Kristen's Memorable Lasagna

This was given to me by my good friend, Kristen. She recited from memory, her favorite recipe for lasagna as I wrote it down. I will never forget her kindness to me. This is in a bit different format than I usually write my posts, but I think you'll understand that she was also one of a kind. I will never forget her.

Sauce: Combine: onion, chopped & sautéed

        carrots, thinly sliced (mandolin is optional)

        prepared tomato sauce

        garlic &/ onion powder, optional

Pasta: Boil one package of lasagna noodles, preferably gluten free, made from brown rice, until al dente, not too soft! 

Creamy Cashew Cheese: Make one batch of creamy cashew cheese, by blending in a high powered blender until smooth the following

1 cup cashews, fermented if you choose

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Blend in a high powered blender until smooth.

Assemble in layers, a little bit of sauce on bottom of a 9”x13” pan, then the following:

1. 3 noodles

2. Sauce

3. Fresh spinach

4. Dollops of creamy cashew cheese 

5. Optional - vegan cheese

6. Repeat steps 1-5

7. Again, repeat steps 1-5

8. Repeat step 1 with the last 3 lasagna noodles 

9. Add the last of the sauce and any cashew cheese left. 

You can add any seasonings in the dish or as a topping before baking that you like. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let rest for a few minutes, before cutting, so it will stay together better. 

Apple Crisp with Gluten-Free Option

 This recipe is an old favorite we make for celebrations when we have family gatherings. It's simple and easy to make. My daughter, who does not take to cooking as much as my son did, will bake this. It's like an easy version of apple pie and can easily be made gluten free. We try to always keep apples in the house anyway. It is from a recipe in the old More with Less cookbook, which incidentally has many things to read, not just recipes! My mother used to make this, and it is a favorite of mine. This cookbook taught me many things when I learned to cook and I still base many of my favorites on it, with the vegan and somewhat healthier versions of their ingredients. This is my version. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Combine in a bowl, then put apple mix into an oiled baking square/round dish: 

4-5 cups peeled (*preferred) and sliced/chopped/diced organic apples

1 Tablespoon flour (whole wheat, spelt, etc.) OR gluten-free blend**

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon five spice powder/pumpkin pie spice/Ceylon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon water

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Combine oat topping separately in another bowl, into a crumb-like mixture: 

3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 1/2 teaspoons (or equivalent 1/2 Tablespoon) molasses 

Put the oat topping mix onto the apple mix in the baking dish. Bake at 375℉ for about 30-35 minutes or until baked through and bubbly. 

* Keep the peels if you have organic apples and freeze them to put into smoothies! 

** For other gluten-free options, try tapioca starch, arrowroot or even potato starch. Or it can be a gluten-free flour blend of your choice.

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans & an Impromptu Family Visit

(We are in the month of April in 2024. I am back dating this for 2020, because the first time I cooked this was on April 7, 2020.)

I had just gotten an Instant Pot secondhand. My son helped me find one. Yes, I am slow to the party. I wanted to make sure it was worth me buying another kitchen small appliance. I told myself I need to try cooking with it in the first week, or I might never use it. It could have been another item sitting on a shelf. This was going to be different. So try, I did.

I knew I wanted to cook up dried beans, without soaking, just because. Although I still recommend soaking beans, draining and then cooking with fresh water, which is better for digestion, I find I just put it off and use canned beans many times. 

Enter the Instant Pot. From the get go, I have been impressed. Never before had I ever learned to cook with a manual pressure cooker. The Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker (slow cooker, etc), takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. I have no memory of my mother ever using a pressure cooker when I was growing up. 

I made sure to get some cookbooks from the library so I could learn from others. One particular book, written by Britt Brandon, called "The 'I Love My Instant Pot' Vegan Recipe Book" is chock full of such great recipes, that I suggest you go out and buy it! 

The recipe in her book is titled, "Boston-Style Baked Beans". The first time I tried it, I thought it would add a little flavor, more than the usual plain water cooked beans I make. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to taste a familiar flavor from my childhood. 

My mother used to make beans along with cornbread. Her variation I had growing up used ham/salt pork, but no tomatoes. The canned, dark, overly-sweet baked beans in the store, are not what I remember at all growing up, other than a camping menu item. This recipe uses liquid smoke that I have found helpful to get those comfort flavors again after going meat free years ago.

The following is my take on Britt Brandon's recipe. I always get compliments on these. Keep in mind, I almost always double/big batch things like this. I use primarily an 8 quart Instant Pot as I find it the most versatile and useful for larger recipes. I happen to have the Ultra IP version. Read the notes below the recipe for my ingredient notes. Enjoy! 

