I know it’s a lot of food all in one place but we need serious comfort food around here.
It snowed last night.
Again!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate living in a climate where there are four seasons, but this year, I’ve had enough snow. I’m done with winter. I want the snow to melt, for the sun to warm the air, and for some buds to start forming on our trees.
Anyone that isn’t buying into global warming, and the fact that we may have gone too far damaging our Mother Earth, isn’t living my reality. Nor are they recognizing what’s going on all over our planet; sea levels are rising, there’s unusual flooding, the glaciers are melting, storms are raging, and then there are the droughts. In my part of the world winter is going on and on. We are ALL experiencing extreme weather conditions.
At least where we live, we only have to deal with snow storms and icy conditions in the winter, flooding in the spring, forest fires in the summer and then comes fall. That’s the season where we pull up our socks, so we can do it all over again.
Yeah, it’s much worse in other parts of the world so I shouldn’t complain. But watching this winter go on and on, when in the past I would be doing my spring garden clean up, just gets me thinking about how fast things are changing climate wise.
As I popped another chew-able Vitamin D, I picked up our local newspaper. Reading the article on the front page, made me smile and brought a tear to my eye.
I love living in a small community where the big story is “Men brave icy waters to save deer.” As it turned out a group of Okanagan men jumped into action just in time, to ensure a deer didn’t meet her demise in the icy waters of Okanagan Lake.
That story warmed my heart and while I’m still annoyed at the lingering winter weather, I’m happy that I live in a little town where first, a story like this makes front page, and second, there are good citizens who will risk their own lives to save a helpless animal.
I think I can endure winter a bit longer. Maybe this is yet another letting go moment. I mean there isn’t anything I can do about the weather conditions. I can either be grumpy about it, or find something good about it and today, I’m going to smile. It may be winter but there is goodness here.
With that perspective, I looked out at the snow gently falling, like soft angel feathers and I felt sheltered. I took a deep breath and relaxed a bit more into this season; a bit more into this moment.
Besides shifting my perspective, I also am choosing to make our family a warm meal so when they come home tonight we have some comfort food. Since it’s Friday, there’s not a lot in the fridge but with some creativity I can come up with something. (Lately, I like to stretch as far as I can before going shopping; to see how inventive I can become with what we have in our fridge and cupboards and you know what?–there is always something to make to feed our family.
Tonight, in an effort to eat Vegetarian, which helps our planet , I’m spinning our normal meat based, “Shepherd’s Pie,” and using some “Yves Veggie Ground Round.” This is a hamburger- like product and is a good source of protein and low in fat. It’s also really cheap compared to hamburger. I buy a large package, which has four small packages inside. We get three or four dinners for a total of ($10.00) which is amazing. The big news is that eating vegetarian meals helps our planet…see link above. It’s also been known to fool meat loving individuals in our family. When they have to ask me, “is this meat, or your soy thingy,” then you know it’s good.
If you are looking to drop hamburger from your family’s repertoire, but want to ease gently into a plant based, I’d recommend trying the Veggie Ground round.
Come on into my kitchen and we can whip up dinner tonight. I’m thinking the menu will be “Shepherds Pie, a spinach salad, and some cornbread muffins. And for dessert, a mixed berry coffee cake. My sister J brought a bag of frozen raspberries from her harvest last summer, and I have a few blueberries still in the freezer. Making comfort food in the winter, makes me happy.
Let’s get cooking….
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
2 packages of Veggie Ground (The package I buy has four small packs and I use two small packs)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 tbsp of flour
1 cup of beef broth, (you can substitute this with a vegetable broth…I buy the organic jars from Costco)
11/2 cups of mixed frozen vegetables
Ground pepper
3 cups of mashed potatoes, (I make mine with lots of garlic and some dill)
Garnish with paprika
Directions
(Peel potatoes, cook them and mash them)
In an large iron skillet, sauté the onions in olive oil until lightly brown, add the veggie ground and break it up, cooking it well. You can season here with pepper and a bit of salt.
Add the flour and mix well, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the beef broth, frozen vegetables and season again with ground pepper.
If your potatoes are mashed, don’t forget to add a nice seasoning…we like to add some dill or garlic to our potatoes.
Now fill a large casserole dish with the veggie ground round mixture and top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling hot.
This recipe feeds 4 to 6 people but when I add salad, and cornbread it feeds eight. If our older kids are home, I would just add a bit more ground round and mashed potatoes.
Cornmeal Muffins
Ingredients and Directions
Mix 3/4 cup cornmeal with 1 cup of milk and set aside
Sift together, 11/4 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup sugar, set aside
Stir into the cornmeal/milk mixture, 2 beaten eggs, and ½ cup of melted butter(cooled) or vegetable oil and 2 tbsp of liquid honey. Now add the liquid to dry ingredients.
Don’t over mix, it’s okay if there are a few lumps.
Fill prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to ¾’s
Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges
Eat immediately with some butter….yum….or later with some jam.
And now for dessert:
Berry Coffee Cake…this is a recipe that I’ve made for years and it’s always great but lately, I’ve been making it with coconut oil and I’ve noticed there are never any leftovers. It is a bit more dense but worth the flavour.
Ingredients
1 cup of frozen berries….blueberries or raspberries work best
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter…or coconut oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
11/2 tsp vanilla…or you can use some coconut extract and some vanilla…it’s great together
11/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2/3 cup milk…I used some almond milk and it turned out great
Directions
Toss Blueberries with cinnamon and set aside
Mix coconut oil or butter with sugar until creamy, add eggs one at a time.
Mix dry ingredients
Add alternatively the milk and the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture, then fold in the berries
Put in a prepared bundt pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clean
Cool in the pan to allow the berries to set before removing from pan
Once cooled, flip the bundt pan onto a rack and allow it to cool further.
Finally, place it on a serving dish and sprinkle with some icing sugar, or a lemon glaze.
On Friday nights we like to watch “Planet Earth” episodes with our kids on Netflix but I’m thinking they might like to see the following video first. We can make a difference on this planet by the choices we make every day. Today, I’m choosing to settle into the season a bit deeper, to make a vegetarian meal for my family and to get our family talking about the ways we can walk the earth a bit more gently.
Check out the video below. Maybe you can share it with your family and it will generate some meaningful discussion.
It feels like weeks since we connected. How is life in your part of the world? The 2016 year is quickly coming for an end in my part of the world and I have so much to tell you. I went to pick my daughter Alyssa up this morning from her country retreat, where blissfully she is writing her novel, and I told her that I would give ANYTHING, to have endless peace and quiet in which to write.
Our daughter, Alyssa, thrilled to be starting her winter writing retreat in the country
Okay, mom, how fast can you go so I can start to write?
When you love to write, the words bubble gleefully to the surface, linking effortlessly into an exact image only the heart recognizes, and anxiously you search for a pen, pencil, ANYTHING, to capture that elusive essence into a lasting impression. If you are unable to, as I have been lately, those thoughts have to be suppressed. When that happens I am frankly, irritable.
In one breath, I would love to have the peace and time to write but then, if I didn’t live in the midst of chaos, life constantly flowing and changing, creating experience after experience, each one deeper and more powerful, I wouldn’t have anything to write about. Such a quandary, this life.
Are writers ever happy? Maybe that is why so many of them are internally tortured. And yet, at last when pen is in hand, we are blissful. So finally, I am here, sitting in my favourite chair, laptop waiting expectantly for brilliance to appear on the page. Then you know what happens?
Nothing of any significance.
My fav chair, although I rarely get a chance to sit down…today I got a new book from the library..don’t you love the library!!!
At least to my literary inward critic.
But here I sit and so I’m going to share some of what has been going on around Lakelin Reach. Did you know that is the name of our homestead? Years ago, I took a Feng Shui course at our local College and discovered the importance of giving one’s home a name. After all, it’s filled with energy just like people. And so, since our house often sounded, (and still does) like a music school, with our oldest playing piano and flute, and our younger boys playing violin, cello, guitar, sax and oh, you couldn’t miss the drums, we thought it would be an appropriate name. As you know from some of the pictures I post, our place sits above a beautiful lake and Lakelin, is Celtic and means, “Lake Song.” “Reach,” is a destination. Reminds me of the Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote that I love, “Life’s a journey, not a destination,” and so as a family we decided Lakelin Reach, would be a fitting name for a place where our much of our life experience occurs….in our home. Have you given your home a name? Do you ever leave the house and say goodbye…or greet it upon returning?
