The Veggie Gal

Today is the day that I got to pick the lucky winner for the Vegan Unplugged book giveaway.  The lucky winner is… Karen Levine!  I will be mailing out her copy of the book tomorrow but don’t be sad if you did not win you can buy your own copy, just click the hyperlinked text above and get yourself a great book on how to be more prepared should a disaster of some sort hit where you live.

I have to say again how much I love this book!  Even if you do not have every ingredient for every recipe from the book inside of your pantry you will still be inspired to improvise by using what you have on hand.  It really opens up your creative mind juices and gets you thinking of all the amazing things you could create just from the stuff you have sitting in your cupboards.  I wanted to share one of the many many wonderful recipes in this book with you so today I whipped up the Rice Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce and it seriously took me only 16 minutes to make this wonderfully tasty dish that looks like it is from a 4 star restaurant.  What do you expect from the recipe author of this book, she is a chef!!

I did not have a can of stir-fry vegetables handy but I did have a bag of frozen ones so I used that.  The book tells you that you should always use the fridge/frozen things first since they would go bad and I have had those veggies just a few months short of too long anyway so I’m glad I used them.  They still tasted great, especially with the delightful sauce that covers it all.

Try this recipe to see how quick, easy and luscious pantry cruise can be and then buy the book and try even more of them for yourself.

Rice Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Serves: 4

8 ounces thin rice noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup water
1 (15-ounces) can stir-fry vegetables, drained
2 Tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

Soak the noodles in boiling water until soft, about 15 minutes.  While the noodles are softening, prepare the sauce.

In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup of the water.  Blend until smooth.

Transfer the peanut sauce to a large pot and stir in as much of the remaining water as needed to give it a desirable consistency.  Heat the sauce over low heat, stirring until it is hot.  Stir in the vegetables and heat through until hot.  Keep warm.

Drain the softened noodles and add to the pot.  Toss gently to combine with the peanut sauce.  Serve sprinkled with the peanuts.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Asian dinner, Gluten Free Asian food, Jon Robertson, Peanut butter sauce, Rice Noods w-Spicy Peanut Sauce, Robin Robertson, vegan unplugged

This is my first giveaway and I’m excited about it.  Our family has been exploring emergency preparedness and doing our own little things to ensure our families survival should some sort of disaster occur.  This could be as little as a power outage that lasts for a few days to something major that we just don’t want to think about.  Watch out zombies, we are ready and waiting for ya!

One thing I did to help increase our knowledge and ability to be prepared is to get my paws on a copy of Vegan Unplugged by Jon Robertson.  As far as I know this is the only emergency preparedness books written specifically for vegans.  In my opinion it should be on every person’s bookshelf because as we all know meat, eggs and dairy products are not shelf stable and this book has nonperishable food for everyone who needs to eat.  This book is what the author calls a pantry cuisine cookbook and survival guide.  Basically it has a bunch of recipes that you can make straight from your cupboard and many of them do not even need to be cooked if you don’t have power or a camping stove handy.

He has the basic survival information in the book from how to make fire, how to make a solar cooker, to suggested equipment and supplies you might need so you can prepare if you so desire.  There is a list on how to come up with a family plan as well as a breakdown of what to do for different types of disasters like blackouts, hurricanes, tornadoes, and even a pandemic.  Of course being vegan he also has a plan for your fury friends!

The book also offers what the author calls a 5 day meal box which is a box filled with 5 full days of meals that you can keep in your car for road trips, camping trips or hotel stays.  It is a really great idea and one that we will be using.

It is a book worth having on your shelf and in addition to all of what I have mentioned so far his recipes are right in line with the typical New Years resolutions of being more healthy or losing weight because as most of us know the only way to do that is to eat WHOLE foods and this book is packed full of them.

How To Enter This Contest:

Step 1

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Fill out this simple form CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED, so we can get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner.  (Note:  You must link your entries from Step 1 in order to be eligible.  We will not count any submissions which simply only include a name and email address and no links.)

