family could hardly wait to dig into it because of the aroma that had permeated our home from the oven. I've made tofu and potatoes together before, but this particular way of preparing them was new for me. The result was an appealing combination of textures and spices that made for a fulfilling dinner. Served with a side of vegetables, this would make a complete meal.<br />
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<b><i>Roasted Tofu and Red Potatoes with Rosemary</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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<i>3 pounds of red potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces</i><br />
<i>2 - 14oz. pkgs. of extra-firm tofu, water-packed, drained, chopped into 1/2" cubes</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup olive oil, divided</i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. paprika divided</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. rosemary leaves, divided</i><br />
<i>2 tsp. salt, divided</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. pepper, divided</i><br />
<i>2 tsp. garlic powder, divided</i><br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil for seven minutes. Take the pot's lid, slightly cover the top of the pot, and drain the water into the sink In the meantime, while the potatoes are boiling, get the spice mixture ready for tossing the potatoes and tofu. In a large bowl, add half of the olive oil, paprika, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk well. Add the potatoes and toss, until all the potatoes are coated. Pour onto a large baking sheet. Prepare the rest of the seasonings in the same bowl and whisk again. Add the tofu cubes and gently toss to make sure they are coated as well. The tofu is more delicate than the potatoes, so use a gentle hand. Pour either next to or over the potatoes. Bake for one hour, turning twice in that time. Eventually the potatoes and tofu will be well mixed together, so just toss gently as to not mash the tofu. When done, pour into a lovely serving platter, serve hot with a side of your favorite veggies, and enjoy your dinner. Serves five hungry vegans. </i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-5113651988100602312015-04-19T15:20:00.001-07:002015-04-19T15:20:43.456-07:00Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips and Easter, 2015Easter this year was, as usual, a wonderful holiday to celebrate with family and delicious food. Our gathering was smaller than usual; for dinner I brought a large green salad topped with chopped Beyond Meat chicken-style strips. It went over really well, and one of the reasons was that I put a lot of goodies in the salad. See below for our cuisine of the night. I hope everyone else had a good holiday, too.<br />
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Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips</div>
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My dinner plate: We had vegan stuffed shells, broccoli, garlic bread, olives, and homemade pickles with garlic, and my salad.</div>
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For dessert, everyone brought vegan desserts! Is that awesome or what? From the left we have: Cranberry Almond bars, Almond Cookies, Gingerbread, and my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/chocolate-chip-pecan-bars.html">Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars</a> .</div>
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<b><i>Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips</i></b><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>2 heads of hearts of Romaine or one large Romaine head</i><br />
<i>6 large button mushrooms, halved and sliced</i><br />
<i>1/2 red onion, sliced</i><br />
<i>1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly</i><br />
<i>2 stalks of celery, sliced thinly</i><br />
<i>1 cup of parsley, chopped small</i><br />
<i>1 - 15oz. can garbanzos, drained</i><br />
<i>2 cups of broccoli florets, chopped</i><br />
<i>2 tomatoes, chopped</i><br />
<i>1 pkg. Beyond Meat chicken-style strips</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. olive oil </i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Favorite vegan salad dressing</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>In a large bowl, put all of the ingredients from Romaine through tomatoes. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Chop the strips into thirds. When the oil is hot, add the strips, and cook until browned, about five minutes or so. Drain from the pan, and pat dry, if necessary. Add to the salad. Serve and top with your favorite dressing. Very good and filling. Feeds five hungry vegans and several of their relatives.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-38922285648287084132015-02-23T10:54:00.002-08:002015-02-23T10:54:36.271-08:00Garlicky Fried Rice with Asparagus and MushroomsThe poor lighting in this photo does not do this dish any sort of justice. Garlicky Fried Rice with Asparagus and Mushrooms was so good, I couldn't stop eating it. Only putting the leftovers away saved my stomach from exploding. This was easy to prepare and even easier to eat. I'm sure your taste buds would agree.<br />
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<b><i>Garlicky Fried Rice with Asparagus and Mushrooms</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1 Tbs. Coconut Oil</i><br />
<i>2 Carrots, chopped small</i><br />
<i>8 to 10 Asparagus spears, ends trimmed, and chopped small</i><br />
<i>1 cup of sliced mushrooms</i><br />
<i>1 head of garlic, sliced thin</i><br />
<i>2 cups of leftover, cooked brown rice</i><br />
<i>1/4 cup of soy sauce</i><br />
<i>2 tsp. ground ginger</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup of coarsely chopped peanuts</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is melted, add the carrots, asparagus and mushrooms. Stir-fry for five or so minutes, until just fork-tender. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add the rice, soy sauce and ginger. Cook another five minutes, until heated through. Add the peanuts and stir. Serve immediately. So, so good. Feeds five hungry vegans.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-21718016311043072552015-02-18T13:14:00.002-08:002015-02-18T13:14:49.045-08:00New Family Members: Glub, Glub and Rowrff!Oh, this is so embarrassing. This post is so overdue, but there is no way around it. I just can't start talking about new pets, as if you all knew what I was talking about, when I haven't properly introduced you yet. Last year, gulp, yes, last year, SR got a fish and JK got a dog. I'll fill in the details below.<br />
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Here is Merope, the reddish Betta fish swimming near the top of her castle. For all you Harry Potter fans, you'll know who she's named after. SR inherited another Betta from a friend in March and then bought two others. All were female, so she kept them in same tank. Only Merope has survived and flourished. Amazingly well. For over a year. With SR as her caretaker! So, welcome, Merope, to your new home. </div>
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JK turned eight in July (that post is coming too, sheesh), and he really, really wanted a dog. Our rule was no pets until the child in question turned ten, and we kept that rule for his sisters. So, for months before his birthday, he cleaned up his sisters' dogs' poop almost every day. He fed and watered them, too. He showed us repeatedly that he could take on the daily responsibilities of having a dog. So on the last Friday in June, we went to the pound and looked around. There was Alicia, plaintively looking at us from her pen. With a severe underbite and her quiet nature, she won us over. We took her into the playroom where JK promptly named her Amber, then changed his mind to Alicia a few minutes later. Apparently, he thought Alicia was spelled Elicia, but I didn't find that out until her tag was made with Alicia...sorry! She is a boxer mix and a sweetheart. </div>
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Alicia was about six months old, they guessed, when we adopted her. To make this post somewhat legit, the first two shots are from her first day at home. Don't you love what the dogs have done to our backyard? Sigh. Anyhow, she's taller than the other two and has just been freckling up a storm since we've got her. She's nearly completely speckled now. </div>
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This shot was taken within the first week of bringing her home. She's snuggled on top of GR with Abby on the left and Mindy on the right. She has shown some aggression to Mindy, our most timid dog, and to Dennis, our cat. That concerns us, but we are trying to train her out of that behavior. Most of the time, everyone gets along. Welcome home, Alicia!</div>