Today, as the afternoon wanes and soon, I will collect the children from school, I wanted to share a tiny glimpse into life at our home and also I really wanted, at last to share the most amazing, easy vegetarian meal. The last of my Meatless Monday meals….at least for now.
Falafals!
Have you tried them?
Do you love them?
I made these weeks ago for my meatless Monday final recipe but since then I think we have made them weekly as they are easy, healthy and delicious!!!
Alyssa had a friend from London visit and while Mark was here we made them, that is when I realized this simple dish is great when you have guests over as well. It makes a lot and you never have to worry if there will be enough food for everyone. (must be a big family thing)
Alyssa with her friend Mark, who she met when she was in London
As we move into the season of eating, I’m even more determined to feed my family vegetarian choices, for environmental reasons but also for health reasons. This is the time of year that most people indulge in too much sugar and other treats. so knowing my family are getting a lot of whole foods and vegetables makes me feel more comfortable with all the holiday baking we choose to do and partake.
But before we move into the kitchen, come and sit with me and we can chat a bit more. How was your November? Did it fly by as fast as it did in our house; a virtual blur of activities. The weather was mild for this time of year, so between several birthday celebrations, mine on the 8th, and then a few others scattered throughout the month, oh and then Remembrance day too, I was out in the garden performing my last bits of fall clean up. Having the chickens free range in our back 40, makes a bit of a mess but it’s so worth it.
Did I mention I love our chickens? We spent a bit of time getting them ready for winter….. all warm and toasty. David built panels for their run and we purchased a heated water bowl. We also hung a light to extend their day light hours and I strung a string of Christmas lights on the front side of their coop too. Chickens love Christmas too and this is their first winter on earth so I wanted them to enjoy this time of year too. Yes, decorations start early around here.
Since we have three children who have birthdays this month, Grace’s 14th, is actually today, I try to get our Christmas decorations done at the end of November.
Happy Birthday beautiful Grace….this year we made a candy cane ice cream cake
This year, David took a few days off to get some much needed work started on our attic conversion and I was able to convince him to take me up to the mountains to search of our Christmas tree. Clark took time off from studying for his LSAT exam, (which was on Dec 3rd) and Alyssa made some eggnog lattes and we headed up to a nearby provincial forestry site, where we had a permit to cut up to three trees.
We headed up the mountains but hadn’t traveled very far past the forestry permit area before we started to see potential trees. Lots of them. I think it helped that it hadn’t snowed much yet which made it was easier to see the trees, also to access them. David stopped the van and we all got out on an explore to find just the perfect tree for our holiday celebrations. As we searched, I trimmed the bottom of the large trees to collect fir and cedar boughs to hang around the house. They smelled so fresh and fragrant.
Me in awe….love trees, love the forest, love the country
Alyssa gathering greenery….oh so fragrant!
In the past I have felt bad about cutting down trees, and a bit worse after my daughter reminded me about all the carbon offsetting that occurs when one cuts down a tree. (Remember during my road towards minimalism a year and a half ago, I practically gave away our fake large, pre-lit Christmas tree?)
As we were touring the area, I felt better when my husband David said, “why don’t we take the little fir cuttings we receive each year from our rural district on Earth Day and come back to plant them close to where our Christmas trees are located. I felt a bit better and also it’s something we can do with the little ones. (When I was talking to my brother in law B about my feelings about cutting down trees, he did remind me that the trees are chipped afterwards and their mulch used to create new earth)
It was magical in the mountains. Quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of the occasional winter bird breaking the heavy silence blanketing us. This year, not one vehicle past us, not even a logging truck, even though it was during the work week. Finally, we found a few serious contenders and we carefully assessed them, judging shape, colour and size of each tree. We narrowed down our choices and finally turned inwards, to connect with that intrinsic feeling you get when you know you have found, “THE TREE.” You know, like Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in the movie, “Christmas Vacation,” when his family finally comes upon their tree and a light is glowing all around it, proclaiming, “I’m the one.” Unlike Clark, we did bring a saw..
David and Clark, who are both way over 6 feet…and our TREES!
We ended up with two beautiful 10 foot trees and somehow, David and Clark crammed them into our Honda Odyssey. Did I mention we have 8 foot ceilings in our house, except for our vaulted foyer, but we weren’t putting our trees in that location. (We would have to do some pruning)
As the last branch was tucked inside the van, Alyssa brought out the themos of eggnog lattes and we opened the box of Tim Horton’s Christmas donuts we had purchased for the event, and we raised our mugs to our two Christmas trees and to the occasion of being together this early holiday season. This is a special year for after two years away teaching in London, Alyssa is home for Christmas.
I know it is golden moments such as this that I want to create, as it may be the last year our older two children are in our house together. If all goes well for our oldest daughter Alyssa, she will be living in as seaside cottage in Ireland next year writing, or perhaps teaching and traveling abroad, which is her passion. And this time next year, if Clark’s vision comes to pass, he will be back East attending law school.
You just never know what will be around the corner so it’s best to enjoy the journey….
I have lived long enough to experience many magic moments and know this time will never come again and “this is the only moment that exist.” We clinked our mugs again and warmed ourselves with the nog, savouring each mouthful of our gingerbread donuts and apple fritters, knowing this was a special moment in time.
I’ve discovered at least for me, that it’s these simple moments that make life truly special. Going to a Christmas tree farm to cut down our tree, and enjoying their hot cocoa or hot apple cider, or taking the whole family to walk through a Christmas tree lot, oooohing and awing over trees, would have been nice, but that elusive wisp of of pure joy overcomes me when we do something that isn’t commercial. Being out in nature is certainly part of that feeling of peace and well being, but knowing we are going a bit farther; being creative, rather than just spending money, makes these moments even more pleasurable. As I’m experiencing that sense of contentment, I realize how breathtaking and mystical this extraordinary life journey is.
It was a great start to what I hope will continue to be a simple Christmas in our home.
This Christmas we are focusing less on the commercial aspect of the season and more on giving, being creative and just enjoying being together. When we came together a few weeks ago, to eat falafel wraps, Moroccan chick pea salad and sweet potato fries, it was another moment filled with good spirits..
Yes, my family knew I was taking pictures for you, my blog friends and family, but in a way, they have come to know you all as well and want to include you in our moments. It was interesting to discuss Middle Eastern food and culture and talk about what is street food to other people is really special to us.
Also, we had a chance to talk about what has been occurring is Aleppo, Syria and our thoughts and prayers are being sent to all the innocent people trapped in that battle. My heart goes out especially to the children and the parents who want more than anything to have a peaceful home to raise their families. (Also to those who have lost children this year)
Hopefully, soon, peace will come and again, Falafals can be their street food, sold in markets with children’s laughter ringing, like bells through the air.
With my mouth full of flavourful chickpea balls, I told my family, “my blogger friends are going to love this recipe.” They nodded in agreement, as their mouths were as full as mine, with tahini sauce at the corners of their lips. You may have discovered these balls already but I’m late in coming to the party. What inspired me to try these was again my oldest daughter who traveled to Greece and Turkey while in University. She decided to minor in Greek and Roman studies and boy was I glad. We have brought the other side of the world into our kitchen….in more ways than one.
I’d love to share this easy recipe with you as it was one of those meals that I thought would be complicated, ’cause I haven’t made them before, but they were a breeze to make. Don’t you just LOVE meals that are easy AND delicious?
So join me in the kitchen and we can whip up some falafel wraps.
Falafels Ingredients (I doubled this recipe for my family and there was enough for 10…with some left over for the next day)
1 cup of dried chickpeas 3/4 chopped onion 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 4 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp lemon juice 11/2 tsp salt Vegetable oil for frying 5 large pitas with pockets cut in half Optional garnishes: thinly sliced radishes shredded lettuce sliced tomatoes Tahini yogurt sauce 1/2 cup balkan-style plan yogurt 1/2 cup tahini1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Directions In bowl, pour enough cold water over chickpeas to cover by 1 inch soak for 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain well.