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans - Big Batch 

(Want less than a big batch? You can cut this in half. But why? Cold leftovers make a great raw veggie dip!)

In your Instant Pot metal inner pot, combine the following 6 ingredients: 

2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) white beans (such as navy, cannellini, or great northern)

9 cups water 

1 whole bay leaf

1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil (optional) 

2 teaspoons salt 

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (Wright's brand preferred) (OR smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)

Set to "pressure cook" for 40 minutes on high. Let release naturally, but if you need to, you can quick release after 10 minutes, once cook time has completed. 

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When the IP pressure has come down and you can open it again, set the IP to "sauté" and "less" or low. Then add the following ingredients and simmer without the lid for another 10 minutes or more to get the consistency you like. We like ours a little soupy, nice and soft. Stir often.*

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (OR 2 teaspoons dry mustard)

2 Tablespoons evaporated cane juice/turbinado sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons molasses

*Another method is to simply add everything in all at once and pressure cook for the first 40 minutes amount. Then only to thicken it, would you add any sauté time, making sure to stir often. 

Notes about a few of the ingredients:

Oil: You do not need to add any oil, and for a while, I didn't. Now I find a little makes it feel more like I remember. You can use what you like for oil if you decide to include it. 

Salt: The is one time that I don't use my own Seasoned Salt. It would introduce too many other flavor notes, already taken care of by the other ingredients. I wanted to have it fairly predictable with the familiar flavor I was looking for. I used Himalayan salt, but whatever salt you like is fine.

Liquid Smoke: I prefer Wright's brand as I find the ingredients to be natural with nothing added for color, or salt. I just want the smoke flavor and in a glass bottle, the way I prefer. I used hickory liquid smoke, but Wright's also makes a mesquite and applewood flavor. The Wright's hickory and mesquite are non-gmo. They are all gluten free, without added salt or soy or vinegar. 

Onion: I like a good red onion, but any would suffice. The original recipe called for a specific measuring cup amount. I find that I will use a whole onion, no matter what. If I need less at a time, I will use a smaller onion. Do what works for you. Red, yellow, or white onion are good (green/spring onion not so much). 

Mustard: Use whatever you have on hand. The last time I made these, I happened to have a prepared stone ground dijon mustard. 

Sweetener: Use what you have. I would steer away from honey as it would change the flavor too much. I usually use a dry sweetener as listed. Maple syrup works, but adds another flavor too, not as much as honey would though. 

Molasses: And this is why these are called Boston Baked Beans. The history of this recipe will tell you more about why it needs to have molasses. Check it out sometime. I use a run-of-the-mill, locally sourced molasses from my local bulk food store bottled in a pint jar. You may ask about Blackstrap, but this is not the time to use it, in my opinion. 

A memory for this recipe (I am publishing this in 2024, so the rest of this memory will make sense... 

Monday, April 8, 2024. Many of you will know that this date (4/8/2024) was the solar eclipse and many in our area had watch parties because we were in the area of totality across our state. The night before, my aunt and uncle from out of state, called to ask if my dad was willing to host them for one night so they could enjoy the eclipse from his property. The duration of the eclipse would start about 2 pm and end about 4:30pm, with the totality (darkness) from about 3:14-3:17 pm. They drove early in the morning to get here. They arrived about five minutes after 2 that Monday afternoon, because of the eclipse traffic (in this area, most schools called off for the day). We enjoyed the afternoon and evening chats with them as my dad is also our next door neighbor. We were glad to have a great day weather wise, to take it in together with them. We snapped photos of the eclipse and family selfie photos to remember our day by. 

I realized that although we had just gotten back from a trip that Sunday, we would need to make a supper plan. I really hadn't gotten much in the way of groceries just yet, but my son was here to help. He's a cook in his own right and he offered to help. He saw we had volunteer collard greens growing in my (not yet cleaned up) garden the previous year. He also suggested we pick a few dandelions for the meal. I was up for it. We pulled out the grill on our Breeo fire pit (we love this thing!). I had a Victoria cast iron wok that he pulled out and prepared. He cooked the collards with some onions, and seasoned them nicely. Then the (cleaned and washed) dandelions went in, simply made and gave a taste for everyone to try. We supplemented with some kale and spinach mix sautéed up. Red skinned potatoes were oiled, salted (Herbamare herbed salt) and wrapped in foil (one of the rare times I use foil) to be baked on the grill next to the cast iron wok. We brought out some extra seasonings if anyone wanted any. 

