Hello? Is anybody out there?

Been a while, huh? There is a string of excuses as to why I didn't update this blog - the holiday season, two new jobs, trying to find a good balance in this new life... just instead of elaborating, I'll just say, "I'm back!".

Over the past few months I've been pretty bad at taking food photos. I did, however, manage to take a few. I'm going to add a couple of posts with a few new recipes on them, and then hopefully I can get back into the swing of things blog-wise.

This is a recipe I found in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. I altered it only very slightly, and it was pretty good. The kids loved it, but they love anything with tofu in it.

Broccoli, Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp soy sauce

1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

3.5 tbsp agave nectar

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp blackstrap molasses

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger root, grated

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

Stir-Fry:

2 tbsp olive oil

4.5 cups broccoli pieces

sea salt, to taste

2 tsp water

1 large bell pepper (I used red pepper), chopped

1/2 cup raw cashews

In a shallow dish, add tofu. Pour soy sauce and vinegar over the tofu for at least 10 minutes. Stir it once.

In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients for for teriyaki sauce until the arrowroot powder has dissolved.

In a large wok on high, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the tofu and cook for 4-5 minutes, then turn over and cook the other side another 3 minutes. Remove the tofu from the wok and set aside. Turn the heat to medium, add another tbsp of oil and add the broccoli, salt and water. Toss, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes until broccoli is bright green. Add bell peppers and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add the teriyaki sauce and increase to high heat. Toss well, and let the sauce come to a slow boil. Once it's at a slow boil and has thickened, add the tofu and cashews. Toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve over some rice noodles.

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I know this isn't much to look at, but this recipe was fantastic! It was deeeeeelicious. YUM. I found it in a cookbook called 'Casseroles' while I was working at the book store (that is no longer.. so sad). I upped the garlic, omitted the cornstarch & water, but left the rest the same.

Harvest Vegetable and Lentil Casserole

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

2 parsnips, sliced

1 sweet potato, diced

8oz rutabaga, diced

3/4 cup dried brown, lentils

1 lb tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped

3 3/4 cup vegetable stock

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the oil. Add leeks, garlic and celery. Cook 3 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, lentils, tomatoes, thyme, marjoram and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and transfer to a casserole dish (we had to use two dishes). Bake for 50 minutes.

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I threw this dish together one afternoon when I was stumped about what to make for dinner. It turned out quite well!

Slow Cooked Spinach & Cheese Pasta

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 nutmeg, grated

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups whipping cream

5 cups baby spinach

1 red pepper, chopped

1 bag medium shell noodles (uncooked)

1 cup parmesan cheese

In a medium-large sized pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the pepper, salt, nutmeg, garlic, Dijon, ricotta cheese, spinach and whipping cream. Mix until smooth and the spinach has wilted. Place the noodles in a slow cooker, and add the mixture from the pot. Add the red pepper and stir to combine. Add the grated parmesan cheese to the top, cover and cook on high for about 3 hours. Test your pasta to see if it's cooked through since cooking times vary with different slow cookers.

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I've been making these cookies for about 4 years now. I found them in 'Vegan with a Vengeance'! These are Rhianna's favourite cookie!

Ginger Molasses Cookies

4 tbsp raw sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup soy milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Place the raw sugar in a bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl mix together the canola oil, molasses, soy milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Roll into 1 inch balls, flatten and roll in the sugar.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

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Peanut Butter Blossoms - definitely a favourite holiday cookie in this house!

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These cookies are my Mum's specialty. My siblings and I all love Mum's whipped shortbread, and quite frankly, it isn't the holiday season until you take your first bite of these melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl add the butter, cornstarch, icing sugar and salt. Using an electric mixer, mix until the dry ingredients have been absorbed into the butter. Add the flour and continue to mix until the dough's texture is like whipped cream.

Drop by small teaspoons onto a cookie tray. Top with some sprinkles or half of a maraschino cherry and bake until very light brown at the edges, 8-10 minutes.

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Our New Year's Eve was delightful. We had a quiet night at home and let the kids stay up to ring in the new year for the first time. I made these special virgin drinks for midnight and they were enjoyed by all.

Sunset Sippers

3 cups orange juice

1 1/2 cups apple juice

3/4 cup lemonade

12 oz ginger ale

grenadine syrup

In a large pitcher, combine the orange juice, apple juice, lemonade and ginger ale. Pour 1-2 tbsp of grenadine in each glass and top with the mixed juice.

Another favourite for Avery.

I made a new tomato pasta sauce today from Eat, Drink, Be Vegan. It will definitely be one that I revisit quite often! It was a very simple dinner, so great for weekday nights. I basically just threw some baby spinach on the plate as a side vegetable (um, lazy! lol), and made some garlicky cheese biscuits to go with the pasta.