(I don’t usually shop at Walmart but since my son has been working there, when I dropped him off I often pick up this and that….I picked up some dried chick peas and what a deal….check it out for around $2.00 dollars you can make a boat load of falafals. In food processor, coursely chop chickpeas, onion, parsley, and garlic, about 30 seconds. Add flour, cumin, baking powder, lemon juice and salt; pulse until blended, 10 seconds. Shape by heaping 1 tbsp into 11/2 inch balls. Arrange in single layer on waxed paper, lined tray, refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
Pour enough oil into wok, or Dutch oven to come about 2 inches up side, heat to 350 degrees using deep fry thermometer. In batches, gently drop falafels into hot oil. Deep-fry turning once, until golden and cooked through, 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel-lined tray. (To reheat, bake on greased baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Tahini yogurt sauce; Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, oil, salt, and cayenne. Stuff pitas with falafels, 2 to 3 for large pita half (one if you are using small pitas) top with radish, tomato, lettuce and drizzle with tahini yogurt sauce.
It’s that easy!!!
And the Moroccan Chick pea salad….spicy and a lovely compliment. I was inspired when I went to our local health food stores deli…absolutely yummy and so I tried to replicate it.
Moroccan Chick Pea Salad
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight 4 scallions or green onions (I still had these growing in my garden so I used the later) 1 large roma tomato 1/2 either cilantro or parsley finely minced 2 garlic cloves 1 cup of grated carrot 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp of lemon juice 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp black pepper pinch of cayenne
Directions:…easy, mix everything together in medium bowl
And to round out this great dish, try making some……
Let’s go back to the living room and sit ’cause, before I go, I have to also tell you another story and it’s about our son William, who is 7 years old and is in grade 2 at school. One day when his class was out on a walking field trip, the kids noticed electrical outlets linked to the metal frames around the 19 trees planted a few years ago, along the sidewalk strip beside their school. The kids wanted to know if it would be possible to have Christmas lights put up on these trees. They thought it would make the strip more festive.
They found out that in order for this to happen, they would have to petition the municipal hall to request lights be purchased and installed. Before they took this next step however, they did a survey in their school to determine what the others children thought of the idea. They compiled the results and made up mathematical graphs and put all their gathered facts on a power point program. They decided that since the majority agreed with their idea, they would contact the municipality and ask to be placed on the upcoming meeting agenda.
Will was selected to be one of the delegates from the grade 2 classes but before the presentation, there was much discussion about the pros and cons of putting the lights on the trees in our house. Since his older brother was preparing for his LSAT, and his natural inclination lately is to think logically, taking all the facts into consideration, he and Will had animated discussions around the upcoming presentation, how to present the case and conduct himself. Also, it came to light that William was concerned whether it was a good use of resources.
Of the 400 and some students in the school, only 7 thought it was not a good idea. One for religious reasons as the lights were being called, “Christmas lights,” and another child said “no” because it was, “boring.” Will was conflicted once he found out it was going to cost several thousand dollars. He knew that was a large amount of money and there was a big part of him that felt the money could be better spent feeding children less fortunate. Also, he knew in the winter, there were many children who were not dressed properly for our cold weather and also some who wouldn’t receive gifts at Christmas time.
Even though he had grave concerns, he moved forward with the grade 2’s and helped to be one of the presenters. Thankfully, the council were all wonderful with the children and it was a good experience for them to see how democracy is conducted in our community and our country.
(If you want to read the news article, click this link)
The next morning I took him to school and he was absolutely THRILLED to see that the school had set out several large boxes around the Christmas tree in the foyer for collections of food and toys for children less fortunate. He turned to me with the biggest smile on his face and said, “Maybe we can do both things; bring light to the community and help the children.”
Tonight, as I was making our daughter’s birthday dinner, David came home from work early to take William and the little girls to the tree light up. They all came home in high spirits with stories of hot cocoa and each carrying candy canes.
Spirits bright at the tree light up this evening, Will and Kate with Tori up front left
Again, this little boy has come to teach me so much about love and compassion. He lives his life with such intense enthusiasm and joy for life but has the kindest heart. We can do both. It’s not one or the other and if we hold the vision of what is truly important to us, with focus, all of our dreams and wishes can come true, not just for us, but for the world. In our safe part of the world, where our biggest concerns are whether to put up Christmas lights or not, or in Aleppo, where the parents are just trying to keep their children alive.
Our house is a better place with this little boy in it, and the world is a better place for all of our children in it, for they all light the way for us to follow. They remind us to look inside and find that part of us that remembers how to love.
And with that, I will close my early December blog post to you.
I have so much to share but it’s a busy place around here, with Christmas parties and concerts, music theory exams and grade 12 transition interviews, so I can’t promise but I would LOVE to share a few things we are doing to keep this holiday simple. One is making homemade gifts so stay tuned as I have something for everyone.
Homemade board games
homemade blocks from leftover wood from renovation left overs…or from the forest
…kids love to build
(cool tie-dyed shirts….our sons love them and they are so much fun to create
and finally something everyone in my family loves…..
and
Caramel and spiced nuts
Thanks for coming for a visit today. I hope as December unfolds for you and your family, that you look for the magic in all the moments.
If you want more inspiration on keeping things simple this holiday season, check out the above video. Brittany Taylor shares some great ideas for celebrating the holidays in a new way, with the thoughts of the environment and our well being in mind. If you can’t see the above, click on this hyperlink, “Keeping it Simple for the Holidays.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbHuihREij0
(Thank you Tamara for all the Hope filled ornaments over the years!)
Until we connect again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
Today is not just the day my little candy hunters will head out in search of loot, but also my first day doing another 21 day meditation challenge with Dr. Deepak Chopra and Oprah. This one is called, “Creating Peace from the Inside Out~ the Power of Connection.”
Have you had a chance to do one of their meditation challenges yet?
Do you want to join me?
There is still time.
Click on the hyper-link above. It’s easy to register and it’s FREE! It’s also something we can do together and is just one more thing we can do to create a better world.
What I love about the idea of meditating on mass, creating peace from the inside out, is there was never a better time. With everything going on with the U.S. election, and the war on terrorism, nuclear testing in North Korea, etc, we need to tune inward to find peace, to shut out fear, which inevitably will touch each and everyone of us in the world, as we make connections with each other.
I need it right now too, as in my particular part of the world, with a house brimming of 7 children of various ages, developmental levels and personalities, if WE can live in peace, then I know there is hope for the world. It’s a constant, conscious choice and believe me, a daily challenge to be a mom and mentor of our group. I fail terribly some days…but
My greatest wish is that there be peace in my home.
That there be peace in the world.
For me to do this however, it takes inner reserves and abundant energy. I also need to shut out what society tells me daily with all sorts of messages that plunder my being. I need to shut out the fear that I’m not good enough, I’m not rich enough, I’m not brilliant enough, I’m not young enough.
I need to remember that just BEING, is enough.
Also,
at no other time in the world can fear spread as fast, and at no other time in the world, can light shine out from all of our souls. It’s our choice to choose love over power, courage over fear. Knowing we are enough just as we are. We are more than enough, we are perfect as we are, and so is everyone else.
What kind of world do you want to create?
Are you with me as we “om” daily for the next 21 days?
I’m so sorry I missed my last week’s meatless Monday. Oh, we enjoyed another great vegetarian meal. It was amazing and I wanted you all at my table. I made a middle Eastern dish; “Falafel wraps” with a Moroccan Chick pea salad and sweet potato fries.
You can bet I’m going to write a blog post about it but it will have to be for next week. Stay tuned. I have to tell you why I missed writing last week. I was having a love affair.
Ha! Well, it was more like a love/hate relationship.
With my sewing machine!
As I worked my way through the Pokemon Pikachu costume pattern, I kept thinking how I was making memories for my little boy William. Last year, he was a slurpee cup, which was a no sew costume, so this year I felt like I owed him a REALLY great costume. How many more years will he be 7 and want to dress up as a big yellow character?