We had a feast! Earlier in the day, I put on this recipe of beans in the house, knowing we needed some for the coming week anyway - next time I would try cooking them over the fire! Let me tell you it was the best way to eat these beans and the day was perfect. We sat, talked and ate until sunset around 8 pm or later. 

An impromptu visit for my dad, his sister and brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle (a couple I always love to talk to and visit) .... turned out to be a great day. My daughter was home, my son pulled in right before they arrived and my husband came after his work day just in time to get our fire started and join us to make our supper outside. What a wonderful fireside meal to end the day of the solar eclipse... and lovely memories to remember. We even had two sunsets, both of which we spent outside in the nice 70℉ day. 

Simple Spice Cake - Oil Free

I've been involved with theater for the past few years and I had the privilege to portray Mrs. Frank for a production of The Diary of Anne Frank earlier this year. Because of my interest in food, I volunteered to make the food that was part of our onstage scenes. There's a scene for New Year's Day 1944 celebrating with spice cake. Historically The Diary of Anne Frank is one of many stories of Jews hiding during the holocaust, and it takes place in Amsterdam, Holland.

I loved spice cake when I was young and hadn't had any for years until I was looking for a recipe for this play. I hope you enjoy this simple version. It isn't overly sweet and I like it that way.

Spice Cake - Oil Free

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius). Prepare a large loaf pan or a square  (8"x 8") cake pan using parchment paper to line pan.

Mix and set aside:
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (dark preferred)
1/4 cup water

Mix in separate bowl and whisk to mix (using a small sieve to sift any lumps):
1 1/2 cup whole grain flour (can be whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup turbinado sugar or 3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Chinese five spice OR pumpkin spice

Mix in a separate 2 cup liquid measuring cup the following:
1 cup applesauce (can be part pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark molasses (not blackstrap, unless you prefer it)
ground flax seed & water as directed above - add here to liquids

Mix the wet into the dry ingredients. It should be a fairly stiff batter. Pour and spread into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes (less for cupcakes*) or more until toothpick inserted comes out clean. After removing from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove and cool.

You may add a bit of grated carrot, zucchini, etc before baking. If batter seems too moist and not stiff, add some more flour, a little at a time, before you bake. Some people like dried fruit or nuts (I added chopped dates to the one in the photo above).

Note on the spices: I really like to use Chinese five spice for this, as it tends to have star anise flavor and is like taking the cake up a notch from the pumpkin spice most people are used to. I also prefer Chinese five spice that does not include pepper, which might be hard to find, but you can use the pepper versions too. I plan to post my own spice blend recipe for Chinese five spice soon. Most people have a ready made pumpkin spice that can be used, otherwise you can follow my recipe for that here.

Optional sauce topping: I have used a simple strawberry sauce as a topping sometimes. You can make this by pureeing fresh or partly thawed frozen strawberries in a blender with a little water and your choice of sweetener if needed. It is a nice addition. I originally used strawberries because we also ate strawberries in the play in another scene. I never used it this way onstage, but it was a fun thing to have for the cast party! =) You could use another fruit for the same idea. You may frost instead if you like after it cools. I like it plain without any extra anything on top.

*Cupcake tip: You can use canning lid rings (no lid) on a cookie sheet if you don't have a muffin pan. It holds cupcake papers/liners nicely for cake batter. This is what I do, since I don't own a muffin pan. This was how I made spice cake cupcakes for our concession stand for snacks at intermission for the play.

Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).

To get a recipe for Apple Walnut Charoset, click here. 

 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread

Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.

Preparing the Seder and Apple Walnut Charoset

This is a mixture on the Passover Seder plate symbolizing the mortar used by Hebrew slaves in Egypt. You may use a mixture of different kinds of apples. I used only Gala apples this year and it was delicious. This is Ashkenazic style charoset (or haroset, depending on how you spell it). 

To get a homemade matzah recipe, click here.

Apple Walnut Charoset

Combine in a bowl:

3 large apples, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (black preferred, but English will work)
1/3 cup Concord grape juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional - to taste

Cover and chill. This recipe may be prepared using a food processor on the pulse setting to desired consistency. I like mine a little more on the finely chopped side.

Reflections: Where we are in the journey...

Hello everyone! Can you believe it will be 10 years ago that I started this blog - next month, in fact!