Lentil Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup dry red lentils

1 1/2 cups water

2 tsp fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp agave nectar

1 dry bay leaf

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

In a pot on low heat, add oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes. Be very careful not to burn the garlic. Rinse the lentils. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, rosemary, basil, agave nectar and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and cook 22-25 minutes until lentils are fully softened. Uncover and simmer 3 minutes to reduce liquid. Stir in vinegar and adjust seasonings. Remove the bay leaf and serve sauce over some cook pasta.

An epic fail becomes an epic win!

This weekend had been full of rich, delicious, delightful food. MMmmm.

I was supposed to make some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (adapted a bit from Vegan with a Vengeance) on Friday night, but as I went to measure out my cane sugar I was 1/4 cup short. That was enough to make me decide I should wait and make them the next day. Haha. So after getting our three paper routes done (last day for one of those routes!) and taking a little nap (love!), I whipped them up so they were cool enough to enjoy when we got back from our library and work (mine) visits.

Dinner last night was so amazingly good. I made the Lentil Mushroom Sliders from Chez Cayenne with only a couple of small changes, along with a Mediterranean Pepper Salad that I found on Eat Me, Delicious that I only tweaked slightly, and some yam fries. Can you say yum? Yeah, I thought so.

Since it was date night in, I decided to use up the leftover canned pumpkin I had from the muffins and made a Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake from Vegan Dad that I'd been meaning to try for months now. The kids gobbled up all the leftovers for dessert after dinner tonight. Haha.

Tonight I started out making a pasta I found in a Vegetarian Times magazine, but it was an epic fail, so I completely morphed it into something incredibly satisfying. The kids couldn't get enough of it, and Tiernan named it Pasta Sauciola. :) We had the pasta with a piece of whole wheat toast and some leafy greens.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp molasses

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a dozen muffin cups (it made 18 for me) with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, milk, vegetable oil and molasses. Mix the two together and combine it well. Add the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups two thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

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Lentil Mushroom Sliders

2 tbsps olive oil

1 cup onion, finely diced

4 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup green lentils, washed

2 cups vegetable broth, divided

1/2 cup quinoa

1/3 cup walnuts

2/3 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sage

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Stir in the lentils and one cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender.

In a small saucepan, heat the second cup of vegetable broth with the quinoa. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and cook 15 minutes until quinoa soaks up the broth.

Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they become powdery (works best with frozen walnuts). Transfer to a medium sized bowl and add the oats, flax seed, soy sauce, spices and salt. When the quinoa has been cooked, add that to the bowl as well.

When the lentils are cooked, pulse gently in a food processor leaving it quite chunky. Add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Form the mixture into small slider sized patties and cook on an indoor grill.

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Mediterranean Pepper Salad

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 red onion, diced finely

3 bell peppers, diced (I used orange, red and green)

3 roma tomatoes, diced

3 baby cucumbers, diced

1/4 lb feta cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

In a glass measuring cup, mix together the vinegar, cold water, salt and sugar. Leave it out for a bit until the salt and sugar dissolves. Cut up the red onion and put it in the dressing to soften and sweeten.

Chop up the rest of the veggies, and put them in a bowl. Add the feta cheese. Remove the onions from the dressing and add to the bowl. Now add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of dressing over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

It can be served immediately, or chilled for a while to let the flavours mingle.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake

1 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cane sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup pureed cooked pumpkin

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Get a few cups of water boiling.

In one bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, oil. Mix the two bowls together. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place in an 8x8 pan sprayed with cooking oil.

Mix together the brown sugar, cane sugar and cocoa powder. Pour it over the top of the pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over the top, but do not stir. Add the vanilla.

Cook for 40-45 minutes until the top is cracked and firm. Let it cool for a bit before serving.

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Pasta Sauciola

450g spaghetti, split in two thirds

cooking spray

4 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 large can tomato paste

1 tsp red chilies

1/8 tsp saffron threads

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz cremini mushrooms

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5 cups spinach, roughly chopped

4 oz cream cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and add the spaghetti noodles. Spray top lightly with cooking spray. Cook the spaghetti noodles for 5-7 minutes, shaking the tray a couple of times to toast evenly.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring water, vegetable broth, tomato paste, chilies, saffron, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer, keeping it warm.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic and stir another 30 seconds. Add 3 cups of broth, and cook until the liquid has absorbed. Add the rest of the broth mixture, the chickpeas and the spinach. Cover, and cook until most of the liquid has absorbed, and the spaghetti is cooked. Add some more broth if needed. Add the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese, and stir until thoroughly melted.