The Terms:

The giveaway starts immediately and will run until Monday, January 16th at Midnight CST after which the winner will be chosen randomly and notified via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or email.

This is a United States contest only. One entry per person for each method is allowed; entering multiple times through the same method will not increase your chances of winning.

Tags: disaster planning, emergency preparedness giveaway, survival guide, vegan giveaway, vegan unplugged

These Peppermint Chocolate Truffles are a great party appetizer.  Because they are covered in candy canes most people won’t realize that underneath that these babies are healthy goodness.  If you really want to make them pure healthy goodness and completely raw just omit the candy cane and add peppermint flavoring instead.

My little ones think these are the best Christmas treat around.  I guess I tend to agree since I grab a couple every time I walk past the plate.

You can really change up the nuts you use by your own taste preference or what you might have one hand.  This is a make by taste recipe so you just throw in the amount that looks good to you and taste as you go.  I used cashews because they have the most subtle taste and make for a creamy texture.  For the chocolate flavor you could add bakers chocolate, regular dairy free chocolate chips or regular cocoa powder instead of the cacao powder that I am suggesting.

For those who may not know, cacao powder is a super food and is the raw and unprocessed powder straight from the cacao bean where all chocolate comes from.  It is loaded with antioxidants and is super duper good for you!

Peppermint Chocolate Truffles

Makes: as many as you want

Nut of your choice (I used cashews)
Dates (if pretty dry soak for an hour or more and drain off the water or save the water for a smoothie later)
Cacao powder (or chocolate form of your choice-see above)
Agave nectar as needed (it is pretty sweet without it and you can use the soak water to add moisture if needed)
Candy canes, crushed (or peppermint flavoring)

Use a half nuts and half dates ratio (approx).  Place the dates, nuts, cacao powder and agave necatar (if using) into a high powered blender or food processor (I use a Vita-Mix) and blend until very smooth.  Taste as you go to adjust the flavor.

Place candy canes on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel and hit with a hammer to crush.  Remove the plastic and pour onto a large plate.

Roll the nut/date mixture into small bite size balls and then roll in the crushed candy canes and continue until you have gone through it all.  They will be sticky so it is best to place them on a cookie sheet and let sit out for an hour or so so they dry out a bit or you can just eat them right away.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Christmas appetizers, Gluten Free, Peppermint Chocolate Truffles, Raw Truffles, Vegan appetizers, vegan recipe, Vegan Truffles, Vegetarian

We recently decided to try the Tomato Bisque recipe from The Conscious Cook cookbook by Tal Ronnin and WOWIE YUM.  I usually adjust recipes to add less oil where I can but he is such a wonderful cook who it seems has taken such care and time with his recipes that I thought I should just leave it as he made it and I’m glad I did.

This soup tastes like the best soup from the best restaurant you have ever been too and one you would pay a fortune for but it is cheap to make at home.  It is super rich and packed with flavor yet smooth (even when I left it chunky) and really just explosion on your taste buds.  Honestly, I can’t say enough about how delicious this soup was.  This is a perfect meal to serve to skeptical guests who think vegan food is bland and boring.

I usually like a more chunky soup and my husband and kids like a creamy soup so I did it both ways and you can see the texture of both in the pics so you can decide which looks more to your own liking.

I am typing this recipe out exactly as it is written in his book and as I said I did not change a thing from the ingredients and yum.  I did however not blend mine as much and did not put it through the sieve to make it super smooth because I wanted all the fiber and texture but you decide if you want it my way or his, I’m sure the taste is the same.  I also included his recipe for the cashew cream below the soup.  BEWARE you need to soak your nuts overnight (unless you have a Vita-Mix,which I HIGHLY recommend!) so plan ahead!!!

I pared it with a wonderful salad of my own making but with a dressing from his book and also with his Focaccia bread (I will post that recipe soon too) and it was a super satisfying meal that almost leaves you intoxicated.  Get up and try this soup!

