South of the border!

Another delicious one from Silkology!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

2 cups Silk soy, almond or coconut milk, any flavor except Unsweetened
3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Chocolate sprinkles for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan bring Silk to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in chocolate and continue to cook
until chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.

Remove from heat and whisk in cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne.

Pour into two warm mugs. Top with chocolate sprinkles.

Liquor it up!

2 cups Silk soy, almond or coconut milk, any flavor except Unsweetened
3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 oz coffee liqueur* such as Kahlúa
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Chocolate sprinkles for garnish

*You can also make your own

Directions

In a small saucepan bring Silk to a simmer over medium heat.

Whisk in chocolate and continue to cook until chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.

Remove from heat and whisk in coffee liqueur, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne. Pour into two warm mugs.

Top with chocolate sprinkles.

Gingerbell!!!

Gingerbell Latte

Ingredients

1 cup Silk Vanilla soy, almond or coconut milk
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 shot espresso (or 2 Tbsp strong black coffee)
Cinnamon sugar and candied ginger for garnish

Directions

Place all ingredients except garnish in a saucepan and heat just until warm. Strain into a mug rimmed
with cinnamon sugar. Garnish with candied ginger.

Liquor it up!!

Ingredients

1 cup Silk Vanilla soy, almond or coconut milk
1 1/2 oz ginger liqueur*
1/2 shot espresso (or 2 Tbsp strong black coffee)
1/2 oz agave
Cinnamon sugar for garnish

Directions

Place all ingredients except garnish in a saucepan and heat just until warm. Pour into a mug rimmed with
cinnamon sugar.

*Here is a Sara the Vegan Mom recipe for Ginger Liqueur 

Ginger Liqueur

Ingredients

1 cup agave

1 cup water

3 tablespoons chopped ginger-root

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 ½ cups Scotch whiskey

Coffee filters for straining or a cloth strainer.

Directions

Bring agave and water to boil for 3-5 minutes.

Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

Add ginger root and lemon zest. Boil for an additional 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand until just warm.

Using the coffee filter or cloth strainer, strain liquid mixture into a medium bowl squeezing out any remaining liquid with your hands.

Transfer liquid to a clean 1-quart container. Add Whiskey, store in a cool, dark place for 1 month.

After storing for one month take the liquid and pour the liquid through a coffee filter and into final serving container.

Age for another 2 weeks before serving.

Freshly Minted!

More from Silkology. Drinks both adults and children can enjoys!


Freshly Minted

Ingredients

3 oz Silk Mint Chocolate
2 blackberries, muddled (or mashed with the back of a spoon)
1/2 tsp freshly grated orange rind
2 tsp honey (to make it Vegan I use agave)
Peppermint stick, for garnish

Directions


Place all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup of ice and shake well. Strain into a
glass. Garnish with a peppermint stick.

Adult Version


Ingredients

2 oz Silk Mint Chocolate
1 oz amber rum (I use white rum)
3/4 oz orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
2 blackberries, muddled (or mashed with the back of a spoon)
2 tsp honey (again, I use agave to make it Vegan)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Peppermint stick for garnish

Directions

Place all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup of ice and shake well. Strain into a
glass. Garnish with a peppermint stick.

'Tis the Season

This holiday has been... well... a lazy one for me and mine. I haven't blogged since the 20th and I am feeling bad about that.

I am conflicted, because I have nothing to say about this Holiday and at the same time so much to say. I respect the original thought of Christmas and what it represent for so many people. How could I not? Growing up in a Christian home? As a human being? As a Buddha?

As a child I looked forward to Christmas... not for the gifts (well maybe that was apart of it), but for all the "good tidings", all the family time, all the caroling, the various retelling of the story of the "immaculate" child. It was just the way it was. Today, it is so much more... and so much less.

Ok... let me not ramble on... I could go on forever. Let me just get back to my original thought... in the spirit it was meant:


 Happy Holidays!!

Another great recipe for us Vegan!

Spiced Snowflake (A Silkology Special)

Ingredients

3 oz. Silk Vanilla sky, almond or coconut milk

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of cardamom

Pinch of allspice

Dash Angostura bitters*

Cinnamon sugar for rimming glass

*Adds a trivial amount of alcohol

Directions

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup of ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled

Cocktail glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy!!

Letting off some steam

So a friend invite me out to lunch today, and we went to an Indian restaurant that claims to offer Vegan options. I ordered the Indian rice with vegetables, but as the waitress was leaving I ask if I could have the ghee (ghee is made from butter... that's dairy, and used instead of oil) free meal. She said okay and walked away.
We sat and chatted for a bit, and then the waitress returned with my order. I asked her again, if this was the Vegan option and she said: "Yes! It is the Vegetarian meal." What? Vegetarian... Vegan and vegetarian are two completely different things. So I said, "No, not vegetarian, vegan. This one," I said pointing to the menu and the dish labeled "Vegan". She said she would double check with the chef and get back to me. I thanked her and waited.