Each night, once the kids were tucked away, lunches were made, school clothes were ironed, and yes, I still iron clothes. Probably because I leave them in the dryer too long and they are beyond wrinkled when retrieved. My sister B, knows all about my laundry woes…waving to you B. Thanks for all your help folding clothes over the years! Anyway, sorry I got sidetracked, after everything was ready for another busy day, I would bring out my sewing machine and with the T.V. on in the background, work my way through deciphering the pattern instructions. By the way, it was an EASY pattern, but for me it took ALL week.
Hence missing last week’s meatless Monday blog post. But hey…here is the completed costume.
At last!
And here it is on Will….at the Halloween party he attended on Saturday afternoon. He loved being Pikachu and if you don’t know about Pokemon, Pikachu is like a fluffy, Thor-like character…sending lightening and thunder to bad guys.
Doesn’t he look happy in his Pikachu costume? So it was ALL worth it.
So it’s Halloween tonight and if you know me at all, I really love the whole dressing up part of the occasion. The idea of being something or someone you admire, or desire to become, appeals to my creative soul. Often little ones can feel small and insignificant in our world, (big ones too) so this gives them one day of the year, they can be something that makes them feel brilliant and brave. We all need that experience in life.
It’s a time when they head out after dark, dressed in their finery, daring to be the person they most desire in the world. Plus the beauty gifts and prizes of treats doesn’t hurt either!
The part I don’t like about Halloween, and I think I blogged about it last year, especially since I’m a mom, is the sugar part. I spoke with several moms at our daughter’s kindergarten Halloween party this morning and they were all bemoaning the sugar aspect of the day. I was sharing a few tips I have learned over the years to minimize the negative experience. Personally, I think kids should experience the hunt….and maybe also what it feels like to have a sugar high…’cause it’s often a sugar low.
I mean really, it’s their one and only day of the year to head out and fill a bag full of treats they often are not allowed to eat (in most households now we know the downside of sugar) We have chosen to embrace the evening and use it as another teaching moment.
Of course in the days leading up to Halloween we do talk about the tradition and also about the treat aspect of the occasion. How we are not thrilled with how sugar negatively affects our health and well being. Also, it gives children the opportunity to make healthy decisions and choices.
But in the end, we parents do have the control.
I have heard some people choose to exchange the bag of candy for a longed for toy, or to allow children to eat all they want in the first night and then the treat bag goes away.
What we have done in our family over the years, is when our children come home from trick or treating, we have them spread all their loot on the floor and we check it over. Then we encourage our children to categorize and count their treats, if they choose. Kid’s naturally do this in most cases. You know, put all the chocolate bars together, bags of chips etc. This is great for using their math skills and at this point, they often negotiate a trade with their sibling.
Then we tell them to pick about three items, which they can enjoy while watching the fireworks put on by our local Fire hall. The fire fighters were down at the public lake dock early this morning, setting up all the various fireworks and when 8 o’clock strikes you can hear your first boom of the evening, as the light show begins in our part of the world. We are fortunate to have a wonderful view since our house is right above the lake and situated directly in front of where the fireworks explode.
The kids eat their treats and enjoy this display.
After that, we put the kid’s treats into the kitchen cupboard and each night after dinner, they are able to select something from their treat bag. This feels good to me, since I remember going trick and treating and recall how precious that candy was to me, but now from a moms perspective, I also know right after eating said candy, our little ones will be off for their evening bath and have their teeth brushed.
Knowing they go out before Trick or Treating with a healthy dinner, makes me feel great too with regards to the upcoming sugar dump. Tonight is no exception and it’s kind of cool that it’s Meatless Monday.
Tonight we are making a Vegetable Lentil Gardener Pie. It’s like a Sheperd’s Pie..without the meat..YUM!
I found it in a wonderful cookbook I borrowed from the library. It’s called, “The Vegetarian Collection,” written by Alison Kent and the Canadian Living Test Kitchen.
Love, love, LOVE, this cook book and I’m definitely going to find a copy to purchase.
I think this may be a Halloween traditional dinner since it’s something I can make ahead of time and just pop in the oven late in the afternoon so we can have an early dinner and get the kids into their costumes. It gets dark really early here, like at 5:00 o’clock this time of year, so they are out in their costumes walking up steps and knocking on doors REALLY early.
Are you ready for a dinner that is delicious and nutritious?
Okay,
Here it is:
Vegetable Lentil Gardener’s Pie
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 carrot diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 cups dried lentils, rinsed and drained
1 pkg (375 g) precooked soy protein mixture (I used Yves Veggie Ground Round)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 can of crushed tomatoes (I used a bag of frozen, already seasoned tomatoes)
2/3 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
2 zucchini, diced
2 lbs of russet potatoes…about 4 large ones
2 lbs sweet potatoes…about 4
1/3 cup milk (almond, rice, or cow)
3 tbsp butter
11/2 cups of grated old cheddar cheese
2 green onions sliced thinly
A few of the ingredients gathered together.
Directions
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; fry diced onion, celery, carrot and garlic until softened, 6 minutes. Stir in lentils, soy protein, cumin, oregano and half each of the salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes
Stir in tomatoes, broth and wine, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add zucchini, cook, covered and stirring often, until thickened and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and cut russet and sweet potatoes in 2 inch chunks. In large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potatoes, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to dry saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potatoes, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to dry saucepan; mash together with milk, butter and remaining salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.
Scrape lentil mixture into 13×9 baking dish; spread mashed potatoes over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions. Bake in 375 degree oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes
I took a really quick picture of this plate for the purpose of my blog. Frankly, I’m always so shocked that I have time to take ANY pictures because when my family knows dinner is about to be served it’s chaos in my kitchen. My oldest daughter said, “mom, do we really need a napkin?….and I assured her that in blog post world, yes I needed a napkin, when in real world, our kids often use their sleeves or the cushions on my window seat. No, I’m just kidding, but often we don’t use a napkin as that’s just creates more laundry. ha!
But for you, I have placed a napkin on the place mat.
Someday I will have to VLOG about a typical dinner being served at my house. “Crazy” could be one adjective or maybe more like an adverb. I’m hoping always for calm but it’s often a bit chaotic as everyone scrambles to dish up their dinner.
I did plate this quickly but afterwards, added a country bun to this dish, which was PERFECT and the little kids loved this addition to the Gardener’s Pie.
So there, another Meatless Monday meal for my repertoire and maybe one you too. This made a nice big meal so if you have a smaller family that I do, it’s great for 2 nights and what mom doesn’t love THAT! Or better yet, invite another family over and break some bread together.
So dear ones, my best wishes for a Happy Halloween. I hope the light of the season shines brightly, fear is shut out and love remains glowing in your home. That’s really what this season is all about don’t you think?
I hope you join me in meditating over the next 21 days. Perhaps it will help us remove the mask many of us wear much of the year and become more in tuned with our authentic selves.
All shall be well in our world.
Peace out!
Until we connect again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
Blessings from Hope
P.S. I’m not paid or receive anything for endorsing the 21 day challenge. Like everything on my blog, it’s done with the intention to inspire others to move towards the light.
~ Namaste~
“As I embarked down the road, the path seemed endless, but with each footfall, the fresh, crisp air filled my lungs, allowing my feet to lift higher, my eyes rose to the trees above and the beauty from the coloured leaves gently falling along my path, overcame my senses. Suddenly, the road was not long enough.”~ Lee Reynolds~
Well, Thanksgiving is over for another year.
I found it humourous that the crafts and stories our children brought home from school last week were “turkey” related and here we are talking about another Meatless Monday dinner.
Helping our family be inspired, to live a mostly vegetarian lifestyle appeared to be a difficult journey at first, but now that we have developed a collection of family favourites, with a long list of recipes still to try, it’s now fun and exciting. Why we didn’t do this years ago, I don’t know. I suppose it was just easier when life was busy to fall back cooking meals that we were comfortable making and eating.