I thought it would be good to write about where we are in our journey today. So many things swirling about in my mind as of late. I realize that I am not where I want to be in some things, and yet so much further along than I thought I would be in other things, at the same time. As in life, our choices greatly depend on what's available, our experiences, and more. Many things involve others along the way. I have always believed that if progress is made in a positive direction, it's better off than before. If you can make good big changes quickly, good for you, especially if it involves moving away from something destructive. I will speak up for the baby step idea though, it can't be overlooked as a more permanent option for most.

It might get a little long, so hang on!

While my family and I continue our vegan diet (as originally summarized in my "food philosophy" blog posts, we have changed things here and there. We have gone from using wheat (and other gluten grains) to gluten/wheat free for a few years, and now back again with an emphasis on organic whole grains and doing more of our own baking if we can. As you know, I really love making our own food from scratch. I still favor organic if I can. Local and sustainable food sources are important to me.

While at one time, we used to have daily green smoothies (I still love them!), it's not quite as often anymore. We now also balance our breakfast choices with some organic rolled oats (soaked or cooked) with nuts, seeds, and dried/fresh fruit, or even a breakfast of whole grain toast with some yummy avocados or even coconut butter. Leftovers should not be overlooked either, and we are known for checking out what's in the fridge to eat in the mornings.

We tend to eat out less than we did before, mostly for financial reasons (as of this month, we are debt free!). When we do go out, we try to choose a reasonably healthier version of cuisine to enjoy. Lately, we have been doing added oil free at our house, so eating out can be a challenge, but we also allow ourselves to have the vegan options at restaurants without a lot of requests for no added oil (we try to choose the best options we can without customizing our orders).

Regarding eating foods without added oils: I have found that we are adjusting quite well, in fact. My son, who will be turning twenty soon, embraced it from the get-go. He routinely now makes his stir-frys and sautés with water or broth, and we all still eat just fine. We don't have the greasy feeling in our mouths when having "fried" rice and such. Added oils contribute a lot of calories and not much else. We do routinely still use foods like nuts and nut butters, shredded coconut (what I make our coconut butter from), seeds, avocados, etc.

We prefer eating foods in their whole form, more or less. We have now adapted our diet to be what most people call a whole food, plant based diet.  I have always believed that eating real food, as close to it's original form, is best for everyone! The term vegan has almost become synonymous with no animal products, but vegan processed/junk food is welcome. That is not my philosophy here at Vegan Footprints! You can continue to find wholesome foods and recipes here!

We continue to adopt habits that help us not only save money, but are better for the environment. That means to us, using cloth napkins at mealtimes, cloth handkerchiefs (preferred by my family anyway!), reusable water bottles (stainless steel is our preference - I can't remember the last time I drank or even bought a one-time-use bottle of water),  recycling what we can (which is expanding all the time!), and buying things with less packaging (or none at all). Having said that, recycling isn't everything, and we are trying little by little to do low/zero waste instead. Our trash is considerably less, amounting to about 2-3 small kitchen size trash bags per month. We compost our food waste and recycle what we can otherwise.

When we do buy things, whether it be clothing, school/office supplies, furniture, kitchen misc., etc., we try to find it second hand first. There are so many things that are still useful out there. I look for yard/garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, antique places, flea markets, etc. Friends sometimes will offer things they don't need anymore. I tell them if I can't use it, I can donate it for them.

There are so many benefits to not buying disposable products! This goes for just about anything bought that is meant for one single use only. I will add here that we still buy toilet paper, so for those of you wondering, you can breathe a sigh of relief! Ha, ha! Seriously though, just think about bottled water (I have survived without), paper tissues/napkins/towels/plates (you can eliminate), plastic wrap/foil/plastic bags/utensils (I have not bought these for years), and the list goes on. I even have lined up a still-good-to-use antique safety razor. Just today, I realized that along with writing this blog for ten years, I have also used a reusable menstrual cup for even longer!

Cleaning products in my house now consist of an all purpose liquid soap (which we use for hands, body, hair and household cleaning purposes), vinegar, and baking soda, along with all kinds of brushes and rags. Along with a second hand acquired Rainbow vacuum (for a total of only $40, which includes a power head!), a few essential oils, and a feather duster, we can cover just about anything. We can't forget our small brush that cleans out our reusable stainless steel straws! Love those straws for our green smoothies!

For storage containers in our kitchen, we generally use glass or stainless steel. It might be canning jars, in all sorts of sizes, to glass storage which I can bake, freeze or use in my cupboards. I bake mostly using an assortment of stainless steel pans. Using silicone mats for easy cleaning and no added oil baking and roasting. To go shopping, I try to have reusable cloth bags for carrying groceries. Keeping them in the car helps tremendously!