Tomato Bisque
Makes 6 servings

Sea salt
4 tablesppons Earth Balance
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
5 cups faux chicken stock (try Better Than Bouillon brand)
1 (28-ounce) can whole fire-roasted tomatoes,  juice included
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups regular Cashew Cream (see below)
Parsley for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat.  Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute.  Add the Earth Balance and stir until melted, being careful not to let it burn.  This will create a nonstick effect.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes with juice, parsley, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the Cashew Cream.  Continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.  Working in batches, pour the soup into a blend, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high several minutes, until very smooth.  Pour the soup through a fine-mesh sieve.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.  ENJOY!

Cashew Cream:

2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry) rinsed very well under cold water.

Put the cashews in a  bowl and add cold water to cover them.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water.  Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch.  Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth.  (If you’re not using a professional high speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, stain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

Makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream

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Tags: Dinner, Healthy Meal, Tal Ronnen, Tomato Bisque from The Conscious Cook, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegan soup, Vegetarian

There are so many pumpkin cheesecakes out there on the Internet but I really wanted a more subtule pumpkin taste to the cheesecake so I made a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake.  This one took some time for me to come up with because I went through about 20 different vegan and non vegan plain & pumpkin cheesecake recipes to figure out how I was going to make my own version of all of those.  I had written down all the ingredients I wanted in mine and then I just flew from there tasting as I went to see how the end result would turn out, hoping of course for an amazing dish.  Well, I’m proud to say DAMN this is good!

It is pretty darn easy to make and except for having to wait the 3-4 hours for it to set up and chill in the fridge it is pretty quick too, well for a three step dish.

I will include my own sweet cranberry recipe but really it is not too much different than most out there, how much variation can there be!  I am not making it a different post but if you are here looking for just that well, you might get tempted by the cheesecake and get a two for one.  My daughter does not like the cranberry on it but the rest of us do.  It does give it a tart to go along with the sweet/richness so omit it if you don’t like that combo.

**FYI, I figured I would start to mention the brands I buy just in case you are new to vegan eating and are not sure what to get.  I am by no means endorsing any of the brands (unless I say so) since I live in a small town now I basically get what I can get unless I order online.  If I love something I will add it to my substitution page and say so.   I bought New Morning Organic Cinnamon Grahams and they are pretty darn good and I used Toffuti’s non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese (in the yellow tub).  I also used Silk’s non flavored creamer and I usually buy the organic Florida Crystals vegan sugar although I am not ever going to say that I don’t eat other things that read vegan by accident that have sugar in them, my life is already too stressful to worry about the tiny details, I do the best I can!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce
Serves 6-8

Crust:
1 1/2 c ground graham crackers (**see above for brand)
5 Tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread
(If your graham crackers are not very sweet you could add 1/4 cup of sugar)

Cheesecake part 1 cream cheese:
2 tubs of cream cheese, softened (** see above for brand)
1 cup sugar (** see above for brand)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 eggs worth Ener-G egg replacer
1 pinch cardamom

Cheesecake part 2 pumpkin: this makes enough for 2 cheesecakes so I freeze the second half for the next time I make one or you can use it for your favorite pumpkin recipe.  
1 can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring (or vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vegan creamer (**see above for brand) (or full fat soy or almond milk)  If you can’t find anything just omit it
2 eggs worth Ener-G egg replacer

Cranberry Sauce:
6 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup of sugar
1 cup orange juice (I used orange pineapple blend since that is what I had)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon lemon extract or zest of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan then mix in the graham crackers and sugar if using.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie tin or springform pan then set aside.

For the cheesecake part 1 mix up the egg replacer equaling two eggs per the box instructions but making sure to really whip it up well.  One trick I have found it pouring in the water, stirring then let it sit for a minute then whip well.  Then in a medium bowl mix softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, cardamom & egg replacer liquid with a handmixer or a tabletop mixer to whip it well then set aside the bowl.

For the cheesecake part 2, prepare the egg replacer per box instructions then in a medium bowl mix the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, maple flavoring, cardamom, salt, sugar, creamer and egg replacer liquid with a handmixer or a tabletop mixer to whip it well then set aside the bowl.