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<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-54755462251285204512015-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:002015-01-09T09:30:38.688-08:00Merit Vegetarian Restaurant- Sunnyvale, CAI've told all of my children that when they were teenagers, I would take them on a special weekend trip, just the two of us, anywhere they wanted to go in California. The exception being Disneyland: if I was able to afford Disneyland, I wanted to take all the children. SR for the last couple of years has been mulling over Death Valley, but whenever she decided upon it, it was not the right season. Apparently the temps are better in the Spring, and there are certain flowers that blossom during that time as well. But something even better than Death Valley came up for her last June. One of her favorite artists was performing a rare American tour, and one of her stops would be in Mountain View, a mere couple of hours from our home. When I offered that to SR as her special weekend, she jumped at the chance. So, off we went to the Emilie Autumn Asylum Experience. Now, this music is not for everyone, not even me, but it wasn't about me. It was about giving SR a special weekend. So, we left on Friday night, spent the night in a hotel, spent <i>all day</i> at the Experience, stayed over again, and had lunch the next day before returning home. I researched restaurants before we left home and found Merit Vegetarian online. It was open on Sundays, so I thought we'd give it a shot. See my review below along with a a few shots of our trip.<br />
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This is a funny shot of the hotel's room service menu. If you look on the left side of the page, it lists appetizers and sides. Then the right side of the page lists more appetizers and sides. Notice how they are completely identical. I wonder whom they are trying to fool? <br />
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Okay, here's a pic of SR with others talking with someone who does daguerreotypes at the Experience. Just so you know, SR has an unusual style in clothing. She likes layers, gloves, employs a Goth influence along with some Victoria era influence, and adds her own unique touch. I completely support her expressing herself with her attire. Here, for once, she found others that dressed in a similar way. She completely fit in and had made a few friends that will last a lifetime. I'm the one that stood out with my baseball cap and camera and pants. Oh, by the way, she's the one in the striped tights and dress. Don't you see her? </div>
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Here she is locked up with other prisoners in one of several cages at the Experience. You can see how utterly miserable everyone is. Okay, okay, she's the one on the right with black hair, black dress and black and white striped tights. </div>
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Here is Emilie Autumn and a couple of other permanent patients performing.</div>
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SR had a fabulous time, and that made it a great weekend for me too. I love you, SR! </div>
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Here is Merit Vegetarian. They are in a nondescript strip mall down a busy street. Their info is: <a href="http://meritvegetarian.com/">meritvegetarian.com</a>, ph: 408-245-8988, 548 Lawrence Expressway. Sunnyvale, CA 94085. </div>
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SR and I started off with Drumsticks and a sweet sauce. They were very good. </div>
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Then we went for their Orange Nuggets. Great glaze, very tasty.</div>
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SR had one of their freshly made Mango Smoothies. She let me have a sip, and it was delicious. </div>
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I ordered their Noble Broccoli. It was a beef and broccoli style dish. Very good, I liked the sauce it came with, too. Lots of broccoli, which is one of my favorite veggies.</div>
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SR ordered the Spicy Noodle Soup. She didn't realize it had mushrooms, which she despises, but she worked around it, and liked it in the end. It had a tangy taste to it and was good. </div>
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We ended our meal - and our stay - with desserts. SR ordered the Caramel Flan and completely loved it. I tasted it, and it was light and sweet, very good. But...</div>
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I had a penchant for chocolate, so I ordered their Mocha Chocolate Cake. The cake itself was a little too dense for me. I like light cakes and cupcakes. But, the frosting made up for it. So light, so creamy, it was in a word, delightful. </div>
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All in all, I highly recommend Merit Vegetarian. The prices were reasonable, and if you're a vegan, looking for an open place to eat on a Sunday, this one will definitely work. If you're in Sunnyvale, look them up.</div>
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<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-73835889976911824852015-01-07T10:59:00.002-08:002015-01-07T10:59:22.544-08:00Pasta with Chorizo and Sweet Potato SauceThis was another recipe inspired from <u>Deceptively Delicious</u>, which I renamed, veganized, changed ingredients up, the usual. Still, the idea behind the original recipe was good: pureeing sweet potatoes for the sauce to get the kiddos to each more veggies. This also has chopped up celery and carrots, as well, so it's nice and healthy. This came out tasty, and the fam liked it, so all is good. I puree my veggies ahead of time, bag and freeze them, and then thaw them out for recipes. So, my sweet potatoes were already boiled, peeled and pureed for this recipe. This makes a lot of sauce, plenty for leftovers. Give this one a go, and let me know how it works for you.<br />
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<b><i>Pasta with Chorizo and Sweet Potato Sauce</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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<i>1 pound pasta (we used penne) </i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. olive oil</i><br />
<i>4 onions, chopped small</i><br />
<i>4 cloves garlic, minced</i><br />
<i>12 carrots, chopped small</i><br />
<i>4 stalks celery, chopped small</i><br />
<i>2 - 10 oz. pkgs. soy chorizo</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. salt</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. black pepper</i><br />
<i>4 - 29 oz. cans crushed tomatoes</i><br />
<i>1 - 14.5 oz. can Del Monte petite cut tomatoes with chipotle chilies</i><br />
<i>1 - 32 oz. box Imagine No-Chicken Broth</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. vegan sugar</i><br />
<i>2 cups prepared sweet potato puree (boiled first)</i><br />
<br /><i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Prepare pasta according to package directions midway through making the sauce. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery, and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chorizo and salt and pepper, and cook for another five minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth and sugar. Lower heat to medium low and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the sweet potato puree, and stir well. Continue to cook until heated through, about ten minutes. Serve over pasta. This makes a bunch! I froze about half the sauce for a later meal. Feeds five hungry vegans and then some. Very good.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-28877816107276374572015-01-05T09:07:00.000-08:002015-01-05T09:11:38.112-08:00Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs - 2014In my quest to catch up on all the posts I missed last year, here is a particularly outdated one. But, you were warned ahead of time. Anyways, this one is too cute not post, as you'll see.<br />
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The kids and I took Mindy and Abby to a local 5th Annual Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs the Saturday before Easter in 2014. I loved this because it was sponsored by WAGS hotel and had several animal friendly booths out there. All the dogs were well behaved, and ours enjoyed the day as well. Below, you'll see some of the shots I took that day.<br />
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Here is JK at the kids' crafts table watching how to make a bunny mask. </div>
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Hey, where did JK go? All I see is this very realistic bunny standing in front of me!</div>
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There was a line for dog tattoos. Mindy enjoyed her green bone on her rump. Her outfit took up the rest of her body.</div>
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When Abby saw the dog in front of her get sprayed, she almost bolted. But, in the end, she was happy with her skull and crossbones.</div>
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This is the shot of all the dogs in line at one end of the field. See how far the line stretches? That's a lot of dogs! In the background, you can see the booths. The hunt is about to begin, and everyone is waiting for the go signal.</div>
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Here's my gang. You can see the ferocity of our pooches as they scope out the best eggs to snatch. JK calms his nerves with a stiff drink. SR is on the left with Abby, and GR is on the right with Mindy.</div>
