Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Vegan Sloppy Joes

OK, so my kids are HUGE fans of my sloppy joes. A Rachel Ray recipe from Cooking with Kids. Anyway, it is a definite on my monthly meal menus. Since adopting a vegan or no meat/dairy diet I struggled at first with these kinds of family favorites. Well here is my No Meat Sloppy Joes. My kids tore it up, just have to finely dice up those onions and peppers in my house.

1/2 lb firm tofu diced (for J until she adjusted tofu was called "diced chicken")
1/4 c diced mushroom

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend (McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbls (2 cloves) diced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce (Martha Stuart has a homemade recipe)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil then add onion, garlic, and red peppers (or whatever color you have on hand) to the skillet. When soft add tofu, mushrooms and the sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Avoiding bread add it to a grilled beefstake tomato thickly sliced or large sliced zucchini. Serve with your favorite sides.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Since adopting a vegan like diet people have had varied responses! I find it weird that people care so much about us eliminating meat from our diet.

Dinner:
No-tuna casserole
1 lb whole wheat pasta
1 can cream of celery soup (no milk)
1 can soy milk (use cram of celery can +/-)
1/2 cup cube tofu - I mashed mine with about 1 tbls nutritional yeast (not necessary)
1/4 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 tsp salmon seasoning (McCormicks)
1 tsp new orleans creole seasoning (or like spices. to taste)
1 cup +/- non dairy (mexican) cheese blend

1 tsp salmon seasoning
salt/pepper


Pre-heat over to 350. Cook pasta as directed. In baking dish mix remaining ingredients. add cooked pasta sprinkle top with non-dairy cheese. Bake 20 minutes uncovered. Serve warm.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Vegan-ish

Health concerns are making us re-evaluate our diet! While I am not ethically vegan at all, I can appreciate their healthful cancer, diabetes, lupus, and more fighting food choices! 

breakfast:
oatmeal with misc fruit and nuts or granola of choice plus flax seed
banana with peanut butter
whole wheat or Ezekiel toast with apple butter
pancakes a million healthful ways 
crepes a million healthful ways
smoothies with protein powders
non-dairy yogurts

lunch:
Veggie loaded salad with black beans
Veggie loaded hummus wrap with white or black beans
minestrone (homemade) soup
pbj with veggies
http://easylunchboxes.smugmug.com Has AMAZING kid lunch ideas!! Not all vegain-ish, but you'll be sure to find something!
quick stir frys with brown rice
non-dairy yogurts with fruit
fruit kabobs
banana with peanut butter wraps
pita pockets with hummus, veggies, beans..

dinners:
2 bean chili
avacado 'alfredo' pasta
burritos with white and black beans
roasted summer veggies with white beans
spaghetti with red sauce and with tofu and mushrooms
veggie soup
stir fry with beans and loaded with all types of veggies over brown rice
white bean burritos - cumin type spice so good
stir fry noddles with peanut sauce white beans
tomatoes with rice and black beans
whole wheat pizza with homemade pizza sauce, mushrooms, olives, garlic, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers drizzle with olive oil and seasonings

Snacks:
apples/fruit
bananas with peanut butter
Green Monster Smoothies
crunchy veggies
Garlic Salt sweet potato fries
homemade fruit leather
granola

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Clean Eating 101

Loads of folks are currently dieting and exercising for their new year resolutions, but often can't figure out what to eat and how. Here are some quick ideas 1) eat 6 small meals per day with 2 being 'snacks' or protein drink 2) you need a proper mix of carbs, proteins, and fat; replace heavy carbs like pasta with veggies.

1) 2 whole eggs, 1/2 - 1 cup oatmeal
2) protein shake
3) Oat bread w/light hummus/sour cream dressing and roast beef, 1/2c fruit or veggie
4) lettuce wrap
5) brown fried rice w/egg, steamed chicken w/bell peppers and garlic and veggie mix
6) 94% fat free popcorn w/sprinkle of lawrys and Parmesan cheese

And lots of water!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Casting Spells done Julia's Way

Julia is casting spells on Alex waving her wand around like a little merlin pretending to be a very powerful wizard.. but its not a stick that she is using as a wand, it's a broken off barbie doll leg!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Julia Booger Seed

Julia decides she wants strawberry jam on her biscuit. All of the sudden she starts creeping out "eeww, gross, yuck eeewww!" She is looking at her biscuit and jam with utter revulsion and then picks something off it.. "ewww a jam booger!!" she squeals as she holds her finger out like a toddler holds out their booger for Momma to see. Haahaaa, it was a strawberry seed lol!!!

Julia-ism

"I love you like a comfy pillow." She says to me at 4:00am as she is chattering non-stop.. I ended up bursting out laughing. How can you growl at her to shush-up and sleep after a compliment like that?! I mean really?



Saturday, January 7, 2012

No pasta what?

I like to eat - but I have always eaten pretty healthy. When my hubby wanted to remove pasta from his diet I had a bit of a heart attack! I LOOOOVE pasta - white - in all it's glorious carbohydrate bliss. Drat! Ok..

Swap ground beef for ground turkey, veggie loaded salads, brown rice, or quinoa for pasta and lettuce, tomatoes or wheat wraps for bread. Healthy salad dressings are everywhere.. got it.

Steamed shrimp, quinoa, and salad YUM!
1/2 c water
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
2 tbls seasoning (I chose garlic and old bay)
1 lb un-cooked shrimp.

Steam 5 minutes or until pink and curled up. Serve with salad or brown rice or veggies or in a wrap with salsa..

Friday, July 22, 2011

Summer Camp Fun!