My husband and I will celebrate 25 years married this year. So glad he is the one who has been by my side in our journey together. My children have grown to be taller than me - not a great feat since I am only 5' tall! My daughter is just now reaching that milestone, having passed my shoe size awhile ago! My son has graduated from our homeschool a couple of years ago now and will be moving out soon. My daughter is still in middle school, so we will continue for a good few years yet. I am happy to have found a good homeschool rhythm for us that's been working well for us this year! And it involves much less paper and textbooks than before, so I am happy about that for sure!

I understand the fewer possessions I have, the easier it is to clean, move and generally take care of what we call "our stuff".  My house is less cluttered. And less clutters my mind when I have things in order. And the fewer things I have to put in order, the better. Currently we live in a nice rental, so if and when we do own a home, I know we will have to have a few more things. Currently though, because we do not need to mow a yard, we enjoy the space we gain from not having any kind of mowing equipment whatsoever! With only one garage, which we do use for our car, it can get tight in there! We actually sold our oil changing equipment, in favor of getting our oil changed in our town, where it's done quickly and with a car wash as well!

Recently, my husband and I repainted our antique secretary desk. I held off for so long, because I really love wood, but I am so glad we did it. It really brightens things up and doesn't look nearly as worn. I polished up the metal pulls and realized how nice they really are! This is one of only two pieces of furniture we have owned from even before we were married when someone gifted it to my husband just shortly before we were engaged.

I have found that decluttering as found in Marie Kondo's books, has been a game changer for me. The way she categorizes things in a home has made my life easier and more organized than ever, without all the unnecessary things in the way. I continue to remember things from reading her books that still aid my efforts. And I tell others about it too. I really like helping others to come to a place of satisfaction in their own homes using Kondo's methods.

In the last three years, I have enjoyed being part of the stage again. I haven't acted on stage since my high school and college days, so it is challenging me! About five years ago, my son wanted to be part of the community theater in town, so that's how it started. It wasn't until I saw an advertisement in the local paper for auditions for a favorite musical of mine, that I realized it was something I thought I wanted to do. I didn't want to regret not doing it. So I auditioned, along with my daughter. I got a nice part to come back to the stage! And because of my love for singing, being part of The Sound of Music musical was really an honor (role of Sister Margaretta). Both my son and daughter also were in that production as well. Since then we have participated together in two other plays, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden (Mrs. Sowerby). Last year, it was an honor to be part of Cheaper by the Dozen, my biggest part yet (Mrs. Gilbreth)!

I am still a music lover and a couple years ago, we chose to acquire a bigger piano. We found it second hand from the first owner (now in her eighties), who has owned it new since she was my daughter's age. I love my antique baby grand! My children also play and we all enjoy the sound. And yes, it does bring me joy. I play to relax and could use even more time on it. Along with some piano books people gifted us, some hymnbooks we have, and a good metronome, we are all set to play for years to come. Our musical collection also includes a recorder, ukulele, a couple of Djembe drums, and guitar in this house. You can never have enough music in the house! As homeschoolers, I feel it has been well worth our time to learn music. For anyone really, it adds so much to life!

The Lord has been good all along the way. He remains faithful. May God bless you and yours today! Shalom!
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Main Dish Sauté - Thanksgiving 2017

This is what we enjoyed today as a main dish for our Thanksgiving meal. Everyone really liked it. I'm sorry to say I don't have exact measurements to give you, but I will try my best to tell you what went into the dish. This is one of those check-the-pantry-and-see-what-you-end-up-with dishes. Turned out wonderfully!

Thanksgiving Main Dish Sauté

Mix the following together in a bowl: 

about 2 cups cooked Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained, mashed some (or another dark bean)

1 can young Jackfruit in salty brine, drained & mashed

about 10 dried Shiitake Mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped                  

    (save broth from soaking mushrooms for this recipe later)

about 10 halves Sun-Dried Tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water, drained & chopped

about 1/4 cup Gari (fermented cassava root, dried & granulated), or 1/4 cup rolled oats

about 1 Tablespoon Tamari/Soy Sauce 

1 teaspoon Porcini Mushroom powder (can be optional)

about 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or similar)

2 cloves garlic, minced
(about 1/2 teaspoon sage would be lovely here, but I was out! )

Add in as much broth from the shiitake mushrooms as you need to make it somewhat dry, but still moist, as if you could make burgers/patties from it. If it's too dry, use a vegetable broth or water (be careful not to make this dish too salty). If it's too wet, opt to use more oats (or even breadcrumbs if not gluten free, or another starchy food that soaks up liquid). 