Nature, lentil loaves and pasta salad.

I've really been enjoying this month so far, and I feel as if the rest of the month will be just as fulfilling. There have been long walks with Tibbs, photo days at the dance studio, bike rides to the dance studio, bike rides to the North Shore Trails, sunshine, friends, family, wildlife, laughter and love. I couldn't ask for more!

I took a long bike ride this morning after getting the kids off to school. I headed down to the trails as far as the marina. I climbed off my bike and sat on one of the benches for a while, gazing out at the water and dreaming of owning one of the incredible houseboats that were docked there. The bay was very peaceful; barely any ripples. I spoke to a man who was fishing off the end of the boardwalk and had many stories of the abundance of fish he caught on the weekend.

I saw so many beautiful creatures on my adventures this morning. There were ducks guarding their nest. There was a blue heron soaring above the water with the most amazing wing span. There was a family of swans bathing themselves near the rocks in the middle of the Bay of Quinte. There were snapping turtles sunning themselves on logs. There were red winged black birds and robins flying out in front of my bike every few minutes.

The one thing that always has me marveling down by the water is just how happy everyone seems. The smiles are easy and I couldn't even count how many times I heard "good morning!" today. People go down to the trails for different reasons. Some go to sit on a bench and reflect, some go to rollerblade or bike, some run or walk their dogs or their kids. Being by the water definitely lifts your spirits. You can't help but feel so blessed in life. I live in such a beautiful place.

I have a couple of recipes to share from the past couple of days. No meals to share from the weekend, though. Fun Food Friday was a repeat dinner that we love - paninis! Saturday after photo day, we headed out to a birthday party for Tiernan's best friend. This friend of Tiernan's lives in the most serene location, wow! We had a great time there, and enjoyed some veggie dogs and a great vegetable spread. On Sunday we watched a two hour episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance' that we had downloaded from the previous Wednesday, and ate a pasta salad and a big bowl of popcorn! I love popcorn dinners. Yesterday I made a curried lentil loaf from the Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook (which I got from my lovely friend, Jill, for my birthday years ago) that was OMG SO GOOD, but... really not terribly loaf like. More like slop. Haha! I looked up some reviews online and apparently I'm not the only one with this issue. I think when I make it again (and I will! It's so crazy tasty!) I'll cook it in a more shallow dish and crisp it up more. With the loaf I made some quesadillas and some sliced cucumber with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

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Pasta Salad

2 cups small noodles

3 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup medium cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1 cup monterey jack cheese, cut into small cubes

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp mustard

4 tsp liquid honey

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp soy sauce

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Add the broccoli, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese and mushrooms. Stir to combine.

Mix the red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic powder and soy sauce together and pour over the pasta salad. Mix well.

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Curried Lentil Loaf/Slop

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large carrot, grated

1 medium sized yellow onion, grated

1 large potato, peeled and grated

1 small red bell pepper, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped finely

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp curry powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt, to taste

2 cups cooked lentils, drained and mashed

2 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, potato, red pepper and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring a few times until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, curry powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to combine well. Cook, covered, for another 10 minutes until the veggies are soft. Remove from heat. Add the lentils.

In a food processor, combine the peanut butter with 1 cup of the lentil mixture until smooth. Put it back in with the rest of the lentil/vegetable mixture. Add the bread crumbs, and combine well. Transfer to a lightly oiled 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake until firm - about 30-40 minutes. Let it sit at least 15 minutes before slicing.

My Saturday... squirrels and food - shocker!

I typically love Saturdays, especially now that we have more down time to have our own adventures. Yesterday we had the kids' bowling wind up - ten pin bowling, plaques and pizza. It was fun for all who came. I'm going to miss everyone from the alley - they became such a regular part of our Saturdays! It was also date night last night. Kyle and I watched an episode of Glee, rented 'Unstoppable' (loved it, and found myself screaming at the television on multiple occasions) and ate the yummiest homemade potato chips (from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook) and onion dip. Not boring old onion dip from a container.. or made with the chemical laden boxed onion soup mix. This was real caramelized onions... and it tasted better than any onion dip I've ever had before. It's not exactly a light dip with the cream cheese, mayo and sour cream, but how many dips can claim they are truly light? I found the recipe on Eat Me, Delicious, and almost kept it same. I decided I didn't need to oil, though... it has enough fat in it! It worked wonderfully. Yummy!