Pour half of the cheesecake part one onto your prepared crust.  Pour half of the pumpkin mix into a storage bowl and freeze for the next time you make this cheesecake.  Then talk half of what is left and place it in dollups across the top usually a tablespoon amount at a time separated by about a half inch.  With a butter knife swirl the two together making sure to make it pretty .  Repeat this process with the rest of each part.  I do it in two parts because you would have too much pumpkin to make a nice swirl doing it all at once.  If you want it a to be a little thicker and taste more cheesecake-ish then just split the pumpkin filling into thirds, then you have enough for 3 of them!

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until the sides begin to pull away and it starts to crack a bit, it will be a little lose in the middle but that is ok.  Allow to cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours to set up well.  I usually make it the night before so it is ready for dinner the next day or you could do the morning for dinner too.

Prepare the cranberry sauce an hour before you want to eat your cheesecake.  Place all the ingredients into a pan and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes stiring well so you don’t burn it.  Then mash half or more of the cranberries with a fork and remove from the burner to cool until you eat.

When you are ready to eat it use a wet butter knife to cut loosen the sides of the cheesecake, rewetting when needed.  Do the same for when you cut it to get nice pieces that don’t break apart or pull up half of the slice.  Top with cranberry sauce if desired and ENJOY!  YUM.

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Tags: Dessert, Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, Vegan, vegan cheesecake, vegan pumpkin cheesecake, vegan pumpkin pie, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I had not eaten a pot pie since I was about 12 when I decided to try Amy’s pot pie.  I have to say it was not that great but good enough to intrigue me into making my own and it has 10x’s the flavor of the one I had.   Sorry Amy, I do love your black bean enchiladas though (although I have not attempted to make my own YET).  Well after some experiemtning with my filling I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  The crust is the standard crust most vegans do for theirs except I add a bunch of spices to give it even more flavor.

This would make a great centerpiece for Thanksgiving or of course as individual pot pies, you would just have to add more crusts depending on how many you serve.  Obviously it would make a great dinner dish any time though.

I make extra filling so that the next day when you eat the leftovers you have more to add moisture since it does dry out a bit.  The filling does thicken up so add a little water before reheating.  It also makes a great soup as left overs if you don’t have any of the pie.

I would normally put broccoli into this but the day I took these pics I did not have any on hand but add and subtract veggies to your own desire.  MAKE SURE all your veggies are chopped to about the same size so they will evenly cook.  With the spices in the filling, adjust to your own taste by starting low and adding more as you go.

Tofu Pot Pie
Makes 1 large pie serving: 6

Crust;

2 cups flour of your choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon dehydrated onions (I used red)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2/3 cup Earth Balance Spread
5 Tablespoons COLD water

Filling;

1 package firm/extra firm tofu, cubed (same size as veggies)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups of vegan chicken broth (add more if you get it too thick)
2 potatoes, chopped
1/4 cup corn
2 carrots, chopped
4-8 mushrooms, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (ore more to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (ore more to your taste)
a pinch of sage (ore more to your taste)
a pinch of thyme (or more to your taste)
4 Tablespoons flour mixed with a very small amount of water

Fry the cubed tofu in a non stick skillet with a little cooking spray on medium heat.  Once they are browned well and cooked through toss in the hot pan with soy sauce then set aside.

For the rest of the filling put everything except flour mixture into a pot and cook until it is done but firm still.  Add the cooked tofu & flour mixture  to thicken then turn off the burner and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350º

For the crust mix together the flour & spices well then add in the earth balance and cut it through to mix well.  Pour the cold water into the mix and then blend until you have a nice ball.

Separate the ball in half making one half be just slightly bigger than the other half.  Pour a small amount of flour onto a clean counter and roll out the smaller half of the dough until it will fit into your pie pan.  Spray the bottom of your pie pan and place the rolled out dough into it pushing up the sides until they reach the top.

Roll out the slightly larger piece of dough for the top of your pie making it thinner and bigger than the top so you can pinch the top to the bottom.  If you want to cut out some leaves or other decoration do so now and set them aside.  If you don’t want a decoration just poke some holes in the dough while it is still on the counter to vent it while it cooks.