I love watching our older children relish eating healthier meals and I’m thrilled our younger ones have developed a diverse and sophisticated palate. I remember going to visit my Aunt and Uncle one summer for a week when I was around the same age Will is now, 7 years old. Their house was lovely, their children were perfect and my Aunt cooked gourmet type meals all served in their formal dining room. One evening my Aunt served spinach. I don’t remember how she prepared it, but even knowing Popeye the Sailor Man, loved spinach, wasn’t enough for me to eat it. My one and only bite made me gag so bad and if memory serves, I believe I fell asleep next to my plate, since that was the way you taught children to eat their dinner when I was young, or at least how my Aunt and Uncle taught their children to appreciate good food.
Guess what I made our family for dinner tonight? Greek Spinach pie, or Spanakopita.
Eating Greek food was inspired, when our oldest daughter went to Greece in her 3rd year of University for a month several years ago. She came home with a light tan, glowing skin and raving of all the colourful and flavourful dishes. Tonight we didn’t have anyone falling asleep next to their plate, (not that we do that in our house) instead, they were all vying for seconds. The only negative comment I heard from our kids was from William, our 7 year old son, who doesn’t care for tomatoes or red onions. While I encouraged him to try to bite of everything, when he shook his head over the tomato and onion in his salad, I remembered that spinach dinner many years ago and I gladly told him, “I’ll eat your tomato and onion,” of which he gladly relinquished. The repertoire of foods he WILL eat is immense compared to most kids his age and I know in time, he will learn to love all kinds of vegetables like the rest of us.
It’s all good!
What I really like about this meal is that it can be made ahead of time, put in the freezer and brought out when you want a really special dinner. I did make it after school today as we didn’t have anything going on. Laying phyllo dough, sheet by sheet, layer by layer is time consuming but worth every bit of work.
So if you want to blow your family away, with a yummy vegetarian dinner, try making this dish. Throw together a Greek salad, play the Greek music I have linked below and enjoy a delightful dinner, creating happy, healthy, vegetarian food memories.
Thankfully, some of the items are still growing in our garden. The chickens had left some spinach in our garden but it wasn’t enough for the whole dish, so I had to break down and buy some at Costco….but they DID give us the eggs for this spinach pie. The green onions are still glorious and crisp and the oregano and parsley haven’t been touched by our chilly nights yet. It’s such a joy to be able to go out into the garden and still find food to put on our table. (Now we just need a goat for the feta cheese)
Ingredients Filling: 2 lbs Fresh Spinach 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 large green onions (cut up even the bulb) 1 medium onion (I used a yellow onion from my garden) 2 cups cut up feta cheese 1 cup of ricotta cheese 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup fresh oregano (can use dried oregano) 1/4 cup parsley (can use dried) Fresh dill sprigs or dried 1/4 cup nutmeg Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil for brushing; may want more if you are brushing each piece of phyllo dough 1 package of phyllo dough…ensure you keep a damp towel over the dough as you are working with it. Directions: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on med/high heat, and slowly add the washed and dried spinach until it wilts. (2 -3 minutes) Take off the heat, let cool.
Saute green onions, medium yellow onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until the onions are translucent.
Add the feta, ricotta cheese, the 3 lightly beaten eggs, the oregano, parsley, dill, nutmeg and salt and pepper to the spinach. Add the onions. Mix well. Grease 13×9 pan with a light brush of olive oil. Open the phyllo dough and spread it out fully. Cut it in half. Make sure you have a damp cloth to cover over the phyllo sheets as you work with it. Take one piece of phyllo dough sheets at a time and brush it with olive oil. Continue laying the dough down piece by piece and gently brushing olive oil on the complete sheet. When you have used 1/2 of the package of dough, spread the spinach mixture over the complete pan.
Continue adding the second half of the phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with olive oil. When you have used all of the phyllo dough, brush the top with the last bit of olive oil. Score the top sheet of phyllo dough with a sharp knife, not cutting through the dough, in the shapes you want to cut when it’s cooked…..a traditional way is in triangles. Cook in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Let it sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. This allows the pie to set up before cutting.
Greek Salad Ingredients 1 head romaine lettuce- rinsed, dried and chopped 1 red onion thinly sliced 1 can of pitted black olives or kalamata olive 1 green bell pepper, chopped in large chunks (can use red or orange too) 4-6 tomatoes, chopped into large segments (best choice are the Roma with fewer seeds) 1 large long English Cucumber 1/2 – 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese (if you are using a salted feta…be wary of adding more in dressing) Dressing 6 tbsp virgin olive oil 3 tbsp lemon juice (or juice from a lemon) 3 garlic cloves minced 1 tsp oregano Salt and pepper Directions Mix all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Make and pour the dressing, tossing well. Serve
I have to laugh as I post these pictures, thinking back to when my family was circling our kitchen island at dinner tonight, where we do a “dish yourself up fashion,” and it was really hard for me to take a moment, dish up and snap a few pictures. I’m lucky I have any BEFORE EATING pictures!!! I’m sorry, my blog is just so homey, as you can tell from my pictures and set up… etc…. if you do any reading around the blog world you will see how basic it is…but hey, it’s real.
I hastily spread a bit of tzatziki dressing (which my oldest made from scratch) on top of my salad and poured a glass of red wine, left over from Thanksgiving (Thanks C and D) before the family swooped in and were swarming over this absolutely delicious and flavourful dinner.
Grateful hearts!
Happy Meatless Monday!
If you haven’t added a Greek dish to your family favourites yet, let this one be your first. Thanks for joining me today, and for making the world a better place.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful. Blessings from Hope
Hi! Welcome to my blog and thanks for joining me for my third Meatless Monday meal. This week, I thought I would make an Italian classic, but when I did some research, I discovered that Ancient Greeks were responsible for making this pasta out of long strips of dough they called, “laganon. Fast forward, several more centuries and Italy claims they perfected the delicious layers of meat, vegetables with these long pasta strips. To complicate the origin of this dish further however, the first cookbook with a lasagna recipe was found in Britain in 1390.
So wherever this recipe originated, I’m sure over the centuries each country contributed their own flair to the dish and while I used to stick to a classic meat lasagna recipe, in the last 10 years my family has enjoyed my vegetarian twist. Maybe that is how in this day and age, we are re-shaping the classic lasagna. As we contemplate eating less meat for many reasons, health, environment, ethical treatment of animals, I personally find this recipe more delicious than my old meat version, as the vast array of vegetables contributes to a layer of delectable flavours.
This is also a meal that can be prepared in advance and frozen if you wish for a small gathering or a large. Or better yet, make one to eat now and one to freeze.
Join me out in my garden where I have to dash to pick some tomatoes, some carrots and basil and oregano.
While this isn’t my large Roma (Viva Italia) tomatoes, which are perfect for this dish, it’s a picture of my cute Juliets…definitely needed in any tomato garden
This year, I planted carrots all over my garden, wherever I had a spot ’cause you can never have too many carrots. They get even sweeter with the crisp fall days and are delicious fresh from the garden
Go outside and our girls are ALWAYS wanting to get in a photo shot…here’s Cocoa cruising in the kale
Are you ready to cook with me today? Okay, let’s go inside.
Find your cutting board and a sharp knife because the biggest part of making this dish is in chopping of vegetables. Here we go…..
Homemade Hearty Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
Lasagna Dry Noodles (I prefer whole wheat for the higher fiber content) I’m using a large Lasagna pan and I cook 14 noodles (I use 12 for the dish, 6 on each layer, but always cook a few extra…great for dipping in the sauce, yum) 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion chopped finely 3 garlic cloves 1 small green pepper 1-1/2 cups of sliced carrots 1 cups of sliced mushrooms 1-1/2 cups of sliced zucchini 5-6 large tomatoes cut into quarters (if you don’t use fresh tomatoes, you can add another jar of sauce) 1 large jar of tomato sauce 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil and oregano or 1-2 tbsp of dried herbs 4 cups of lightly packed fresh spinach or 2 packages of frozen spinach 454 grams of partly skimmed Ricotta cheese 2 eggs 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese 2 -3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (add more if you want a really cheesy top
Directions
1. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 7 to 9 minutes. Drain water and rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.