She came back and told me the dish was mislabeled and it was vegetarian, not vegan and would I want to order something else. I asked her what vegan dish would she recommend and she was stomped. We thank her profusely and took our leave.

I thought we were getting better...

Sorrel!

Sorrel has been a part of my Christmas holiday as long as I can remember, however it is available all year now.

Jamaican sorrel, also called Roselle, a member of the hibiscus family, is an East Indian variety and is now accepted as an important nutraceutical in diet and nutrition.

Sorrel leaves resemble spinach in shape and range in color from pale to dark green. Grown for centuries in Asia, Europe and North America, sorrel leaves are frequently used in French cooking, for example, to add a refreshing touch to any sandwich. Young sorrel leaves are excellent when lightly cooked and has a taste similar to cooked spinach. Older leaves can be used for soups and stews because they add tang and flavor to the dishes.

Sorrel is more flavorful when served fresh. To select sorrel, choose stems with bright-green, crisp and arrow-shaped leaves. Sorrel with woody stems should not be purchased. Sorrel buds should be deep red in color and not be wilted. Fresh sorrel should be refrigerated in a plastic bag for no more than three days. Dried sorrel can be stored in a container in a cool, dark place for no more than six months.

Sorrel is rich in protein carbohydrate, trace amount of fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, niacin, and riboflavin. It is also rich in flavonoids; powerful antioxidants which help the body get rid of free radicals against certain types of cancers.

 Sorrel promotes proper kidney function and is considered a diuretic. It may also stimulate the production of bile by the liver.

CAUTION!

Sorrel is high in oxalic acid, so it may not be good for everyone. Oxalic acid may aggravate rheumatism, gout and kidney stones, so one has to take small doses. As sorrel ages, it tends to build up more acid because of the presence of oxalic acid, which actually gets stronger and tastes more prominent. Sorrel is a natural laxative, so overconsumption could result in problems for the drinkers.

When making sorrel drink, do not use aluminum pots to steep sorrel as it 'draws' the aluminum. You may recall a change in the color of the aluminum pot after straining the sorrel.

Sorrel Drink

Ingredients

6 cups water

3 cups sorrel, pedals

1 ounce gingerroot (peeled and crushed)

1 cup light brown sugar

Directions

Bring water to a boil.

Place sorrel and ginger into boiling water.

Boil for 5 minutes then turn the heat off.

Cover and allow to steep for 12 to 24 hours.

Strain and sweeten to taste.

Add Wray and Nephew white rum or Jamaican Red Wine if desired.

Serve cold

Vegan Chicken nuggets

Adrian and Little Aiden both have a fondness for these healthy snacks: Vegan Chicken Nuggets.

Vegan Chicken Nuggets (Sara the Vegan Mom original)

Ingredients

2 carrots
I small zucchini
I small bunch baby spinach
2 or 3 white mushrooms
2 pieces TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
Bread crumbs ( I sometimes like to use panko)
1 tsp coconut oil (or chili oil for a little kick)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients, except the bread crumbs in a blender or food processor until evenly blended.

Scrape blended ingredients out in a bowl

Place some bread crumbs into your hand then add combined ingredients.

Form into a shape ( get creative)

Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Place shaped nuggets into ungreased baking dish.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes.

Remove from oven a let stand until warm.

Serve and enjoy!

If you are a bit more adventurous... add some spicy BBQ sauce or some hot wing sauce!

An easy Eggnog substitute

For those of us who do not drink eggnog for whatever reason, here is a sweet and vegan substitute from Silk's Silkology.

Enjoy!


Orange Snowball

Ingredients

3 oz Silk Original soy, almond or coconut milk (we prefer cococnut milk)
1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp agave
2 dashes Angostura bitters* (I would say optional, the kiddies do not like the bitters)
Candied orange peel for garnish
*Adds a trivial amount of alcohol ( gin, vodka, Scotch whiskey, brandy and white rum are all suitable vegan compatible)
Ice

Directions

Place all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup of ice and shake well. Strain into a
chilled cocktail glass and garnish with candied orange peel.

Add Spirits (Holiday cheers... and alcohol... lol)

2 oz Silk Original soy, almond or coconut milk

1 oz orange juice

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 tsp agave

Candied orange peel for garnish

Place all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 cup of ice and shake well. Strain into a
chilled cocktail glass and garnish with candied orange peel.

Fresh fruits and Vegetables!

I am giving a shout out to Corbin Hill Farm! I don't work for them, but I DO get my fresh fruits and veggies from them. Winter veggies are so expensive, so it is always a relief to be able to get fresh fruits and veggies at a reasonable cost. Here is the link if you are so inclined: Corbin Hill Farm. You can also find them on Facebook.