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The hunt is on! Check out their style. Eventually, the dogs would split up to better scour the field.</div>
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Ta dah! Here's Abby with her winnings. Each dog was allowed to find a certain number of eggs, and Abby is so proud she counted correctly.</div>
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GR is helping Mindy open her eggs under JK's watchful eye. Inside the eggs were dog biscuits and slips of paper for bigger prizes.</div>
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Guess who won a basket of treats? Abby! Mindy is looking on supportively. Of course Abby shared with her sister.</div>
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We'll probably go again this year because we had such a good time. I'll post that as well, if you enjoyed this one.<br />
blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-62142634077729831932015-01-03T13:52:00.000-08:002015-01-03T13:52:40.291-08:00Pasta with Artichokes and BroccoliThis is a quick, easy and delicious dinner I made the other night. G usually just gulps down what I make with nary a comment, unless he really doesn't like or really does like something. This one earned a comment for the latter, so I knew it had to be blog-worthy. The ingredients are few, and the simple seasonings brought out their wonderful tastes. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it, too. What is your favorite thing to toss in a pasta sauce?<br />
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<br /><b><i>Pasta with Artichokes and Broccoli</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1 pound of thin spaghetti</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. of olive oil</i><br />
<i>2 cups of broccoli florets, coarsely chopped small</i><br />
<i>3 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thin diagonally</i><br />
<i>2 - 14.5 oz cans of Del Monte diced tomatoes with rosemary and oregano</i><br />
<i>1 and 1/2 cups of marinated artichoke hearts, sliced in half lengthwise</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. sesame oil</i><br />
<i>Salt and pepper to taste</i><br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the broccoli and carrots and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and artichoke hearts and cook for another three minutes, until heated through. Add the sesame oil and salt and pepper, stir and let simmer on medium low for five minutes. Top pasta with sauce and enjoy. Feeds five hungry vegans.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-56079483023529749022014-12-31T14:25:00.000-08:002014-12-31T19:03:16.560-08:00Holiday Classics...Mostly - 2014Hello, Everyone! It is so good to be back on here. I will not bore you all with what's been going on - it's been a lot, and I've been challenged in my personal life in more ways than I ever thought I would. The challenges continue on, but it has been on my mind for so long to put up a post that I'm making a point now to do so. This blog is a way for me to express myself with just the pleasures of my life, a bit of me that I get to share and to make friends in the process. I will never abandon this blog without informing you first. I don't know how many have or will stick around, but for those who are reading this, thank you. I can't promise you timely posts in the new year, but it is my hope to be consistent. I have posts that I still want to write from this year, so even though they will be out of date, I hope that I can still put them up. Anyhoooowww, on with the food.<br />
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I am combining Thanksgiving and Christmas into one post, so this will have food galore. I hope everyone's holidays have been good and that this new year brings you blessings. I pray that 2015 brings peace and harmony into my life, as well. And good eats!<br />
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Okay, I'm just going to show the pics, provide links, and tell you what we ate. What did you guys eat this year for the holidays? <br />
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My Thanksgiving dinner plate. The bowl is holding hot and sour soup, and on the plate clockwise is: roasted asparagus, soy chicken and tofu, tofurky and roasted veggies with gravy. </div>
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Dessert: SR picked vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce, GR picked <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/black-tie-cheesecake.html">Black Tie Cheesecake</a>, and JK picked chocolate chip cookies. I'll get a recipe out for those cookies. </div>
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Christmas breakfast included: <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2011/03/breakfast-potato-skillet.html">Breakfast Potato Skillet</a> ...</div>
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Tofu Scramble...</div>
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<a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2012/03/loaded-cinnamon-rolls.html">Loaded Cinnamon Rolls</a> ... </div>
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and this year's Christmas cookies and Happy Birthday, Jesus Cake, which was a Costco apple pie. The cookies are Gingerbread Bears, Tiger Stripes, and <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/12/pecan-pie-cookie-cups.html">Pecan Pie Cookie Cups</a>. Recipes for the first two cookies will be forthcoming, if you are interested.</div>
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JK delivered our annual Christmas cookies to the firemen.</div>
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For Christmas dinner, I brought <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/01/tofu-brussels-sprouts-and-peanut-stir.html">Tofu, Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Stir-fry</a> to share and </div>
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<a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2011/03/buttermilk-chocolate-chip-chocolate.html">Buttermilk Chocolate Chips Chocolate Cupcakes</a> for dessert.</div>
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A lot of my family provided vegan dishes for us this year. On my plate clockwise is: fried cabbage, cold green bean salad, a Gardein roast with gravy that I bought for my family, my mom's rendition of Aunt Versey's baked beans (an annual offering), my stir-fry, fruit salad and olives. This was the fullest plate we've ever had at a family gathering. </div>
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The fun carried through dessert. My aunt made my grandma's recipe for boysenberry cobbler. See the yellow triangle in the corner? Read in the pic below what it says. </div>
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A vegan corner just for us. The glaze had butter in it; other than that, the whole cobbler was vegan. </div>
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My dessert plate: the cupcakes I brought, my mom's pineapple dump cake and her fruitcake, and my aunt's/grandma's boysenberry cobbler.</div>
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It was an awesome food season. I hope yours was just as tasty. Hopefully, I'll put up a post by next week and start to catch up. Until then, Happy New Year.blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-38094929471386733352014-07-17T16:01:00.001-07:002014-07-18T13:03:19.230-07:00Activism: Canned Lion HuntingI am woefully behind on some of my posting, so here is one for the catching up list. We had a very busy day this past March. Down at the State Capitol, about a twenty minute drive for us, there were several activities going on. SR, GR and I were with our homeschool group's teen group doing our version of The Amazing Race. There were also two protests going on: one against fracking and the other against canned lion hunting. GR and JK both had pre-planned to go to the lion one, but GR got caught up after the race, so just JK, G and I went to this protest. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the thousands of people who showed up to protest against fracking, but we still managed to find the group. Not that I was opposed to the anti-frackers - they just made it difficult to find the lion people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5EvXs9e9x-dFavpI2abmaxHRsUufCBMJb365BiDo1yJjdgp4OfS8ljDgGMygM-F8eG0bWcsT81d777ezXis-yOt52VtrabcCsUzz282MKS1IMXxQ-z2AtGl4o6iQzT_c66dgPUQf31I/s1600/Canned+Lion+Hunting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5EvXs9e9x-dFavpI2abmaxHRsUufCBMJb365BiDo1yJjdgp4OfS8ljDgGMygM-F8eG0bWcsT81d777ezXis-yOt52VtrabcCsUzz282MKS1IMXxQ-z2AtGl4o6iQzT_c66dgPUQf31I/s1600/Canned+Lion+Hunting.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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What is canned lion hunting, you ask? It takes place in South Africa, where people raise lions from cubs, feed them by hand, essentially taming them. Then, when the lions are good and tame and unafraid of people, the handlers let high-paying "hunters" come in and shoot them in large pens, the "cans" if you will. The day we went in March was an international day of protest, but I just checked their website, and there are ongoing events. GR and JK made signs, which JK is holding by his side in the picture above. Sacramento's small group of protesters marched around the capitol and tried to bring attention to this ghastly practice. Check out the main website that talks about this at <a href="http://www.cannedlion.org/">http://www.cannedlion.org/</a> . Maybe you can be a voice next year along with ours.<br />