2. In a large pot, saute onions, garlic and green peppers in olive oil. Cook several minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook several minutes allowing vegetables to soften. vegetables are soft.
3. Add fresh chopped herbs to the vegetables, then add the jar of sauce stirring and cooking for several more minutes. If you are wanting a rich taste, you can also add some dried oregano and basil. When I cook this in the summer when I have fresh herbs, I use fresh AND dried herbs. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, the eggs and the spinach.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 6. Now layer 1/2 of the tomato/vegetable sauce in the bottom of your pan…most people use a 13×9…but mine is a bit larger
7. Lay 1/2 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
You need two eggs for the ricotta/spinach layer…here is Victoria with our new egg basket, which we had to start using since the girls like to collect the eggs and bring them in IN their hands…but earlier today we had a slip up and lost two eggs, ooops! hence our new egg basket
8. Lay the ricotta cheese/spinach/egg/Parmesan mixture on top of the lasagna noodles
9. Lay the other half of the lasagna noodles on top of the ricotta cheese/spinach mixture 10. Now spread the 2nd half of the tomato/vegetable sauce on top and finally layer this with all the mozzarella cheese…..if you want a lot of cheese use 3 cups but I found 2 full cups enough and then I sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top
11. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. I place some tin foil on top to keep it hot…..and allowing it to sit helps it to firm up when you are serving the pieces. Note: If you want the sauce to be hearty…you can use even more vegetables than the above….I know when we have served this to some of my children’s friends, they have not appreciated the mushrooms but they really do help to make the sauce thicker and heartier.
Sorry for the glare…the rear of our house faces south and on a nice day, at 6ish the sun shines right into the back of our house…lovely but not great for pics
The little kids love lasagna
We are missing Alyssa and Harrison tonight. Alyssa has agreed to do some childcare/house sitting for our neighbours who are gone for a week, and Harry is at his part time job….Lasagna warms up really well and is better on day 2
And you know what seems to go really well with lasagna?…Carrot Cake. Have you tried my recipe?…well it’s actually my sister C’s recipe, which is awesome and we have tweaked over the years. Try it and see what you think.
And I think our cat Ryuuki must have known it was Meatless Monday, ’cause as soon as our son Clark got up to go and get something from the kitchen, our sweet little guy jumped up into his seat and settled in, soaking in the rays from the sun. When Clark came back, he let him hang and he pulled up another chair. Our pets remind us to go where there is love and FOOD.
Are you still on the fence regarding choosing a vegetarian lifestyle? If so, check out Graham Hill’s TED talk video, “Why I’m a weekday vegetarian.” Any steps we can take in the direction of choosing meatless meals, helps our planet earth. (if you are unable to see the link below, click on the hyper-link above)
Well, thanks for joining me and my family today and I hope this lasagna recipe inspires you to choose it as another vegetarian meal for your repertoire.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful Blessings from Hope
Welcome back to my second Meatless Monday. It’s a gorgeous day in the Okanagan and what I want more than anything is to get outside and harvest some more tomatoes. I have been doing that almost daily and after the kids are in bed at night, I’m either cutting them up and putting them in the freezer, or I’m making salsa and canning it. It’s been a GREAT tomato gardening season! We eat a lot of tomatoes in the winter, as I add them to so many meals. Stay tuned for my Salsa making/canning experience later this week and let’s get cooking with an Asian inspired dish, for our Monday Meatless dinner. Do you have places to go too?
Stay tuned….and join me in making some salsa later this week
You know what I love about “Smoked Tofu and Vegetables?” They aren’t just a healthy, MEATLESS, combination, but they are SUPER EASY TO PREPARE. Perfect, if your Monday is like mine and kids are flying in and out of the house, off to after school activities. I like them to have something filling either coming or going.
The little girls are off to ballet after school which makes dinner time more hectic
For years, my kids, especially my older ones, would protest when we had a meal with tofu. As soon as they arrived home after school the question, “What’s for dinner Mom?” would be asked, with hopeful anticipation and I would reply with dread, “tofu,” knowing a groan would be their response. What about tofu makes kids groan? And why did I always reply to their, “what’s for dinner question,” with the protein choice of the meal? Why didn’t I say instead, “we are having, Squash, Carrots, or Broccoli?” You know why, because in many parts of the world, meat and potatoes is still the way people want to eat, choose to eat, like to eat. They probably don’t know any better. We used to not know better. It was the way I was raised to a degree, and also many comfort foods were associated with meat centered meals. Meals like; meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and pork chops with orange slices.
“Sigh,”……that’s me.
I know 20 some years ago, when I started cooking with tofu now and then, my kids felt TOFU was synonymous with vegetarianism ,and anything with the word “vegetables” in the title, was not good in their books. KIDS!
Thankfully~
Times change~
Palates Evolve~
And I have grown up too~
I have a more discerning desire to feed my family healthier choices and as a side benefit, it helps the earth. (Although if I was really smart, that would be my number one reason to become a vegetarian, since, if I help the earth, I help ALL the children in the world)
Whatever my children’s perception was, the bottom line is that tofu is a good source of protein when choosing a meatless meal and maybe it didn’t hurt that I found a yummy smoked tofu that everyone likes. It’s meaty, savory, and of course, it has a great smokey taste. It just adds another flavour dimension to our meals.
If you have a busy Monday, or any day of the week, the biggest part of making a stir fry is cutting up the vegetables but make it easier on yourself, and do it the night before, placing the veggies into a large container and store them in the fridge until you are ready to WOK with them. Okay, poor pun, but speaking of woks, you don’t need one to make this meal, just a large frying pan will wok, I mean work. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)
Having said that, once you have used a wok and experienced how fast it cooks, while maintaining the texture of your food, you will want to purchase one for your kitchen. I have an electric wok, but I have always wanted to do the hanging wok from the ceiling thing, which says to me….
dinner in a sec.
and good cooks live here!
Okay, ready to start chopping? by the way, you don’t have to limit the vegetables to what I have chosen. You can add anything you have in your fridge, the more the better, the brighter the colour, the healthier. I have chosen kale as my main green vegetable, as that’s whats in the garden right now but broccoli works great and would be my other number 1 choice.
Meatless Monday #2 – Smoked Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients Rice, thin egg noodles or Spaghetti Squash (we chose the later for this dinner as it’s in season)
Marinade: 2 cups of vegetable broth 1/4 cup dry sherry 4 Tbsp of low sodium Soy Sauce….my number one choice is the Bragg’s variety when I have it 1 Tbsp honey (or sugar)…this is optional 3 teaspoons of cornstarch 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp powered ginger Opt: 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Now for the rest of the ingredients – vegetables, etc: Note: If you cut the veggies in strips, more of the vegetable can absorb the spices and it will improve the flavour of the dish
2 tbsp of sesame oil 3- 4 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp of grated ginger 1 chopped white onion 1 stalk of celery sliced 1 red hot pepper cut finely (optional…even our kids are starting to like things SPICY and even though I also have red pepper flakes in the marinade, I like layering my spices) 1 orange, red, or green sweet pepper, sliced 2 to 3 carrots sliced 2 cups of red cabbage..sliced 2 cups of kale or broccoli, cut up 1 sliced small zucchini 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced 1 package of smoked tofu cut up in cubes Garnish of green onions, sesame seeds or almonds
Directions:
Cook the rice, noodles or spaghetti squash, as we have done, before you start your stir fry, as that part of the meal takes the longest to cook. Once you start cooking with the wok, dinner moves fast!
I had this cooked in the afternoon and Harrison just scooped the spaghetti squash and put it in a casserole while I stir fried…I also had rice cooking on the back burner..I use brown rice which takes 40 minutes
1. Heat oil in wok, then add, onions, garlic, ginger, celery and red hot pepper
2. Add tofu and mix well with the above spices and vegetables, Cook for several minutes 3. Add the vegetables that will take the longest to cook, saving the softer veggies for last
Cook these for a bit, stirring well, then add the last of the vegetables, in this case the mushrooms and zucchini….leave the more tender veggies until the end to avoid mushy veggies 4. Add the marinade to the vegetables and mix well with vegetables. If the heat is too high, turn down to medium low, and cook with cover on, stirring occasionally, checking often to see if the vegetables are cooked through, don’t let them get too soft, not a nice texture in my opinion.