Pour the filling into your crust until it is about 1/4 inch from the top of the pan.  Place your rolled out dough on top of the filling and pinch together the sides with your fingers or a fork.  If you have decoration place that on top and put it in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is done.  If you want a browner crust spray it with cooking spray.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes so it will cut and set up well then ENJOY!  Stay tuned, I am putting up my Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake next…

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Tags: Dinner, Tofu Pot Pie, Vegan, vegan dinner, vegan pot pie, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This recipe was adapted from the book “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin”  

Back when I was just a naive vegetarian thinking that eating dairy was good for me I was given this book as a birthday gift from my dear friend K.  I looked at a few of the recipes and although they looked great I thought, there is no way I could ever be vegan because I needed eggs and cheese for flavor and the all mighty protein!  I figured I would make a few recipes they way they said and if they did not taste good I would just adjust them to make them vegetarian.  I made this pecan crusted french toast recipe first and realized, wow I could do this vegan thing!  I went from there trying some other recipes from the book and reading their funny antics throughout the book.  I then went out and bought The China Study and that was it, I was vegan but this recipe is what started to open my eyes that is was not as hard as I imagined it being.

This french toast recipe is so good that my husband asks for it all the time!  We really enjoy eating breakfast for dinner and usually have fruit and vegan sausage patties or my Cheezy Tofu Scramble along side of it.  I think the nuts on the bread really help you to feel satisfied and full for a long time.

The recipe as written in their book says it makes 6 servings but I find it is closer to 8-10 servings (at least for me it is) so you can half it if you are feeding less people.  I have written the recipe as it appears in the book with my comments italicized in parentheses.

Be careful about not putting the heat to high because if you put it above the recommended medium heat even a little bit the nuts will burn and the bread will be soggy.   I buy pre-chopped pecans and then chop them even more so that they are all about the same size and can more evenly coat the wet bread.  Make sure to really push down on the nuts with the wet bread evenly lifting it up off of them so they will stick well, otherwise they just fall off.

Pecan-Crusted French Toast

Serves about 8-10

1-1/2 cups soy or almond milk
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1-1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or try almond extract YUM)
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil (or use non fat cooking spray)
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Pure Maple syrup for topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl.  Place the pecans in another shallow bowl. (I keep the pecans on the chopping board and push them together tightly to lay the bread on)

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil (or spray with cooking spray to use less fat). Once slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes. (If using the spray make sure to spray the pan between flips or it will stick).  Serve immediately with maple syrup.

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Tags: Breakfast, Quick vegan, rory freedman, skinny bitch in the kitch, Vegan, Vegan French Toast, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This is a quick and delicious side dish that tastes as yummy as it looks and it is low fat to boot!    If you are serving it along side of a meal that has a bit of fat in it this can even things out a bit.  I last made it with Macadamia Encrusted Chick’n and it made the perfect side to that wonderful dish.

The vegan “mozzarella” cheese can be left out of it easily since it really does not have a big taste but just looks nice.  I used the Follow Your Heart brand that I cut into chunks but I’m guessing Daiya shreds would be awesome in it!

This recipe is adjusted by personal taste because I usually just cut the amount of bread we want to eat that night so we can use the left overs in the morning for french toast or sandwiches so adjust to your own taste.

Vegan Bruschetta

Fresh sliced crusty bread, sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
Garlic cloves, minced (or) garlic powder to taste
Red onion, finely chopped
Oregano
Parsley
Red wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Vegan Mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks

Since this recipe is by taste just start with the tomato, throw in some garlic, red onion, oregano, parsley and top with a splash of red wine vinegar (not too much) and sprinkle with a little salt & pepper. Mix well, taste and adjust and then let it sit for 15-30 to blend flavors.

A few minutes before you are ready to serve preheat the oven on broil. Chop up the mozzarella then toss with the tomato mixture.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Lay the sliced bread on the pan and then evenly spray the tops of the bread with the cooking spray and broil for a minute or two until lightly brown.  WATCH carefully, it sucks to burn them!