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On a side note, our family is going to try and amp up our level of activism. We used to be much more active, and if I can find a photo of a protest that we did against Proctor and Gamble years ago, I'll make a post about that, as well. It's so easy to become complacent in our lifestyle, especially when your whole family is either vegan or supportive of you. But, there are too many animals suffering in so many ways, that complacency cannot be accepted anymore. I, for one, want to raise the next generation of activists for the animals.blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-87666448477151563002014-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:002014-07-17T15:24:00.798-07:00Green Salad with Golden Beets and Raw Pumpkin SeedsThis salad is perfect for a hot summer day. I got the beets at the Farmer's Market, and they were deeeelicoius!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhFvEGzlxFxib3ehF_CdTwZGCVEU8DCi1ZmXM3D4xWGvN9zDxo-AGYbTpiLdT5R7wntXA9W8cCYv4yA9Vj1170lo8dDqQ0w-WvCoPlJKaKGmj4x2XkGUw11jAyP67UfDR7gh6AbxePX0/s1600/Salad+with+Golden+Beets+and+Pumpkin+Seeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhFvEGzlxFxib3ehF_CdTwZGCVEU8DCi1ZmXM3D4xWGvN9zDxo-AGYbTpiLdT5R7wntXA9W8cCYv4yA9Vj1170lo8dDqQ0w-WvCoPlJKaKGmj4x2XkGUw11jAyP67UfDR7gh6AbxePX0/s1600/Salad+with+Golden+Beets+and+Pumpkin+Seeds.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Green Salad with Golden Beets and Raw Pumpkin Seeds</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped</i><br />
<i>8 small or 4 medium to large golden beets</i><br />
<i>1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained</i><br />
<i>2 green onions, sliced</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Peel and quarter the beets, and boil for ten minutes. Rinse under cold water, and slice into bite-sized pieces. Add the lettuce, beets and rest of the ingredients into a large serving bowl. Add your favorite vegan salad dressing. Feeds five hungry vegans. Simple and scrumptious!</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-43663292887962084662014-06-27T17:20:00.000-07:002014-07-07T16:02:37.425-07:00Review: Organic Matcha from Kiss Me OrganicsThe good people at Kiss Me Organics sent me a code, so I could receive a free bag of their Organic Matcha off of Amazon, a value of $25. For those of you who don't know what Matcha is, I didn't either. It is powdered green tea, although the ingredients listed on the bag says "100% Organic Matcha." So, now I've got to say this: I'm comin' atcha with Matcha! Like that? Then keep on reading for the review...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOleXyyuV-vPT4BeCPIfZatpgrSkfAZzLf9CoZjbZt5-MQdnyYzZENODZaoma3iGJ2K_T3cDhO_wj4EPzYTEuhquFHKsNXi7OMiJi7EW2AlrfIQQuBZiKslHQMmatowP2slodYjUpjrac/s1600/Matcha+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOleXyyuV-vPT4BeCPIfZatpgrSkfAZzLf9CoZjbZt5-MQdnyYzZENODZaoma3iGJ2K_T3cDhO_wj4EPzYTEuhquFHKsNXi7OMiJi7EW2AlrfIQQuBZiKslHQMmatowP2slodYjUpjrac/s1600/Matcha+front.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Matcha is packaged in a sturdy, resealable bag and has four ounces of product. The front of the bag boasts all the known benefits of consuming green tea, including energy, boosted metabolism, focus, skin health, and antioxidants. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjLwLHLKFB0HgFNHWpSBnsYECqfr-_DMzvirQ9p15ZsPmWcZ09mFh1mUQLl2DiF0y-CiaTO4Cu4cZu3yHMmzbb9MWZZ4KXGpJxOTnGVbOGVuwTQASm1FtLXmn04FGURmcCE7sUKgnVkc/s1600/Matcha+back.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjLwLHLKFB0HgFNHWpSBnsYECqfr-_DMzvirQ9p15ZsPmWcZ09mFh1mUQLl2DiF0y-CiaTO4Cu4cZu3yHMmzbb9MWZZ4KXGpJxOTnGVbOGVuwTQASm1FtLXmn04FGURmcCE7sUKgnVkc/s1600/Matcha+back.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The back of the bag lists those benefits again with more detail. They have the recommended daily dose as 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Since I'm not a big tea drinker, this powered form would work better for me. They also suggest using it in lattes, smoothies and baking. I don't drink lattes, but I do bake, and I do drink smoothies, so we are well on our way to ingesting some of this beneficial powder!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtR25Dkq6QBuuZomcEaOAmXjSjA8scLtqV_u1DdAkP0TAti2e0RY_lYfFPKHi77JvcaoS3WZlhXsR5S58_EFfxBEdEYHUhOspfV8-CGHZ81cTswDwahWNAAg7NlEjTUA4Pmv4KEUy0aM/s1600/Matcha+spoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtR25Dkq6QBuuZomcEaOAmXjSjA8scLtqV_u1DdAkP0TAti2e0RY_lYfFPKHi77JvcaoS3WZlhXsR5S58_EFfxBEdEYHUhOspfV8-CGHZ81cTswDwahWNAAg7NlEjTUA4Pmv4KEUy0aM/s1600/Matcha+spoon.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's what a spoonful of it looks like. I dabbed my finger in and tasted it dry, and it tastes like...tea! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H31E3cJbql04W5D0fUgJhYbbxZnyhZnti3SvWc-mm5AeAcce39PBrLJhaNfiqHPJdPqlM6NtaB5uWsGmrikqv5FnSC-YflfrUc2f27AABoYOcIhmLbKGysCxzNO_YKv8Nh6D0mv4thM/s1600/Matcha+corn+muffins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H31E3cJbql04W5D0fUgJhYbbxZnyhZnti3SvWc-mm5AeAcce39PBrLJhaNfiqHPJdPqlM6NtaB5uWsGmrikqv5FnSC-YflfrUc2f27AABoYOcIhmLbKGysCxzNO_YKv8Nh6D0mv4thM/s1600/Matcha+corn+muffins.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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First tester recipe up: Green tea cornbread muffins (recipe below), adjusting my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/10/sweet-corn-muffins.html">Sweet Cornbread Muffins</a> recipe. Since I haven't seen any Matcha recipes, I wasn't sure how much of it to add to the recipe. I made a dozen muffins, so I put in one tablespoon. That worked out pretty well. The texture of the muffins didn't change for the worse, and there was a slight tea taste to them. There was just a slight green hue to them, but nothing adverse that would turn kiddos off to the idea of eating them, although JK did have to be assured I didn't sneak spinach into these like some recent <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/05/hidden-veggies-brownies.html">Hidden-Veggies Brownies</a> . These are muffins I could see me making again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8aqL_yYCnafAwB8o2q9cGWsKSO_1b5ilqw4LasvJD3RGHkGXcPpbrAFYC4fQ12i57dGBvQZx9qnnQ4RY-RKI9BMR7G7kYLzxo1r09xzxe641q_OGTyTV6zXxJiaGqEqOiwddj-7sZNg/s1600/Matcha+cinnamon+rolls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8aqL_yYCnafAwB8o2q9cGWsKSO_1b5ilqw4LasvJD3RGHkGXcPpbrAFYC4fQ12i57dGBvQZx9qnnQ4RY-RKI9BMR7G7kYLzxo1r09xzxe641q_OGTyTV6zXxJiaGqEqOiwddj-7sZNg/s1600/Matcha+cinnamon+rolls.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, I made a goof when I decided to add Matcha to my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2012/03/loaded-cinnamon-rolls.html">Loaded Cinnamon Rolls</a> recipe. Since one tablespoon worked so well with the cornbread muffins, surely three tablespoons would work even better here, right? Wrong! Too much Matcha did not mix well into the flour mixture. I would definitely keep it to one tablespoon. Also, I was out of powdered sugar, so I couldn't do my regular glaze. Instead, I mixed equal parts raw sugar with cinnamon and sprinkled it on top of the rolls. That was okay but not as good as the glaze. I'll recreate the recipe below with the adjusted Matcha amount, and have both toppings as options. As far as taste, again the flavor changed the rolls some, but not in a bad way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQlnE8X-A2y4TtgAvnKVloa1iHTcdVKlrLzCJBOsY5d2BhW4g1jIzZ1CkD8tPsktqiE4hQN7n_pRlvR3Q4ZwYrr1XO4c0GglTzyUQI_cx9LEXchvHFIPp4E1c2hfNVGk9KDgzQ4tKsHQ/s1600/Matcha+smoothie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQlnE8X-A2y4TtgAvnKVloa1iHTcdVKlrLzCJBOsY5d2BhW4g1jIzZ1CkD8tPsktqiE4hQN7n_pRlvR3Q4ZwYrr1XO4c0GglTzyUQI_cx9LEXchvHFIPp4E1c2hfNVGk9KDgzQ4tKsHQ/s1600/Matcha+smoothie.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, I made a shake and added the Matcha. Here, I think the Matcha shined best. My family's not used to expecting a green tea flavor in their baked goods, but they know that anything can happen in shakes, smoothies, and juices so they were the most accepting of this option. The shake was excellent, and we felt even healthier drinking it. I added one tablespoon (I learned my lesson!) to the blender, which made enough for five servings. I'll include the recipe below.</div>
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Final thoughts: It feels good to add one more healthy choice to our diets, and this is an easy way to do so. Since I'm not such a big tea drinker, I can see me personally enjoying Matcha in our drinks. Both SR and GR love tea, however, so they could drink regular green tea or have Matcha in their smoothies, too. I think this powder is a good option to have in your pantry. No complaints here. See below for the recipes.</div>