To a large skillet, add coconut oil, on medium heat. Add in garlic, minced. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the bean mixture to the pan and heat through, turning frequently, about 10 minutes until hot. 

Since we ate this a few hours later, I let the mixture cool and then put it into a loaf pan and refrigerated it until we went to my parent's home. I then reheated it in their oven while other things were baking. I didn't try to get it out in one loaf. Instead we spooned it onto our plates from the baking pan. 

Our menu for today's meal:

Vegan Main Dish Sauté (recipe above)

Homegrown creamed corn, baked

Shelled edamame 

Roasted garlic (one whole bulb per person!)

Roasted Roots (potatoes, onions, carrots), my chef son's specialty dish

Pumpkin spice cake with black walnuts

Showers of Blessing

March 17, 2007

During the night, we had our first rain in months. Maybe we are at the end of the dry season, we will see. We have a woman who comes and helps with cleaning. Later in the morning I could hear her singing the hymn, “Showers of Blessing” at the top of her lungs. Earlier I had asked her about the rain and if she was cold (it cools down considerably when it rains here). Yes, she is cold. 

Later I check the temperature. It’s 82 degrees. That is chili for Ghana. Maybe today it won’t hit higher than 90 degrees in the house as usual lately. It continues to rain lightly here this morning. Everyone will rejoice today and try to stay warm as the rains have come to wet this dry, dusty, thirsty land. 

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*I wrote the above when we were living in Ghana, more than a year before I started this blog. I was working on condensing files on our computer, when I found this today. What a breath of fresh air!

The photo was taken at Till's Beach near Cape Coast. For us, it was a much welcomed retreat while we lived in Ghana. I love this shot. Good memories! 

Coconut Vanilla Mango Ice Cream

What do you do when your electric 6 quart ice cream maker doesn't sell in your yard sale? You make ice cream, of course! I was glad it didn't sell, but I hadn't used it for a while. So when I came across some bargain priced organic coconut milk, I knew what I had to do. An extended family gathering made a perfect reason to whip up some of the homemade variety and share. I told my children, only when Papa is home, can we bring it out of the freezer to enjoy some more.

I made a full batch (a full 6 quarts, my capacity for our ice cream maker). I'll share the amounts I used for the entire batch. Adjust as needed for your use. I based my recipe on one I found over at The Nourishing Gourmet (essentially, I made three recipe's worth with added mango).

Coconut Vanilla Mango Ice Cream

10 and 1/2  cups coconut milk
1 cup honey
6 Tablespoons homemade vanilla extract (recipe coming soon!)
2 pounds frozen mango chunks (about 6 cups)

In batches, I blended the ingredients together in my Vitamix and poured it all into the ice cream maker's metal canister and followed the directions for the ice and rock salt to process it into ice cream. It took an 1 hour for it to freeze. Then I put it all into containers and put into the freezer to harden.

We served it the next day. Good stuff. I used ice that wasn't crushed, so it came out the consistency of snow, but it was still delicious and creamy because of the coconut milk. Next time I will just pulse blend the mangoes into the mix to keep it in small pieces instead of pureeing it. I think it would have a bigger mango flavor that way. Also, when adding the vanilla, I'm going to stir it in instead so there are larger vanilla bean flecks.

I think my daughter likes it. =)

 

 

Date Pecan Treats

This is the other treat I took along to our family reunion. Chopped and mixed together, this can give a whole new flavor combination that people would not expect. I often put these morsels out next to the Truffles and let people decide for themselves.

Date Pecan Treats

3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon orange (or lemon) zest, fresh or dried
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Put all ingredients into food processor. Pulse until you have an even texture, not paste, but very small "crumbs" that will hold together into a ball. Roll into bite size pieces and place onto a dish and put into freezer to stay firm until ready to serve.

My son made these and they turned out well. If you notice an oiliness when you make these, that's normal. It's the oil from the pecans. I can hardly make these without pulsing just a tad too long and oiliness results. Not bad, just more slippery, but oh, so good!

Tahini Fudge

I recently attended a family reunion in Virginia and took some of this (similar to Simple Fudge) along to share. It was a hit, along with Truffles and another recipe, Date Pecan Treats, I'll share later. It is best a day or two after it's made, so plan accordingly. Enjoy!