Sierra and Alex have been enjoying a fun week at Twin Lakes 4H camp! While it rained and was gloomy and cold here, a mere hour away in the woods the kids enjoyed: swimming in a warm lake, canoeing, campfires, vespers, archery, camp songs and only 1 day of rain! How lucky!! I was glad to have my Pal Al back last evening and Sierra will return home today. She had such a good time, wants to train to be a Counselor In Training (CIT) for next year and even volunteered to stay the extra night to help with camp clean-up today. Love that girl!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Patriotism Begins Young

I asked both Alex and Julia say their own bedtime prayers this evening and I could not be more proud of my children. Not only did they thank our Lord for their day and specific blessings, but my sweet children prayed that our Lord would protect our Soldiers defending our freedoms tonight.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Get ready, get set.... RAIN

All our hard work on our deck and horse trailer is on hold for final touch ups and then enjoyment as it as seen fit to rain for 3 days straight in the middle of July. I think the kids and I are going nuts without the ability to run, play, and enjoy "our park" of a home. More vitamin D please!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Hard Working Hubby

My hunny has been hard at work on our Pool Party Deck! Here are some before and after shots! Of course we got an algae bloom once the sun light hit the water, but add a little algae-cide and it will clear up shortly.





EGGTASTIC!!

We got our first eggs from our chickens (AKA Cluckers) yesterday! We are all so jazzed! Then Princess Chica, Julia's clucker, gave us another one this morning =D Woohoo!!

(This one is Princess Chica's!)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Home Grown Goodies!

It was a very cold Spring and against what other gardeners in my area were doing, I went ahead and started my garden by seeds in late March. I am most happy with my first year with our own horse compost and raised beds! =)






Horse College

So our lovely little Arab filly Bella is off to the Trainers to get broke to ride. We got to watch Bill as he exercised her today. It was totally fun and educational. I love to watch horses in motion, but truly enjoyed watching this cutie Horse we love so much get schooled by a gentle but take no crap experienced horsemen!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Love the PNW in July!

We have had days of fabulous sunshine and warm weather. I can not say there is anything better than watching my children beings kids exploring their world and getting along! Yahoo =)

We have been diligently working on the horse Trailer we bought with Sierra. It's functional but a bit of a rusty thing. however, things don't warm up enough here until July to be able to use the rust-o-leum paint.. unless you have a nice heated RV garage bay.. which I do not. Both Sie and Alex have used the sander to get rust off and we've primed it. Now it just needs a bath and then paint the exterior. Then the big job begins. The inside will be a bit more difficult because of the little latches and tight corners.

(After exterior primer)




 Interior not sanded or primed yet.. labor of love?? Questionable.






We went to our property at Long Beach, Washington to enjoy the 4th of July Fireworks! What a great time! Sunny blue skies, with some wind. We have a lovely view, from our hilltop motorhome perch, of the ocean and right outside our door is the best sandbox ever!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Julia-ism

It was crazy day of running errands! It was 1:20 and Jules and I had not eaten lunch yet. To say we were hungry is a major understatement. I splurge and get Terriyaki Chicken! But I get it to-go. By the time we get home with our lunch we are beyond starving. We finally get our yummy food plated up and were happily diggin in when Jules says "This is some damned good terriyaki!" YIKES! Once again, Julia you can not talk like that!

Great Neighbors!

When we moved to Silverdale we didn't anticipate having the bets neighbors ever, again! The Bryson family is very hard to compete with - they are 1 in a million and are more like family than just friends! However, as best neighbors go, The Youngblood's are more like the best adopted Grand Parents ever!! Mr. Youngblood is our next door home depot and cool 'toy' store. He has EVERYTHING. His dog Sofie 'spoils' him every Father's day with some great new and fabulous work tool =) Beyond that, they spoil my kids and dogs like crazy! Al always has purple popsicles on hand for Jules and dog treats in his pockets for the girls. Al is often seen with my Al following him around talking non-stop helping with wood stacking chores etc, but Al is happy to have him there. And Sierra, well she has free access wo his amazing barn! Annnd all of his above average tack! Sierra is competing in the Kitsap Fair and Rodeo this year and has decided last minute she'd like to do some gaming annnd English.. we have no western tack whatsoever.. Mr. Youngblood has graciously allowed Sierra to use whatever she'd like. More over, they're coming to see her compete. See what I mean? Best Neighbors EverII !!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Jailbreak..?

Did you know that in the Month of June that sun is shinning brightly here is Washington at 0500? Well I didn't either. And quite frankly, really and truly I could have gone my entire life blissfully unaware of that fact.. But as it happens I DO know that the sun shines brightly at 0500 in Washington.. as my darn Arabian Filly broke THROUGH my fencing and was grazing in my front yard.. Not a good way to start an oh so "happy day," chasing down a horse who thinks it's fun to run around at 5:00 in the morning with her Mama owner close behind yelling 'endearing names' at her and then mending fences..

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Soaking up the sun and cleaning up too!

Whew! This was a hot weekend in the PNW. I spent it pressure washing all our decks, trust me there is alot of wood around here. My muscles were very sore, but the kids played great, got all their chores done and Sierra and Julia made me a picnic lunch! It was so thoughtful =)


Fueled up and back to work for me! The girls played, lucky. Then, Sunday I painted the back deck, side deck, and all railings with the help of Alex and Jules.. mostly Alex =) I just love what a fresh coat of paint does to brighten things up!

Tried to mow the lawn, but Mark didn't have time to put on the new deck belt for the riding lawnmower before his work trip to Portland... So I used good 'ol fashioned horse power! LOL!


My lawnmowers' taking a break lol! (Sie's phone picture)

Overall, put in two great days of work and it certainly shows, and I have a nice tan started and my lawn will eventually get mowed as well. <3