Unfortunately, yesterday had a terrible feeling lingering above it all day long. In the morning, as I was eating my breakfast, I heard a sound that made me leap from my chair and exclaim, "The babies!". I ran out the back door to see the two baby squirrels I was just visiting with were still there... but there were three crows circling overhead crying out a horrible sound. The babies seemed pretty safe for the time being. I ran to tell Kyle about the crows, and he came up while I ran upstairs to get dressed. My plan was to run out and scare the crows off. I had just gotten into my bedroom when I heard him curse and say "The crows got two of them!" I admit that I did not handle this in the most mature manner. I flipped out. I cried. I screamed. I got mad at Kyle (and feel awful about it!). I cried some more. I couldn't breathe. The two babies the crows got were in my neighbour's driveway. They weren't the ones who were in our backyard feasting on seeds, they were the other two in the litter. I assume they were trying to get up to, or down from, their nest since it's in the tree in front of my neighbour's yard. One of the babies was still twitching, and Avery wanted to run out and save it. How heartbreaking! Kyle gathered the bodies in a box, and took them out to the woods at the end of our street. I cried some more. I stood in the backyard in the pouring rain, prepared to chase any crows away. I, with the help of my mother and husband, came up with a plan for saving the remaining two squirrels. In the Fall I got a big cage from the local Humane Society. Kyle pulled it out of our shed and we tried to coax them into the cage with food, but that didn't work. Then I pulled out the kids' nets and tried to catch them that way. I was successful at trapping them, but they both managed to get away. I could barely sleep last night knowing they were on their own. I am determined today to get them to a safe place. I will then call a wildlife rehabilitator and see if they can help me deal with this in the right way. I feel so much for these babies - they're defenseless, having not been taught the squirrel rules yet. I really don't want to fail them; they deserve a fighting chance. Wish me luck today!

Edited to add! Guess what we just did? We caught Stonewall!!! Well, my hero husband caught him! I could not be happier that we finally have him in a safe place. He has some of the rat food, and we plan on buying more food later. We also have water and a bed in there (complete with towels) as well as a bunch of sticks he can chew up. I've been reading that a lot of items from nature should be left in the cage, so we have plans to gather some. Happy, happy, happy! One down, one more to go!

For dinner last night I made a slow cooker Dal from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. I served it with basmati rice, naan bread and some samosas I made from Vegan with a Vengeance. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Dal - it was pretty bland for me, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. Kyle and Avery both added Rooster Sauce to add some heat. I love, love, loved the samosas. They were just little things, but so very satisfying.

Dal

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 1/2 cups dried lentils, washed and picked over

1-15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups water

salt and freshly ground pepper

Pour the oil into the slow cooker, and turn the heat the high.

Puree the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor until smooth. Place them in the slow cooker and put the lid on.

Stir in the spices (but not salt and pepper) and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.

Turn the setting to low and add the lentils, kidney beans and water. Cook for 6-8 hours. Add salt and pepper before serving.

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Samosas

dough:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

about 3 cups all purpose flour (I only used 2 1/2 cups!)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

filling:

3 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp vegetable oil plus more for brushing

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 yellow onion, very finely chopped

1 cup carrots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

juice of 1 lemon

3/4 cup frozen peas, water run over them to remove any freezer ice

Boil the potatoes in water for about 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

To make the dough:

Pour the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add two cups of the flour, turmeric, baking powder and salt. Begin kneading the mixture, adding more flour gradually until a smooth not sticky dough is formed, about 10 minutes.

Set dough aside and cover with a wet cloth. Begin preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling:

In a large skillet (I used our wok) over medium heat, add the oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. The seeds with begin to pop. Allow them to pop for 1 minute, but be careful not to get hit by these popping seeds. Add the carrots and onions and saute for 7-10 minutes until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and lemon juice and saute a minute more. Add the potatoes and mash it all together. Heat it through, and then add the peas and mix well. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half and roll it out thinly. Using a cookie cutter, or a glass upside down, cut 3 to 4 inch circles out of the dough. Place about a 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of the potato mixture into each dough circle and fold it over so it becomes a half circle. The recipe says to wet the dough with water around the edges to make it stick, but mine didn't need it. Continue with the rest of the dough.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the samosas onto the tray, and lightly brush oil on both sides of them.

Cook about 12 minutes on one side, flip them, and cook another 8 minutes. Allow them to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

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Oven Baked Potato Chips

3 Yukon Gold potatoes

salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Wash the potatoes and then slice them paper thin (very important!). Put them into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove some of the starch. Lay them out on a towel, and dry the slices completely.

Place them onto the prepared baking trays, taking care not to overlap any of them.

Cook them for 10 minutes on one side, flip them all, and cook another 1o minutes on the other side. They should be starting to brown and be crisp. Serve them right away as they are best eaten this way.