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<b><i>Green Tea Cornbread Muffins</i></b></div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br />
Non-stick spray<br />
1 and 1/2 cups flour<br />
2/3 cups vegan sugar<br />
1/2 cup corn meal<br />
1 Tbs. baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp. salt</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. Matcha or green tea powder<br />
1 and 1/4 cups almond milk<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
3 Tbs. vegan margarine, melted<br />
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Directions:<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, salt and green tea powder. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Divide batter into the muffin wells. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about a dozen muffins. Feeds five hungry vegans. </i><br />
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<b><i>Green Tea Cinnamon Rolls</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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<i>Dough:</i><br />
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<i>2 pkgs. or 1 and 1/2 Tbs. of active dry yeast</i><br />
<i>2 cups of warm water</i><br />
<i>4 cups of flour</i><br />
<i>1 and 1/2 Tbs. olive oil</i><br />
<i>2 tsp. salt</i><br />
<i>1 and 1/2 Tbs. vegan or raw sugar</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. Matcha or green tea powder</i><br />
<i>Flour for rolling </i><br />
<i> Non-stick spray </i><br />
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<i>Filling:</i><br />
<i> 5 Tbs. vegan margarine, melted and divided</i><br />
<i>1/4 cup vegan or raw sugar, divided</i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. ground cinnamon, divided</i><br />
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<i> Icing:</i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. ground cinnamon</i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. raw sugar</i><br />
<i> OR </i><br />
<i> 2 cups powdered sugar</i><br />
<i>3 Tbs. and 1 tsp.soy milk</i><br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>For the Dough: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Let rest for ten minutes. Combine the remaining dough ingredients in with the yeast/water mixture and mix well. Cover bowl with a damp towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two large baking sheets with non-stick spray and set aside. Dip your fist in some flour and punch down the dough. Divide the dough into two large balls. On a large, lightly floured area, put one of the dough balls, and sprinkle the top of it with flour. Roll out to a large rectangle, roughly eight to nine inches wide and at least twelve inches long. </i><br />
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<i>For the Filling: Spread half of the melted margarine on the first rolled out dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle half of the sugar over the margarine. Top with one tablespoon of the cinnamon. Make sure you spread and sprinkle as evenly as possible. We want these to be yummy with every bite. Starting at the short end, roll up the dough. Cut into seven to eight pieces. Lay them cut side down on one of the baking sheets. Repeat with second ball of dough. Bake for 25 minutes. Set pans on baking rack to cool for about ten minutes before icing the rolls.</i><br />
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<i>For the Icing: For a non-traditional topping, you can whisk together the cinnamon with the sugar and sprinkle it on warm cinnamon rolls. OR for a more traditional topping, you can make the icing. Mix the sugar and soy milk together in a small bowl. With a spoon drizzle the icing over the rolls, making sure to cover them thoroughly. Eat immediately. You can freeze these as well; just don't put the icing on first. Reheat in oven, then ice them. Makes fourteen to sixteen rolls. Feeds five hungry, happy vegans.</i><br />
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<b><i>Green Tea Mango Blueberry Ice Cream Shake</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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<i>3 and 1/4 hemp milk</i><br />
<i>1 cup frozen blueberries</i><br />
<i>1 cup frozen mango chunks</i><br />
<i>1 cup vegan vanilla ice cream</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. Matcha or green tea powder</i><br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Makes about five and a half cups, enough to quench five thirsty vegans. Delicious! </i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-71022152637218319122014-05-31T16:45:00.001-07:002014-05-31T16:45:24.362-07:00Joe's Special with Beefless StripsI know, I know, this is one more dish to add to my Joe's Special repertoire. I made this <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2013/12/joes-special-inspired-sausages.html">sausage version</a> in December. I think I'm trying to recapture a magical time from my childhood. Anyhow, you can see any of my other variations of this dish to know that I first had this with my father on long-distance bike trips. He used ground beef, but I've changed it up any number of times. Here's my latest version. This is great by itself or served with pasta and fresh fruit on the side.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG5TmCuwkQo_YR6ZLH4bcBMIP8u4X4s6FPyffR3IQ2jyKKw6xg8t4ylZVyTq42sgA07z1b46HqBv_U4eAnYleA2Mxaz-igkiFyN5zAsd0-2SYc2kra6EOScYu013xHTHK7Ndk8ryrt40/s1600/Joe's+Special+with+Beefless+Strips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG5TmCuwkQo_YR6ZLH4bcBMIP8u4X4s6FPyffR3IQ2jyKKw6xg8t4ylZVyTq42sgA07z1b46HqBv_U4eAnYleA2Mxaz-igkiFyN5zAsd0-2SYc2kra6EOScYu013xHTHK7Ndk8ryrt40/s1600/Joe's+Special+with+Beefless+Strips.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Joe's Special with Beefless Strips</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2 Tbs. olive oil</i><br />
<i>2 pkgs. of Trader Joe's Beefless Strips or something similar</i><br />
<i>2-3 cups of quartered mushrooms</i><br />
<i>4-5 cups fresh spinach leaves, large ones torn</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>3 Tbs. soy sauce</i><br />
<i>4 to six drops liquid smoke</i><br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. When hot, add the strips and mushrooms. Cook for five to seven minutes, until the strips are browned and the mushrooms are softened. Add the spinach, and cook for another five minutes, until it is wilted. Add the soy sauce and liquid smoke, turn heat down to medium low, and cook for two to three minutes longer. Serve by itself or over pasta with fresh fruit on the side. Feeds five hungry vegans.</i><br />
blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-14653556496823308242014-05-26T16:15:00.000-07:002014-05-27T08:43:33.455-07:00Hidden-Veggies BrowniesHello, and long time no see! Where have you all been? I'm sure it's you that's been away, am I right? Anyhow, I wanted to put up this post before another major holiday came and went because I made these brownies for Easter. (Did I just say that? Easter?) Yes, Easter! Argh, anyways, I'm back, I'm back. A few years ago, both my mom and SR gave me the same cookbook for my birthday. I kept SR's because she inscribed hers, and traded Mom's in for something else. Anyhow, it's by Jessica Seinfeld, ol' Jerry's wife, and she made a cookbook hiding pureed veggies in food for her kids, <u>Deceptively Delicious</u>. I've tried making several of the recipes, and some have turned out "eh," and some have turned out "yikes!," and some have turned out "mmm." I will share my veganized versions of the "mmm" ones with you. I did get the idea for my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/03/banana-flax-french-toast.html">Banana-Flax French Toast</a> from her. So, like I said, I've veganized these recipes and adjusted the ingredients to suit our tastes, etc. One important note on these brownies, she says not to eat them warm; I will go so far as to say, eat them CHILLED. They are a completely different flavor room temp versus chilled. Yuck versus yum. I brought these over to the family at Easter and told none of the relatives the secrets hidden within, and all they could taste was deliciousness and cocoa. They were very surprised when they found out these were healthy! Yeah! Enjoy, and I hope to be more regular here, without Miralax!<br />
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Hidden-Veggies Brownies. These are the brownies cut into 24 squares, and they are huge. You can easily make 48 squares and be satisfied. Serve them chilled!</div>
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<b><i>Hidden-Veggies Brownies</i></b></div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Non-stick spray</i></div>
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<i>8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking squares</i></div>
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<i>2 cups of carrot puree (about 4 or 5 carrots steamed then pureed)</i></div>