Tahini Fudge

1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste/butter)
1 cup carob (or cocoa) powder
3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Optional mix-ins:
coconut
granola
nuts

Mix together well. The mixture will be a bit like thick frosting. Put into a small flat pan in the freezer and chill for a few hours (up to 24). Cut into bite size pieces and place them separately onto another dish and return to freezer until ready to serve. You'll lick your fingers, these are so good (and gooey!).

And now...what you've all been waiting for...

...Happy New Year!  =)

The great thing about another year is a new start. As I think about goals, I am reminded of the blessings I've received from the Lord - blessings of new friendships, new challenges, meaningful family time...the list could go on...

What are you going to do in 2012 that will make a difference in someone's life? Do you have a legacy to leave when your time on earth is done? Maybe I'm the only one who considers this at the beginning of each year. But it does make me think about my future...and my children's future.

There's a saying that sounds like this, "If you have no goals, you'll hit them every time." Hmmm. Something to think about isn't it?

There's a song I like to sing that goes like this:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end,
They are new every morning, new every morning,
Great is thy faithfulness, Oh, Lord,
Great is thy faithfulness."

It reminds me that we have a fresh day every single day! The mornings are new. We don't have to wait for January 1st every year to start over, reboot, refresh, or make new goals. We can do it every day. And what a true blessing that is. To know that we can make changes and start right where we are. We don't have to wait for the timing to be right, or be at the right place in life, or have the right resources/friends/car/house/you-name-it...We can do it anytime. And the great thing about that is, you can do it anywhere, anytime, with whatever you have/don't have, right now.

You, my friend, are irreplaceable and I can't wait to see what the Lord can do in your life! May this year be your best year ever. May tomorrow be better than today.

Blessings to you today. ~ Loretta

2011 Resolutions???

Where has the time gone? I was talking to my son today and we realized that people still have time to finish their 2011 New Year's resolutions. Not too much time, mind you, but consider it a head start for January.

I'm not one to put too much stock in resolutions, but it does get one thinking about good habits replacing old bad habits. Or getting one more thing done on your "life" list.

Two years ago, I wrote this post about broken resolutions. I hope that you take some time to think about being positive and maybe using this chance to be kind to another.

On another note: One of my hopes this year was to gain the chance to be slim (part one & part two). I have happy news...I not only had the chance, I took the opportunity to be responsible for my own health. The results so far have been good, but it will be saved for another post. Suffice it to say, I am happy that I've made a turn for the better.

I realize that support to get to goals is a must. No one can really, truly, do things alone. With God's help, my husband, children and others supportive of my goal, I am slowly able to believe that such a thing is possible.

Oh, and I didn't start in January with the idea to do anything spectacular this year. But I have a feeling that this year will be the best one yet! Stay tuned for a post soon to come! =)

Wild Rice Stuffing

I thought I would try a gluten free recipe for stuffing this year. It's been so long since I've had wild rice and this sounded so good. It was delicious when I made it today. Even got compliments on it tonight at a church dinner. If you've ever had wild rice, you've experienced that wonderful chewy texture. It'll all come back to you, when you have some of this stuffing.

You can substitute other dried fruit and nuts instead of apricots and pecans. If you don't want a sweet element to it, just leave out the dried fruit altogether. Allergic to nuts? Leave out the pecans. This is made like bread stuffing, but uses brown rice and wild rice instead. You could also use this to stuff peppers, winter squash and maybe even mushrooms. Tell me how you use it.

Wild Rice Stuffing

1 Tablespoon grapeseed/coconut oil
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 3/4 Tablespoons dried)
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
salt, to taste

In a large pot, on medium-high heat, saute celery, onion, wild rice, and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sage. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cover, then simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in brown rice and bring to boil again. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in apricots and pecans and taste for seasoning.

Thanksgiving Menu with Recipes

Songs we sing this time of year remind us to be thankful. We should sing them year 'round, not only when Thanksgiving is near. Gratefulness is something we should practice with every breath.

I was telling our son just yesterday that although I like that we have a special time to remember our American history with a Thanksgiving meal once a year, we should remember to be grateful every day of our life. Our life here on earth is short and we have just a glimpse of eternity from this side. Let us also be thankful for the life that Jesus gave so we could join Him for eternity in heaven. Hallelujah!