Little Aiden's first ear infection

For the first time since Little Aiden's chose me to be his mommy, he has the dreaded ear infection. He has been feverish and a bit off balance for a couple days so I decided to take him to see his GP just to ensure that he wasn't as bad as I was imagining it to be... it wasn't! An ear infection! His little body was fighting hard to mend his little boo boo, but he needed a little help.

In rides Miss Pinky - Amoxicillin... she will be visiting for the next ten days. Wish us luck!

Little Aiden finds this book so funny...

Here a little book I found in hopes of discouraging Little Aiden from lotioning, painting or coloring everything around him. Instead, I think he relishes this little boy's adventures in misadventures... I should have known better.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont.

Scrambled eggs for breakfast...

Little Aiden has just discovered that people eat eggs... thank you Grandpa! So I decided I would make him some.. with a sweet Vegan twist.

Vegan Scrambled Eggs (A Sara the Vegan Mom original)

Ingredients

16 ounces white firm tofu

1 small onion

½ of sweet bell pepper (Color is key so go crazy, I used a couple colors here)

A small bunch of baby spinach

¼ cup olive oil or ¼ cup Vegan margarine/butter

4 ounces yellow soy cheese

1 tsp. turmeric for yellow coloring

Salt and pepper

Directions

Mash or break the tofu by hand into small pieces; drain.

Heat oil or margarine in a skillet and sauté onion, peppers and baby spinach for approximately 1 minute.

Transfer sautéed veggies to a bowl and set aside.

Add and cook the tofu for 2 minutes.

Drain water from tofu and place tofu back into the skillet.

Pour sautéed veggies in with tofu and stir.

Add the cheese and turmeric. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Wasabi Green Peas

Adrian is obsessed with this wonderful snack.

Wasabi peas are simply ordinary green peas coated with seasonings that primarily feature wasabi and then fried.  Wasabi is a type of sauce made from the root of a plant via a process similar to how horseradish sauce is created. Wasabi peas do contain significant levels of fat, but other positive nutritional elements balance the fat to some degree.

The exact nutritional value (both positives and negatives) for wasabi peas will vary to some degree based on the brand and recipe used. I think I will have to try and make these…

My next challenge...

I am in a quiche kinda mood, so my next challenge will be...

Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche (Courtesy of Vegetarian Times)

When making the pastry, set aside the remainder of the silken tofu to use in the quiche filling. You may make the pastry a day in advance, and store it covered in the refrigerator. Remove the dough an hour before proceeding with the recipe.

Pastry

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

⅓ Cup rolled oats

¼ tsp. sea salt

⅓ Cup "lite" silken tofu

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. brown rice syrup

⅓ Cup plus 1 Tbs. ice water

Filling

1 3-oz. pkg. dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup boiling water

½ cup enriched soymilk

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, minced

½ cup sliced scallions

1 13.75-oz. can artichokes, cubed

2 Tbs. capers, rinsed

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves

1 12.3-oz. pkg. "lite" silken tofu, plus remainder from pastry

3 Tbs. mild white miso

¼ cup dry sherry or apple cider

⅓ Cup mashed-potato flakes

⅓ Cup nutritional yeast

¼ tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. dried basil

To make Pastry:

1. Lightly spray 9 & 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate with olive oil.

2. Place flour, oats and salt in food processor, and pulse to mix. Add tofu, oil and rice syrup, and blend. With motor running, pour ice water through feed tube, and process until mixture comes together in ball. Turn onto lightly floured work surface.

3. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour, and roll out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Press into prepared pan and trim edges, leaving a 1-inch overlap. Using thumb and forefinger, press decorative edge alongside, around top edge. Set dough aside in refrigerator.

To make Filling:

4. Preheat oven to 375°F.

5. Combine tomatoes and water in small bowl, and set aside. Combine soymilk and lemon juice in nonreactive bowl, and set aside.

6. Heat oil and crushed red peppers in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, about 1 minute. Add garlic, shallots and scallions, and sauté 3 minutes. Reserving soaking liquid, add tomatoes, artichokes, capers and chopped basil to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Place tofu in food processor, and blend until smooth. Place miso in small bowl, add sherry and blend with fork until smooth. Add miso mixture, soymilk mixture and reserved soaking liquid to tofu, and process. Add potato flakes, yeast and ground turmeric, and process. Fold tofu mixture into artichokes, and mix thoroughly. Spoon mixture into pie shell, and sprinkle with dried basil. Place on middle rack in oven.

8. Bake 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes. Serve lukewarm.

Wish me luck!

Facebook Page

So here I am taking the initiative and created a Facebook page for my blog.

Here is the link: Sara The Vegan Mom {Facebook Page}

It's brand new so visit often for new updates and chats.