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<i>2 cups of spinach puree (about 8 or so cups spinach steamed then pureed)</i></div>
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<i>2 cups brown sugar, packed</i></div>
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<i>1 cup cocoa powder</i></div>
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<i>2 Tbs. margarine, room temp or softened</i></div>
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<i>2 Tbs. vanilla extract</i></div>
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<i>3 cups all-purpose flour</i></div>
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<i>1 and 1/2 Tbs. baking powder</i></div>
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<i>1 tsp. salt</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Directions:</i></div>
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<i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with the non-stick spray, and set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring frequently, being careful not to burn it. In a large bowl or large pot (you'll need something large!), whisk together the chocolate, carrots, spinach, brown sugar, cocoa, margarine and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. You can use a hand mixer on low, if you wish. Add the flour baking powder and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Pour the batter in the pan, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack. Can cut into 24 large squares or 48 smaller ones. Must be chilled before being enjoyed. Do not eat at room temperature in order to appreciate the full-deception. Kids and grandparents alike will love these! Feeds well more than five hungry vegans.</i></div>
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<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-4389791891304606452014-03-30T14:28:00.000-07:002014-03-31T10:43:34.455-07:00Graham Cracker BarI made a graham cracker bar for dessert for my family, and they all loved it! G said it wasn't mustache-friendly, but that didn't stop him from chowing down. I made this once before, but it was a few years ago. The response was so positive, we'll have to do this again sooner rather than later. You can look for Nabisco Original graham crackers for a vegan choice, or my store (Raley's) has their own chocolate graham, which is vegan. Either way, everyone got to top their crackers just the way they wanted them, and it was fun to boot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkDXjeffq4dDHRnsXCZCugI8X3MJfwhG0lFdehJeitBMY3gia9deQYxYaUnmJMyhu18bQbxYZGCnpfV6xd78Bhr7PTzk_Q31m-PY4B57ZwidxPSuqY13cMgDte524h7l_VnYIOUFeoLA/s1600/graham+cracker+bar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkDXjeffq4dDHRnsXCZCugI8X3MJfwhG0lFdehJeitBMY3gia9deQYxYaUnmJMyhu18bQbxYZGCnpfV6xd78Bhr7PTzk_Q31m-PY4B57ZwidxPSuqY13cMgDte524h7l_VnYIOUFeoLA/s1600/graham+cracker+bar.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Graham Cracker Bar: Chocolate graham crackers (Raley's brand), homemade chocolate and vanilla frostings, vegan chocolate chips, two type of sugar crystals and white sprinkles, shredded sweetened coconut, bananas and strawberries. The crackers had corn syrup, and the pink sugar crystals had coloring; other than that everything else was natural and free of colors and artificial flavors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBVz9RZ_ZMyxH2VAJb6YYGJOokcMoHKhkxCsWIzM0RxfcpoBTayYDnYFGheCTNGLqWQWwUX_kpEWFHhgfv7logrgJMB3SHTAxkcINJ5lRMfG2RZDcBy61lvpCw2bN0vjY4xomov9R8mc/s1600/graham+crackers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBVz9RZ_ZMyxH2VAJb6YYGJOokcMoHKhkxCsWIzM0RxfcpoBTayYDnYFGheCTNGLqWQWwUX_kpEWFHhgfv7logrgJMB3SHTAxkcINJ5lRMfG2RZDcBy61lvpCw2bN0vjY4xomov9R8mc/s1600/graham+crackers.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Here are my two crackers and my quota of sweetness for a month! On the left, a cracker is smothered with chocolate frosting and has bananas and strawberries and white sprinkles. On the right, a cracker is smothered with vanilla frosting and has coconut, chocolate chips and more white sprinkles. Flossing is a must to get rid of those sugar bugs!<br />
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<b><i>Graham Cracker Bar</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Vegan Graham Crackers</i><br />
<i>Various toppings - We used: </i><br />
<i>Homemade chocolate frosting</i><br />
<i>Homemade vanilla frosting</i><br />
<i>Vegan chocolate chips</i><br />
<i>Pink sugar crystals</i><br />
<i>Blue sugar crystals</i><br />
<i>White non-pareil sprinkles</i><br />
<i>Shredded, sweetened coconut</i><br />
<i>Chopped bananas</i><br />
<i>Chopped strawberries</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Lay everything out in a fun, accessible way. Grab a cracker, and get going! Feeds five hungry vegans in <b>this </b>house! Yum.</i><br />
<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-46598326842297426112014-03-27T20:59:00.000-07:002014-03-28T07:35:54.242-07:00BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red BellsThis is a fun way to change up a tofu dinner. With barbecue sauce and a couple of vegetables, your family can have a complete meal served over brown rice. I usually call scallions green onions, but I wanted to fancy them up, since they're in the title. As far as the barbecue sauce, I just recommend a natural one, free of yucky ingredients. I bought mine at the 99 cent store! Enjoy this simple meal!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AjmHQvTdVXE62HosIiz8ocfatdFzLsZHZrsxvqkV4EspkUpEQvHVj4xBy1TdKNbop5lcUMriTmpMblgjf9woDYEMpgVUfwC8zGKT7dlt3uAWw9gTZ53Wpd3mefmT3QkHZxjuueE6wT8/s1600/bbq+tofu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AjmHQvTdVXE62HosIiz8ocfatdFzLsZHZrsxvqkV4EspkUpEQvHVj4xBy1TdKNbop5lcUMriTmpMblgjf9woDYEMpgVUfwC8zGKT7dlt3uAWw9gTZ53Wpd3mefmT3QkHZxjuueE6wT8/s1600/bbq+tofu.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red Bells</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2 Tbs. olive oil</i><br />
<i>3 - 14 oz. pkgs. water-packed, extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed</i><br />
<i>1 red bell pepper, julienned into 1 and 1/2 inch to 2 inch strips</i><br />
<i>3 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths</i><br />
<i>1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Brown rice made according to package directions</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
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<i>In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the tofu. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until somewhat browned. Turn heat down to medium, if tofu is cooking too quickly. When tofu is browned, make sure heat is at medium, and add the scallions, red bell pepper, and sauce. Cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over brown rice. Simple and yummy. Feeds five hungry vegans. </i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-63908344170672355852014-03-24T10:09:00.003-07:002014-03-24T14:13:17.617-07:00Banana-Flax French ToastThis latest recipe is an alternative to my existing <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/01/french-toast.html">French Toast</a> recipe. Both are yummy, and while the first one offers the health benefits of nutritional yeast flakes (maybe I should put that in its title!), this one offers flax seed. Good for you French toast? You betcha! See below for the easy to make batter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Jw6THOU9ucZD2RdIjEne0hmrbQa794XHCyVUma002u24n07y_eLGcYNXLIYC-5HN-AD0wzaTTrjpkGymrnB5DqXa7qcQCLMxhwDbUfvpL_DavNCUg14ZmHunLP-mwruIOgvXleGzew/s1600/Banana+Flax+French+Toast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Jw6THOU9ucZD2RdIjEne0hmrbQa794XHCyVUma002u24n07y_eLGcYNXLIYC-5HN-AD0wzaTTrjpkGymrnB5DqXa7qcQCLMxhwDbUfvpL_DavNCUg14ZmHunLP-mwruIOgvXleGzew/s1600/Banana+Flax+French+Toast.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Banana-Flax French Toast</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>14-16 thick slices of your favorite bread</i><br />
<i>2 cups soy milk</i><br />
<i>1 banana, pureed or mashed well</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. cinnamon</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. ground flax seed</i><br />
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<i>Canola oil for frying </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk, banana, cinnamon and flax seed. You really don't want any large lumps of banana, so make sure it's mashed well before whisking. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. When hot, dredge bread slices into the batter and add to the pan. Cook on each side three to five minutes, or until they are golden brown. Repeat with the oil until the batter is used up. Serve with your favorite syrup. Good! Feeds five hungry vegans. Any extras can be frozen and reheated in the microwave.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-87946460158041016382014-03-20T15:35:00.001-07:002014-03-20T15:35:56.171-07:00Snowy Bananas and StrawberriesHere is a very simple salad to welcome those warmer days, and one in which we can also reap the sweet harvest of strawberries already at our Farmer's Markets. Enjoy!<br />