When the kids start circling the island, (that’s what they do in my house when they are hungry) then serve on a bed of rice, noodles, or like we did today with rice AND spaghetti squash. I topped it with green onions but you can garnish it with sesame seeds or do what we do often, a handful of almonds
Wished I had cut up my green onions a bit smaller, but hey, you should see them in my garden..they are HUGE…also, this dish is for William and he likes his food separate…so it’s not plated for an adult…but he eats like one in amount!
For my blog sake, and because Will has to head off to swimming right after dinner, I dished him up first.
He told me to tell my blog friends that the spaghetti squash was a nice touch
Well it’s that easy.
Sometimes we make things so hard in life but choosing to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle is quick and really perfect if you are a busy mom too. I’d like to think that when my grandchildren ask their parents, “What’s for dinner?” someday, and my kids tell them, ” Grandma’s Tofu with Vegetable Stir fry, they will say, “Hooray!” I’m holding the vision for someday having grandchildren AND a world where everyone has food on their dinner plate. and peace in their heart. Join me as I end this blog post with one of my son William’s fav songs. In the evenings, after bath time, teeth have been brushed, stories are read, after I have said goodnight, sleep tight to his twin sisters, Will often asks, “can you come and lie with me for awhile Mom?” When I shut out the evening work of making lunches and cutting up and processing more tomatoes, and accept his offer, it’s the BEST time of my day. “It’s a choice to make a better day…”
Will starts singing the first song on the CD with his sweet, clear little boy voice. Sometimes he talks about his day with me and sometimes he asks me about my day….he’s very mindful that way. He asks about children all over the world. As his body relaxes and his breathing slows, we both drift on the wings of the music. I remember a time, being little like him. A 7 year old in the 60’s. My Dad had died in a truck accident 2 years before and I can recall feeling so small, so insignificant in the world, and yet, there was this tiny part of me that was BIG. I didn’t know it then, but I believe it was my shining soul energy. Even though times were often tough, I held onto that golden cord connected to this loving part of me, and I knew, if I had the opportunity to grow up, I would try to make a difference.
I’d like to think with my writing I make a dent on this earth, and by raising children who are conscious of their own golden cord, that we will all weave a thread of love and peace around the world. IT’S MY HOPE. Here’s the song that Will sings from his, “KIDS FOR PEACE, ” CD, called, “We are the World.” It’s a good song to sing on Meatless Monday! If you can’t see the youtube video below, click on this hyper-link, We are the World.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful. Blessings from Hope
Thanksgiving 2014 is behind us and while I missed two of our older children, Alyssa teaching in the U.K. and Mitchell, studying at the University of Victoria, there was still much to be thankful for.
For instance, I’m very grateful that there is such a thing as Skype. When my sister J traveled the world in her early 20’s, there was no such thing as Skype, or even email. I know my mom was on pins and needles between letters. Additionally, 100 years ago when my grandfather, Robert Clark left England for Canada, my great grandmother Jane must have been beside herself with worry, since letters only came a few times a year, if that. I was able to “see” and talk with both of our children on the weekend and give them a kiss on their forehead. (via the screen) They are both happy and living their dream. What more can a mom want for her children?
Another reason to be thankful, is that I have a sister and brother-in-law who can pop in for a quick visit, or spontaneously join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Also, my oldest son Clark’s girlfriend, joined us as well. Times are changing and this is going to be a new normal as our children grow up, move away from home or come home with loved ones whom they have found out in the world.
When I heard we were having more than just “us,” I went into “company mode.” Which is what D calls it when I start to clean and cook rather madly. I want to make sure the dinner would be extra special. Although I probably would have done several of these new dishes for our immediate family, because I believe, to live a gracious life means making every moment special. We all deserve candlelight, linen napkins and clean glasses, even if we are alone. Maybe ESPECIALLY then.
I was so happy with the results of our dinner, I thought I would write a blog about it AND also include something my brother in law, B, sent me awhile ago after I blogged about making borscht. B’s ancestors are borscht makers from way back, so beets etc are in his blood. If you have read my blog you know about my morning green drink and how I like to support my liver by juicing lots of veggies, particularly green ones. I think it gives me the energy I need to keep up with our family. Also, it’s another way of balancing hormones and boosting immunities. I did not know that beets were so highly acclaimed so I thought I would pass this on to my viewers. Here are some thoughts from my blog guest, my brother in law, B.
He wrote:
We admittedly love beets, which not all people can say about themselves.
The lowly beet is gaining some respect lately as health consciousness rises
across the population. One point that caught our attention is it’s roll in
the secondary breakdown of nutrients in our liver. That aside, put some
colour in your life! Live it up!
There are as many borscht recipes as their are cooks. The key IMO is to get
it into those stomachs around us. My own family tradition would likely have
been related to my swede/Irish mother from my Georgian/Ukrainian father’s
childhood recollection. In turn our recipe is my own version of that
concoction. I will spare you the minute details and just say that we use
mega dill and beets, all the other usual suspects, and as can be seen from
the pic, chard or beet tops. Another key memory for me is the finish with a
tablespoon of butter and the same of vinegar.
B sent me a picture of his borscht and sadly I couldn’t copy and paste it here….but the picture above, gets your saliva juices going hey?….his picture had chunky beets in his soup…oh happy LIVER. Thanks B. for sharing your thoughts on the lowly Beet and I hope it inspires my homesteading friends to plant a good portion of this unremarkable vegetable in their garden next spring. (don’t forget you can eat the tops too and they keep really well throughout the winter, making them excellent in your sustainable root cellar/garage/basement. Now onto my Thanksgiving line up of new dishes, oh my, if you love vegetables like I do, hold onto your seats. Next year we may even say goodbye to Mr. Turkey, who sadly was only a side player this year. Don’t get me started on our movement towards being vegetarians. It’s a process.
Okay, here were the new dishes, drum roll please….ta, ta, ta, ta, ta,
Green and Yellow Beans with /Wild Mushooms Candied Yams with Apples Brussel Sprouts and Pancetta and Rosemary Roasted Garlic Squash and Crispy Sage Brown Butter (yum)
My sister also brought homemade roasted carrots with maple syrup…(she must have just picked them as they were amazing!)
For my Canadian friends, making these dishes for Thanksgiving 2014 is too late, but maybe you can incorporate them into your December holiday dinner menu. For my American blog readers however there is still time. Source out your supplies and start planning a really special Thanksgiving feast. The nice thing about Canadian thanksgiving in mid October, is that a lot of the herbs etc are still growing in the garden. Also, my butternut squash supply is still intact. (Thanks J for the big one)
Also, I have to give total credit to the web site,”Delish.com.” As the name implies, these dishes are/were, they went fast, delicious. If you are looking to spice up your holiday table, I hope you try them out and add lots more vegetables to your meals. Any day can have a special vegetable dish…if we truly love ourselves…and want to support our liver etc.
Here is vegetable dish #1
Green and Yellow Beans with Wild Mushrooms
Serves 10 Total time 35 min Prep time 20 min Cook time 15 min
8 ounce(s) wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, oyster or porcini, trimmed and sliced (see Substitution Note)
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and wax beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. (Cook for another minute or two if you like your green beans more tender.) Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mushrooms for garnish. Add the cooked beans to the mushrooms in the pan and cook, stirring to combine, until heated through, 1 to 3 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve topped with the reserved mushrooms.
Substitution note: If you cant find wild mushrooms, use button or cremini mushrooms.
Vegetable dish #2
Candied Yams with Apples
Serves 8 Total time 1 hour/30 min Prep time 15 min Cook time 1 hr 15 min Oven temp 350 degrees
3 pound(s) yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound(s) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
1/4 cup(s) honey
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
Directions
Roast the yams: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and bake, stirring occasionally, until yams are tender, about 1 hour. Increase oven to 500 degrees F and bake until liquid evaporates and yams are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
1/4 cup(s) pine nuts (pignoli), toasted (I used almonds)
Directions
In covered 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat 3 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling on high. Meanwhile, pull off any yellow or wilted leaves from Brussels sprouts; trim stem ends. Cut each sprout in half.