Little Aiden's new obsession

Little Aiden has  found a few new obsessions...


Angry birds...

... and Dr. Seuss'  Green Eggs and Ham...

...and Cat in the Hat

The two books... each night to avoid going to bed, I think... or it just be for the love of reading. I am conflicted.

A wonderfully crazy Thanksgiving....

We must give thanks for all we have and without fail have send those thoughts out into the universe for others as well!

For the first time, I cooked for Thanksgiving... and therefore was able to enjoy an all Vegan meal! WOW! It was quite a feat, one I discovered that I enjoyed, so I might just do it again next year.

We made our cranberry sauce from scratch...

Organic Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup sugar (we used light brown)

1 cup water

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

A bit of ginger, crushed  

Orange zest or orange peal

Directions

Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. 

Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

Add the ginger and orange zest, simmer for and few minutes.

Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Then Spaghetti squash...

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

2 medium or 1 large spaghetti squash

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

Directions

Heat the oven to 350^o F and cover a baking sheet with foil. Split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Season the squash with salt and pepper and brown sugar and place, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Roast the squash until very tender, 45 to 60 minutes.

Turn the roasted squash over and shred each half with a fork, turning the flesh into what looks like a yellow boat filled with spaghetti. Drizzle the hot squash with a little extra-virgin olive oil and adjust the seasoning.

Top with lots of your favorite sauce and garnish with shredded cheese. Serve each "boat" on a platter and eat the squash and sauce right from the skin of the squash.

Then comes the Stuffed Acorn squash... the recipe I used is already published here, click the preceding link to view it.

... and ohhhhh my the Pineapple-cherry-mango smoothie

Mashed sweet potato...

Vegan apple pie

Ingredients

4-5 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup vegan margarine, softened

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 pre-made 9 inch pie crust

Store bought vegan pie crust

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Places the apples in the crust. Dot with half the vegan margarine. Stir the rest of the margarine into the brown sugar and spices and crumble this mixture on top of the apples.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until apples are very soft when pierced with a knife.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie! We stole this recipe from Vegetarian Times and made one substitution... we used a store bought vegan pie crust.

... and of course Little Aiden having a pie moment...

Bean curd Stirfry

Ingredients

2 cakes bean curd, drained

¼ teaspoon salt

4 white button mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons water

3½ tablespoons coconut oil, divided

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

⅓ Cup baby corn

1 green onion, quartered

2 large carrots sliced lengthwise

Directions

Cut each block of bean curd diagonally into 4 triangles. In a bowl, sprinkle the salt over the triangles.

Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.

In a small bowl, combine the vegetable broth, dark soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, and the sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water.

Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, and then add the bean curd triangles. Stir-fry the bean curd, gently stirring and moving it around the pan, until it is golden brown on both sides (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove from the pan.

Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, and then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute, and then add the baby corn and carrot. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, adding a bit of water or vegetable broth if the vegetables begin to dry out.

Add the bean curd back into the pan. Add the sauce. Stir in the green onion. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring to thicken.

There were a few other delicious foods... soy ice cream... Hmmmm. I hope you all had fun with your families, and maybe just a bit more with me and mine.

What I've been reading lately...

So I just discover this little treasure... and there... surprise, surprise was a movie trailer for the upcoming movie.

I hope you all will enjoy the read.

A new twist to our "Vegan Cashew-Apple Crisp"

So, as I so often do... I tried to create new and fun foods with recipes I have created or tried before. I created the Cashew Apple Crisp (of course it is Vegan) and decided we needed another version. So Adrian (my big boy) suggested peanut butter... and viola... here you have it.

Vegan Peanut butter Apple Crisp  (A Sara the Vegan Mom original)

Ingredients

Natural organic peanut butter ( whatever brand you like)

6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Vegan butter/margarine, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup wheat flour

¼ cup oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

A dash of nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375^o F

Combine sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir together until evenly mixed.

Add vegan butter/margarine to the mixture above and mix thoroughly with a fork or strong whisk.

Add peanut butter and mix thoroughly.

Set aside

Place apples in an ungreased pan and spread them out.

Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly (it might be a bit stickier than the previous version) over the apples

Bake at 375^o F for 20-30 minutes until apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm.

Just out of  the oven

Finish product... 

It's Little Aiden's world, we just live in it...

This week...

Some fort building...

... an artist's inspiration... "angry bird" ...

... a rain stick in the making...

... reading with Jonathan...

... adventures in the subway...

... FUN with Princess Z...

... and just hanging out with Mom!

The two Aidens

Look how cute the two Aidens are!

High fives!

Another week of homeschooling...

It was another wonderful week of homeschooling and other awesome activities

... along with some great food....

Seaweed Spring roll

Vegan sushi

Vegan chili