Put the tomato mixture on top of your browned bread and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Lunch, Quick vegan, Vegan, Vegan Bruschetta, vegan recipe, Vegan sandwich, Vegetarian

I hate going to the regular store and reading the ingredients listed on the back of pickles which always has things I would prefer not feed my family.  Things like; FD&C yellow dye no. 5, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, Polysorbate 80 (what the heck is that!?) and natural flavors (which could mean anything!).  Then if you want to buy pickles without all of that junk at a natural store you are going to pay twice or three times as much as you would for the regular kind, UGH.

This time of year is the time most people harvest all their garden goodies and then share with the friend and family what they can’t eat alone.  I love sharing but why not stockpile what you have to cut down on your grocery bill, start a long term food storage for when the zombies come or have something to give as Christmas gifts?

In my house pickles of any kind can go quickly since they are so snackable so making our own for the year makes so much more sense and it can cost pennies after the initial investment of the jars.  Yes, it will take a few hours but it is once a year, don’t be lazy!!

I combined the best of many recipes to come up with my own personal one that is made with a more natural sugar (apple juice concentrate) and no dye or any crap so you can feel like you are eating something that won’t cause harm.

Natural Home Canned Bread & Butter Pickles
Makes: 5-6 1/2 pint jars

8 cups cucumbers, sliced
3 medicum white onions, sliced thin
2 bell peppers (I used red, yellow & orange),chopped
1/2 cup canning salt (DON’T use table salt!)
2 cups vinegar
2 cups apple juice concentrate
2 cups water
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2 Tablespoons celery seed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Clean your cucumbers and cut off any blemishes then slice thinly.  Mix the cucumbers, onions, green peppers and salt together in a large bowl and let stand for 2-3 hours.

Rinse and drain the cucumber mixture and put back into the bowl.

Boil the 2 cups of water in a large pot and then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil again. Add the cucumber mixture to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

Pack your pickles into freshly sterilized jars leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe off the rim of the jar with a paper towel and add your prepared metal lids (read lid instructions) and then hand tighten the screw bands down (not too tight).

Once you have packed all the pickles (you may have a bit of liquid left over) cook the jars in your canning pot of boiling water for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove and place on the counter keeping several inches of space between each hot jar until well cooled.

After well cooled check that the lids have sealed down by pressing your finger on the center to ensure it does not pop back up then hand tighten the screw band again.  Refridgerate any jars that did not seal well and use in a timely manner.  Store the sealed jars in a dark cool area for a year or so.  ENJOY!

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Tags: bread & butter pickles, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, homemade condiments, Natural Home Canned Bread & Butter Pickles, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

To expand on my love for Cashew Cream and my experiments with the raw food diet I decided to make a wonderful breakfast parfait last week and YUM.

This recipe works great for kids but you might have to cut back on the nuts a bit and increase the fruit.

Fresh berries work best but I made this on the fly so I used frozen raspberries.  Get creative with what ever fruit you have on hand or like best.  I did the same with the nuts by using what I had on hand.

I did not soak my nuts a head of time as most raw foodists do but if you want to really get the most benefit from the nuts it is best to soak them over night and either eat them freshly rinsed (which will make them a little soft) or dehydrate them back to crispness.  My dedication to raw food eating is not that far yet although I have soaked them before to just eat them and I love them that way.

I will post exactly what I used for my parfait so it can be a starting point for your own ideas, all created around the cashew cream as the base instead of yogurt.

Rawnola Parfait

Desired amount of Cashew Cream
Shredded apple
Handfuls of various nuts
Raw coconut
Chopped dates & raisins
Sliced banana
Raspberries

Place one layer of cashew cream on the bottom of your cup, sprinkle with nuts, coconut, apples and bananas then layer again with cashew cream.  Continue to layer until you have reached the top layer of cashew cream and sprinkle with berries.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick vegan, Raw breakfast, raw dessert, Rawnola Parfait, Vegan parfait, vegan recipe, Vegetarian