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<b><i>Snowy Bananas and Strawberries</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>3 bananas, sliced into rings</i><br />
<i>3 cups of coarsely chopped, fresh strawberries</i><br />
<i>1 cup of shredded, sweetened coconut</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Toss all the ingredients together right before serving. Enjoy right away. Feeds five hungry vegans. So satisfying!</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-76371926575028975492014-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:002014-03-18T07:07:48.010-07:00Dedicated to Charlene<br />
This has been a hard for year for us and our kitties so far. We lost sweet Charlene on Friday morning. We all could feel she had only a few hours left when we loved on her late Thursday night. GR took her to bed with her, and when she woke up at five, she could tell that Charlene was gone. I was awake and in the living room shortly after that and saw the two of them snuggled together on the recliner. GR had been calling Charlene her bro, and so SR gave her Barney Stinson's Bro code on <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/02/grs-14th-birthday.html">GR's birthday</a> . GR had read the first half of the book to Charlene that day, and on Friday morning she read her the second half. It touched my mother-heart, and not only did I cry for Charlene, but I cried for the loss my children would have. In a few minutes I woke up SR and JK, and we all said our last good-byes to her. G was already at work.<br />
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Charlene and a large male cat that G and I called her brother showed up on our lawn about seventeen years ago and never left. We named her brother Chuck, and he was definitely her protector. She has always been docile and timid, and so they were the perfect pair. We used to have an orange tabby that we had tamed from being feral, and we thought their resemblances were enough that they could have been his offspring. They were inside and outside at first, but G (and GR) are allergic to cats, so eventually they became outside-only cats. One day Chuck was under one of our bushes, dead, and we have no idea why, but poisoning came to mind. Shortly after that, <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2014/01/dedicated-to-sparkly.html">Sparkly</a> showed up, and the ladies grew old together. Whereas Sparkly never liked the indoors, Charlene was most grateful a few years ago, when she was brought back inside permanently. G and GR are still allergic, but everyone could see that she loved being indoors. (Now, G has completely given up, and so Cleopatra and Dennis are luxuriating indoors.) She adjusted quickly to the dogs and quickly became litter-box trained. She would pick a favorite spot and not move from it for months, except for necessities. Then, she would find a new spot. Lately, it's been in GR's and JK's room. She is buried next to Sparkly in our garden; JK added a toy, like he did with Sparkly, and GR put in a copy of the Bro Code's cover. SR commented to me yesterday that all her childhood pets, the ones that she had when she was little, are all gone now. I thought of that too, and it saddened both of us. We humans are sure lucky when we have such wonderful non-human companions. See below for some of the pictures taken of Charlene this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SKd_U_i51YG5kyoIfSDFER4pQs9cAdu3I3Z4U73CWbE0cWsHPnWyd7PZCloa7cQKqb727DLqRPVd8mmJp8tIzN4wv-P9k8C2KY0ygtBoIdppEUiGDJdX5UrvmGsqf573OqHbKzYX19c/s1600/Charlene,+Mindy+and+Dennis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SKd_U_i51YG5kyoIfSDFER4pQs9cAdu3I3Z4U73CWbE0cWsHPnWyd7PZCloa7cQKqb727DLqRPVd8mmJp8tIzN4wv-P9k8C2KY0ygtBoIdppEUiGDJdX5UrvmGsqf573OqHbKzYX19c/s1600/Charlene,+Mindy+and+Dennis.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's she's sharing Mindy's rump with Dennis. Yes, Dennis - I'll get to that in another post.</div>
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This time they are sharing Abby.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91TYdhu_Eby3i6g99UX0X6a2yFMxaJxb8iWultq1NNyX3MtG7rhRphPpd0vmIYmNW7Y1WHlhGeLM0BFwczqlf3PpdAb4CAitcsDDB1yPVl1qGKXi_ghEM1yn88VyKNr4z_kQGAUN7EO8/s1600/Charlene+and+GR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91TYdhu_Eby3i6g99UX0X6a2yFMxaJxb8iWultq1NNyX3MtG7rhRphPpd0vmIYmNW7Y1WHlhGeLM0BFwczqlf3PpdAb4CAitcsDDB1yPVl1qGKXi_ghEM1yn88VyKNr4z_kQGAUN7EO8/s1600/Charlene+and+GR.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here GR has made aluminum foil protective head gear for her and her bro to keep the government from controlling them and finding out their thoughts! See, GR even made Charlene her very own ear holes in her hat.</div>
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She was definitely a sweetie-pie and has long-reminded me of my childhood cat, Squeaky, that I had for seventeen years. Charlene was gentle and accepting and so easy to love and so easy to miss. We love you, Charlene.</div>
<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-69680776938562511252014-03-13T11:32:00.000-07:002014-03-14T06:15:51.242-07:00Strawberry Cream Cheese TartThis is a recipe that I came across and veganized, tweaked, adjusted measurements, and rearranged, as is my usual way, to get the end result I want. And...that result is delicious! Like <i>some</i> of my other desserts, this does have a few steps, but they are not overwhelming. Just go steady like the tortoise, and before you know it, you'll be enjoying a slice of this wonderful treat. Just a note: I find that using the freshest juices and peels possible creates the best flavor; if you've got fresh citrus, use them first before other sources. Of course, it goes without saying, that the best flavor ever for this tart will come from the freshest strawberries.<br />
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart</div>
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A beautiful slice of said tart, mm-mmm!</div>
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<br />
<b><i>Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart</i></b><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Crust:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</i><br />
<i>2 Tbs. vegan sugar</i><br />
<i>1/4 tsp. salt</i><br />
<i>6 oz. vegan stick margarine, chilled</i><br />
<i>6 Tbs. fresh orange juice (from fresh oranges, if possible)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Filling:</i><br />
<br />
<i>2 pkgs. Tofutti cream cheese, room temperature</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup vegan sugar</i><br />
<i>1 Tbs. freshly grated orange rind</i><br />
<i>12 - 14 strawberries, thinly sliced lengthwise</i><br />
<br />
<i>Glaze:</i><br />
<br />
<i>3 Tbs. strawberry preserves</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (from a fresh lemon, if possible) </i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Crust:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>In a food processor with the pastry blade, put in the flour, sugar and salt. Process for a few seconds to mix. Cut up the margarine into chunks, and add those to the dry mix. Process again, until you get a grainy consistency. With the machine running, pour the orange juice through the feeder hole. Your dough should clump together into a sort of ball in about a minute. Take this ball out, shape into a disc, wrap in wax paper, and chill for ten minutes. (Alternately, you can use a pastry cutter or fork, if you don't have a food processor.) Take dough out of fridge and place between two large squares of wax paper. Roll dough out to a circle about thirteen or so inches in diameter, large enough to cover your spring-form tart pan and sides. Note: My pan is 11.5 inches; if yours is smaller you can adjust your circle and even your dough amount, if you wish. Take top sheet of wax paper off dough, and gently flip the dough over your pan. Press down to cover the bottom and sides completely. If you have bare patches, and you have extra dough in other areas, take the extra dough to cover the patches. Anything else that is extra, you can fold down into the pan, or take a sharp knife and trim the top of the pan to remove excess dough. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the crust with wax paper, and layer a pound of dried beans on it, making sure the entire bottom is covered. Bake for eight minutes. Take out the tart from the oven. Remove the beans into a container for future use, and remove the wax paper as well. Bake crust for another eight minutes. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Filling:</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and orange rind, until well combined, about two minutes on low to medium speed. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool completely on cooling rack. When crust is cool, release the sides of the tart pan, and place tart on serving dish. Layer your strawberry slices on the crust in a circular pattern, starting from the outside and working your way in. With any extra slices you may have at the end, fill in any gaps you see. You want the top of the tart to be screaming strawberries! </i><br />