Add Brussels sprouts to boiling water and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Drain. Plunge Brussels sprouts into large bowl filled with ice water to chill quickly. Drain well. If not continuing with recipe right away, place sprouts in plastic storage bags and refrigerate until ready to use.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium until hot. Add pancetta and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until beginning to brown. Stir in rosemary and cook 1 minute.
To mixture in skillet, add Brussels sprouts and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook on medium-high 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Add pine nuts; toss to combine
Vegetable dish #4….my personal favourite as it was so easy and I love garlic and sage
Roasted Garlic Squash with Crispy Sage Brown Butter
Serves 8 Total time 1 hr 30 min Prep 15 min Cook Time 1 hr 15 min Oven 350 degrees
1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3×1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
24 fresh sage leaves
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss garlic with 1 teaspoon of the oil; wrap in a foil packet. Put squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with remaining oil, salt, and pepper. Place squash and garlic packet in oven; roast squash 1 hour, turning pieces several times, or until browned and tender. Roast garlic packet 45 minutes or until cloves are tender and soft.
Five minutes before the squash is done, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until butter is lightly browned and smells nutty and sage leaves start to crisp. Remove the skillet from heat; transfer sage leaves with a slotted spoon to a paper towel; reserve the brown butter.
Transfer roasted squash and garlic cloves to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with browned butter. Top with crispy sage leaves.
.And voila……
I dished up and then realized something was missing…I added some gravy, cranberry sauce and a dill from my stash…oh and one of my homemade dinner buns too…see my dinner bun recipe.
Sorry this was blurry…everyone was waiting for me to join them in the dining room…”are you taking pics for your blog again mom!”
Okay, I know this doesn’t look very pretty, but we did our dinner buffet style around the kitchen island and well, the cook (me) was the last one to dish up. Everyone was patiently waiting for me to join them in the dining room, I thought I had better just pile it on and dash. Do you skip lunch on Thanksgiving too? It all looked so good and was delish.
My personal favourite were the beans and the butternut squash ,but even the potatoes were whipped beautifully (thanks B) and the gravy was the BEST I have ever had at my house and that credit goes to my sister J who made it and gave me some tips for next time. (thank you…no lumpy gravy in the future) We were all helping out, while D carved the turkey. We pulled off another Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks to all who attended. It was a special memory for the little ones.
Will, Victoria and Kate (close up) enjoying their meal at the little table…does everyone do a little table?
The kids dashed off to watch Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving video, while we enjoyed our pie in relative peace and quiet…..but isn’t all that little people noise just the BEST! They were so excited and helped me to remember, we are always creating memories but the present moment is IT!
I made the pies. An apple and a pumpkin, the night before Thanksgiving, along with my ambrosia salad....Although they aren’t the most beautiful pies, they were made from scratch, Tenderlake lard, flour, salt and water, really easy but the trick is in the rolling. I will have to blog about pie making…a lost art in my opinion. I had an Auntie Geordie who was a master pie maker. I wish I had studied with her before she passed away. With it being so easy to buy pumpkin and apple pies at Costco for low cost, I think we are loosing the fine art of pie making but don’t you just love PIE?
As I leave you, I thought I would suggest a great Thanksgiving movie to watch with your family. Also, something for the little kids.
Check out the movie called, “The Old Fashion Thanksgiving” based on a short story by Louise May Alcott (she wrote Little Women) and of course the classic of all time, “Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving.” (if you can’t see the clips below, click on the highlighted video titles above for a connection link.
Well that’s Thanksgiving until next year.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
It’s around the table and in the preparation of food that we learn about ourselves and about the world. ~Alice Waters~
It’s a gorgeous September Saturday here in the Okanagan. Welcome!
View of Kalamalka lake from our deck
I’m thinking it’s the perfect day to prepare my black bean burgers so they are all ready to barbecue tonight.
Please come in and join me in my kitchen and we can prepare them together.
The first thing we need to do is saute 1 large onion in a skillet with about a tbsp of oil.
Once onions are tender and translucent, place in a large mixing bowl and let them cool.
When they have cooled, add the following ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
11/2 tbsp chili powder
1-19 ounce can of black beans, drained, rinsed and roughly pureed
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and chopped
3 cups of fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
5 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups of oats
Mix all ingredients really well,
I like to add my eggs one at a time and mix really well.
then shape into patties. Dredge lightly in flour.
These burgers hold their shape really well and make enough for my large family plus lots to freeze for another night
You can cook these burgers a number of ways. You can bake them in the oven on a greased pan at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or you can heat vegetable oil in a large pan and brown them on each side until they are heated through and ready to eat. We like to barbecue them. They keep their shape and often I’m grilling zucchini, corn etc to serve along with the burgers.
Tonight, since I have some red dynasty cabbage still in my garden, I’m making a coleslaw to accompany them.
We like to slather guacamole on our buns, along with tomato and lettuce…I like mine totally loaded with everything I’ve listed plus some red onion. Let your imagination with toppings inspire you.
Since the burger has cumin and chili powder in it, it’s got a southern flair and I like to serve some tortilla chips on the side with lots of guacamole for me, some of our kids like salsa
It is so rewarding making the burgers, the buns and the slaw all from scratch…Delicious too!
If you want to make your own buns like we do…here is my easy to make burger bun recipe..although I also use this recipe for dinner buns all year round as well…with my burger buns I just make them a bit bigger and the recipe below makes about 10 BIG buns.
Hope’s quick and easy burger buns
Ingredients:
Serves: 12-15
4 1/2cups flour
4 1/2teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup milk
3/4cup water
1/2cup margarine or butter
1/3-1/2cup white sugar
1/2teaspoon salt
(opt: cheddar cheese, dill, rosemary, or any herb you would like)
Directions:
Mix 2 C flour& yeast in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar& salt to lukewarm in microwave.
Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough (2 – 2 1/2 Cups).
Add grated cheese or herb of choice is you wish here…
Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a large greased bowl for about 15 minutes.
Form into balls, top with sunflower seeds and ground flax and let the buns sit on a baking sheet for a further 45 minutes to rise.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven 12-15 minutes.
Side note, I like to add a mix of ground flax seed and oats and sprinkle them on the top of these buns before they start to rise…you can you any combination of seeds etc of your choice. My kids also like a cheesy bun so I will also put grated cheese on top as well as in the mix. The smell in the kitchen is fragrant and homey. I’m so glad you came today and joined me in preparing food for our families.
Finally I should say if you have a large gang like I do this recipe makes enough for one meal AND another to freeze for another night. (which we busy moms need) I made 16 large burgers from my recipe today and they are BIG, the little kids just eat 1/2 a burger each.
I made some homemade lemonade to accompany the dinner tonight. It’s an end of summer celebration
I want to thank my friend Alison for inspiring me to make these burgers. When the twins were newborn, she came over with a large container full of delicious food, along with freezer bags full of black bean burgers and lentil burgers. Lemon pound cake…oh it was absolutely the BEST gift a new mom could receive. I know I phoned her to thank her but I don’t think I ever told her how AMAZING it was to receive. Since then, black bean burgers are our regular summer fare and take me right back to when the babies were tiny and I needed to eat A LOT to keep my milk supply strong.
So this post is dedicated to her and other generous people who go out of their way to give of themselves. Don’t even get me started about my best friend Tamara, who brought me tons of healthy muffins, even though she lived a days drive away from me when the twins were born.
These are the earth angels surrounding me and they inspire me to give back. How can you help another person as the summer ebbs away? Maybe you can make a batch of black bean burgers for your family and give the other 1/2 of the batch to a new neighbour, or friend in need or invite a new family to join you for dinner.
To Alison and Tamara, you are earth angels! Thank you for being there and helping me stay healthy when our twins arrived. People like you are the light workers we need on earth.
Thanks to my blog readers for joining me today.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