Pick from these items for your Thanksgiving menu:

Salads: Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato, Caesar, Green Pea (these also includes dressing recipes)

Other Salad Dressings: Creamy Salad Dressing, Catalina (Red French)

Breads & Spreads : Old World Black Bread (great with Spinach Dip), Raw Flax Bread, Better Butter

Main Dishes: Universal Meatless Burger (made into loaf), Pumpkin Soup

Vegetable Sides: Skillet Brussel Sprouts, mashed potatoes, assorted raw veggies

Sides: Brown Gravy, Vegetarian Stuffing, Blender Cranberry Sauce

Desserts: Applesauce Quick Bread, Ginger Cinnamon Cookies, Basic Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

Another helpful basic recipe: Seasoned Salt

Certainly you can search through the list on the right sidebar of recipe categories, or further down, you can see the list of recipes by name.

From our house to yours, have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Stuffing Anyone?

I was making vegetarian stuffing for our Thanksgiving banquet at church yesterday and thought it would be a timely post for this week.

I found the recipe by Anne on vegweb.com. I made slight changes, so I am posting my version. The original recipe had a few optional ingredients and slight differences from my version. This tastes similar to that "stove" stuff. It's really good and everyone will enjoy it, vegetarian or not.

Vegetarian Stuffing with Gluten-Free Option

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put into a 9 x 13 baking pan in the oven to toast, about 15 minutes, watching closely (can even use a dry skillet on stovetop if needed, toasting the bread cubes in batches):
8 cups cubed bread (gluten-free bread can be used instead... great either way!)

Put in a large skillet:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or other high heat oil)

When heated, add and saute the following three (or four), over medium heat until onion is translucent:
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
chopped or sliced mushrooms, amount as desired (optional, but makes it a more of a main dish)

Separately mix the following together:
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt)

Add the seasoning and nuts to the toasted bread.
Carefully drizzle with:
2 cups vegetable stock (gluten-free, if needed)

Mix gently. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Raw Chocolate Cake

I have tasted raw chocolate cake and it is good. From a good friend, here is her recipe for a rich treat! Oh, and by the way, the only way to eat chocolate in any dish - raw organic cacao nibs! =)

Raw Chocolate Cake



1 1/2 cup walnuts
10 dates (cut up into small pieces)
dash of salt
1/3 cup (or more) powdered organic raw cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
2 teaspoons water

Process walnuts and dates in food processor first. Then add salt and cacao powder. Next add the vanilla and water, mixing in between each addition. Can add more sweetener for more flavor.
Form into small cake shape on a serving plate and cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Cut into small pieces and enjoy. Yummy!

Cranberry Sauce

Like many others today, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast meal. The good part of cooking the meal for seven people was getting another great recipe to add to my favorites. So consider this next time you need to have a cranberry dish. It's easy and tastes great. If you use a raw sweetener this can be a truly raw dish as well.

Blender Cranberry Sauce


Combine in blender:

2 cups cranberries
1 peeled orange, seeded and quartered (I used a tangerine)
1 apple, cored and quartered
1/4 cup (or slightly more) "raw" turbinado sugar (or sweeten to taste with preferred sweetener)

Pulse in blender until fruits are chopped and blended well, but not too much. It will look like cranberry jam. Chill until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Banana Chip Ice Cream

I love it when I can make a previous dairy treat into something without dairy! And who doesn't love a little ice cream now and then? I tell people I don't have a sweet tooth...and that would generally be true, but on occasion I do enjoy something like this with my family.

Add to that a few things... I recently came across an almost new ice cream maker (I know I have a Vitamix, but there's something about getting out the ice and salt to make it the "old fashioned" way) at a second hand store for only $2.50. It is a Sunbeam 6 quart capacity electric...ok, so not too old fashioned! =)... ice cream maker.

The other is a recipe on the Eating with Wisdom blog (thanks, Mindi) that struck my fancy. And I had everything to make it! Whoo-hooo! =) So, my friends, a vegan ice cream that you can make and it is delicious.

Peanut Butter Banana Chip Ice Cream

1 can (13-14 oz.) coconut milk or non-dairy milk/creamer
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
3 bananas (divided use)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup grain sweetened carob/chocolate chips
optional: chopped peanuts

Blend 2 bananas, milk, sucanat, peanut butter, and vanilla in blender until smooth and sweetener is dissolved (uniformly distributed). Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Add the third banana (chopped) with the chips about 5 minutes before the ice cream is done in the maker.
I used coconut milk and carob chips in our version. Nice and rich!

Kristen's (Almost Raw) Almond - Cacao Nibs Ice Cream

1 can (13-14 oz.) coconut milk
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup raw almond butter
3 bananas (divided use)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup (or less) raw organic cacao nibs

Follow directions for Peanut Butter Banana Chip Ice Cream above.

One thing that really helps develop the flavor (especially the peanut butter version) is to "ripen" the ice cream in your refrigerator freezer (or deep freezer).