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<i>Glaze: </i><br />
<br />
<i>Heat the strawberry preserves and lemon juice in a small pan over medium low heat, until well-mixed and runny. You can strain this through a mesh sieve to leave out any lemon bits. With a basting brush, paint the glaze all over the strawberries. Chill for at least one hour before serving. So good, and it feeds five hungry vegans for a couple of desserts!</i><br />
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<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-29416577273611857312014-03-09T16:18:00.002-07:002014-03-14T06:15:34.518-07:00Classic Avocado, Cream Cheese and Sprouts SandwichWhen you go into a deli and look at their vegan or vegetarian sandwich choices, inevitably you'll see a version of this. Why spend the six bucks per sandwich when you can make these at home? Anyways, the chances of finding a deli with vegan cream cheese are probably 1000 to 1 or worse. Served with a veggie stir-fry, it makes for a complete meal.<br />
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<b><i>Classic Avocado, Cream Cheese and Sprouts Sandwich</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Your favorite bread on hand - we used sourdough</i><br />
<i>1 tub of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese or your favorite vegan cream cheese</i><br />
<i>3 avocados, mashed with a fork</i><br />
<i>Salt and pepper to taste </i><br />
<i>1 cup of alfalfa sprouts </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Spread a thick layer of cream cheese on one slice of bread. On top of that, spread a couple heaping tablespoons of mashed avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your liking, and top with a layer of sprouts. Add the top bread slice and bite. Mm-mmm, taste the classicness of it all! Feeds five hungry vegans.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-40659072278859400862014-03-06T18:08:00.001-08:002014-03-06T18:08:11.577-08:00Mini TostadasA great alternative to the big tostada salads - like my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/09/big-soy-tostadas_03.html">Big Soy Tostadas</a> or my <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-bean-tostadas.html">Big Bean Tostadas</a> - are mini tostadas. I like to buy several kinds of toppings, and we all just build our own. At this point, I offer classic Mexican toppings, but I may branch out into adventurous kinds. When I do, I'll let you know. You can buy these flat, small shells near the traditional tortillas in most stores or in Mexican markets. This makes an easy and fun lunch or dinner for adults and kids alike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGQdk5Mvv-vjY0tmDn09jX-oeDaxm09DY-G9DDbDWinhOWrNztM0RSl59hF6JJFlYDYe1fRIkLn9h9RgDguqPvFNcA1dhcQGcA_lc90VF7E2RsejBfw2RJ9yR_95VA71EV_s3F-8zBpA/s1600/Mini+Tostadas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGQdk5Mvv-vjY0tmDn09jX-oeDaxm09DY-G9DDbDWinhOWrNztM0RSl59hF6JJFlYDYe1fRIkLn9h9RgDguqPvFNcA1dhcQGcA_lc90VF7E2RsejBfw2RJ9yR_95VA71EV_s3F-8zBpA/s1600/Mini+Tostadas.JPG" height="300" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<b><i>Mini Tostadas</i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Small, flat, crunchy tostada shells</i><br />
<i>Vegetarian refried beans</i><br />
<i>Chopped Romaine lettuce</i><br />
<i>Chopped tomatoes </i><br />
<i>Sliced black olives</i><br />
<i>Hot sauce</i><br />
<br />
<i>Directions:</i><br />
<br />
<i>Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place several tostada shells on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven for ten minutes. Meanwhile, heat the beans in a pot over medium heat until warm. Remove shells from oven, and top them with the beans and the other toppings. Measurements are to your personal liking. Just pick up and crunch away! Feeds five hungry vegans in <b>our</b> home.</i>blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3561395185167982469.post-46717017249238635152014-02-28T16:32:00.002-08:002014-12-31T14:07:47.133-08:00GR's 14th Birthday!GR shares her birthday with President Lincoln, so whenever you have the day off for that day, think of her! As usual, she didn't want to have a party, instead picking things to do on her day with her family. It was a great day, and I am so blessed to have her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpg9JDV6VTamlsndi62WnJOPnTwbiOTCTKk1bt_62Qd7GP1uIjZawacpVyhy1khM8aU3WuxDveL0qEylJXqzzCI6ue_GZe1NKZ4X-k3tNldsQSg3G5MNsdAtYgjFRwT4xigbE0wO-ZbI/s1600/GR+b-day+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpg9JDV6VTamlsndi62WnJOPnTwbiOTCTKk1bt_62Qd7GP1uIjZawacpVyhy1khM8aU3WuxDveL0qEylJXqzzCI6ue_GZe1NKZ4X-k3tNldsQSg3G5MNsdAtYgjFRwT4xigbE0wO-ZbI/s1600/GR+b-day+shot.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
We started off the day by going to the historical Railroad Museum, which she just loves. If you're ever in Sacramento, this is a must-see. We were home for lunch and presents, including new booties for her pup, Mindy, and...<br />
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...cake! And, yes, we can't seem to stop having our <a href="http://blessedveganlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/black-tie-cheesecake.html">Black Tie Cheesecake</a> . Seriously, you have to make this. I also allowed myself to have one Oreo Birthday Cake cookie. Not a fan of processed cookies, but GR wanted them, so I had to have one, too. After lunch, we watched <u>The Great Gatsby</u>. She is a major fan of the story and has read the book several times. I got her the movie for Christmas, and she decided that day to save the first viewing of it for her birthday. The wait was well worth it for her. Now, her movie goes well with her new Gatsby poster that little brother, JK, gave her for her birthday.<br />
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A couple of hours later, my parents joined us for dinner at Gatsby's Diner! Yes, we have a Gatsby's Diner in town, and GR made up her mind that's where she wanted to have her birthday dinner months ago. I looked online at their website - <a href="http://www.gatsbysdiner.com/">www.gatsbysdiner.com</a> - and realized that although they had several vegetarian options, there was nothing vegan but their side salad. GR said that was fine with her. What she didn't know was that I went there in person and spoke with the co-owner, David, explained that my daughter was a Great Gatsby nut and would they make us a special dinner? David graciously agreed to do so. GR doesn't ask for much, so I wanted to do this for her. Their buns and breads aren't vegan, and they had no pasta on the menu. But, we agreed that he would make us a special pasta dish for that night. He went out and bought pasta just for our family. See our delicious dishes below.<br />
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Believe it or not, this huge salad is their side salad! This was SO good; I can't remember having a side salad that tasted this good. I could taste the fresh thyme that was sprinkled on. Loved it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeCTxlgaT4_74KXwwlZy6q7G5EQSSkLxOsRFwnNPeghW2UaNkzWbjca1qb0nm5HJd3OSQ_j6NeV1zCO6oaEeRtarJbp9ZobC5iE_dt-N881AvcPhlPQmzsIknnrfVmf85ZRpgJ6KXiwg/s1600/GR+fries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeCTxlgaT4_74KXwwlZy6q7G5EQSSkLxOsRFwnNPeghW2UaNkzWbjca1qb0nm5HJd3OSQ_j6NeV1zCO6oaEeRtarJbp9ZobC5iE_dt-N881AvcPhlPQmzsIknnrfVmf85ZRpgJ6KXiwg/s1600/GR+fries.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
I kept our dinner a secret from GR; as far as she knew, we were just going to have the salads. But, being kids, she and her siblings saw fries on the menu, so we ordered two batches to share. Tasty as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg783L9Qm5gG53u1gAVoKyYKnDBRuoeRYbkUiQF3JD2oSxpeFYb58tgGS5TxJYTQxXH9xJ4up4-wVJSPsl0ClXrFfMMTtRpyHjR3hMEXiAVRN5NYjI-zm42H58Zr5RfDC0HJKmjsBaR5U/s1600/GR+pasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg783L9Qm5gG53u1gAVoKyYKnDBRuoeRYbkUiQF3JD2oSxpeFYb58tgGS5TxJYTQxXH9xJ4up4-wVJSPsl0ClXrFfMMTtRpyHjR3hMEXiAVRN5NYjI-zm42H58Zr5RfDC0HJKmjsBaR5U/s1600/GR+pasta.JPG" height="300" width="400" /> </a></div>
Here is my huge portion of pasta. He put grilled portabello mushrooms just on mine because I would be the only one appreciating them. It was so much that I brought most of this home with me. Everything was excellent, including the service. We can't go back on a regular basis, just because of the lack of choices, but for this one night, they made it super special. It was a great surprise for GR when he brought out the pasta.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaMBcRJw4w0u2npNHgnyQ2DpxRm2R0SbICBBZ_OiBQspRHQMjhcr6hdOJgHzS82o_gRL7gNWFTJMIW41rHZT7RjjX6wy7Bulp-h0vkZzsMG2IuNLxE7Uht007oHdvQRTV4rLcZgCByUE/s1600/GR+b%2527day+dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaMBcRJw4w0u2npNHgnyQ2DpxRm2R0SbICBBZ_OiBQspRHQMjhcr6hdOJgHzS82o_gRL7gNWFTJMIW41rHZT7RjjX6wy7Bulp-h0vkZzsMG2IuNLxE7Uht007oHdvQRTV4rLcZgCByUE/s1600/GR+b%2527day+dinner.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's GR enjoying her dinner in the restaurant of her dreams. Happy Birthday, dear GR!<br />
<br />blessedmamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281648597707759434noreply@blogger.com19