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Pan Fried Onion Dip

2 yellow onions, cut in half, and then sliced into 1/8 inch half rounds

4 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 oz cream cheese, left on the counter for 15 minutes to half an hour

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Heat the butter over medium heat, and cook the onions, cayenne, salt and freshly ground black pepper for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onion to cool.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise with an electric mixer. Blend well until there are no lumps. Add the onion and mix well.

Two days in one, and a bout of pneumonia.

I spent a couple of hours in the emergency room today with Tiernan. Not how we wanted to spend Easter, but I'm very glad we went. He was showing some strange symptoms this morning - itchy, red, tingly hands and feet that ended up swelling up as well. Some of Tiernan's toes were twice the normal size. He was having a terrible time during the chocolate egg hunt this morning (although the picture tells a different story!... it was still early then), breaking down into tears, collapsing on his bed and having his heart beat right out of his chest. We knew something wasn't right, so I headed into Belleville General with him. Luckily, we had a fantastic doctor and after some Xrays, we were on our way out the door with an antibiotic prescription in hand. Turns out he has pneumonia which is something I've never had to deal with before. The poor kid is a trooper, though. I guess he'll be doing a whole lot of resting this week.

Aside from that little adventure, our day was nice and relaxing. The Easter Bunny hid the chocolates on different levels of the house for each of the kids, and he hid them well! It was fun to watch them search high and low and finish with a smile on their faces and a big sense of accomplishment. I'll telling you - the Easter Bunny made it a real challenge this year! :)

Originally we were going to head to my parents' house for dinner, but with the whole pneumonia thing, we cancelled out on them. I had no clue what we were going to eat for supper since all I had planned on doing was bringing a Tofurky to cook in my Mum's oven. Around 4:30pm things started to calm down a bit (aka - home from the hospital and pharmacy) so I figured we'd better whip something up to feed our hungry family. Seeing as there were no stores open today, I think our meal turned out pretty good! We had our Tofurky, some carrots cooked in a Braggs/orange juice sauce, some very garlicky mashed potatoes, this miso gravy, a salad with mixed greens, cucumbers, broccoli and sesame seeds, and these Red Lobster-esque buns that I've made a lot lately (but this time I used 3 year old white cheddar instead of sharp orange cheddar). Not too shabby for a last minute meal! (And we just won't even talk about the fact that I burned my stomach pretty badly on a baking tray.... yup.. I'm that good!)

Yesterday was Slow Cooker Saturday, but not nearly as busy as it has been lately. This time it was only bowling in the morning (but Tiernan stayed home with Kyle), dance practice and a birthday party for a friend of Rhianna's in the afternoon and then swimming at the YMCA with a friend of Rhianna's in the evening. I have a serious love affair with my crockpot. It's such an easy way to have a nice, warm, yummy meal ready for you when you're ready to eat it. I made slow cooker sloppy joes which is one of my family's favourites. I got the recipe from one of my vegan cookbooks years ago, and I have searched for it again to no avail. If I do figure out where I got it I will definitely leave credit where credit is due!

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 cups dried brown or green lentils, washed

14 1/2 oz crushed tomatoes

3 cups water

2 tbsp Braggs

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and green pepper, cover and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the chili powder, and stir to coat.

Transfer to the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I toast the hamburger buns in the toaster before adding the sloppy joe mixture. I then top them with dill pickles (for everyone except for Kyle) and sliced cheese and broil them for a few minutes until the cheese is nicely melted.

Saturday is also Date Night. If we didn't schedule a date night in, I'm not sure Kyle and I would really, truly see each other. We're both so busy with so many other things, and life just sort of gets away from us. It's been really good to have this scheduled date once a week to make sure we have time to connect. Last night we played some Catan (surprise!), drank chocolate peanut butter milkshakes (something I used to make for Kyle alllll the time, but hadn't made in years!) and ate some chips & pretzels with a curried garlic dip. No recipe for the dip since I used the seasonings from here instead.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes

(for 2 very full glasses!)

6 scoops chocolate ice cream

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup milk

2 tbsp chocolate syrup

Stick it all in a blender and blend until mixed, but still thick. Add more milk as needed to thin it out.

To leave you on a good note, here is my beautiful Mirri cat. ♥

Happy Easter Weekend!

Taco Overdose?

Last night at Kung Fu all of our kids got a new belt. Well, technically, only Tiernan got his yellow belt since Sensei didn't yet have the yellow tipped belts that Rhianna and Avery were supposed to get. They should be in next week, and then I'll make sure to take a picture of the other two proudly showing off their yellow tips. No more Kung Fu until September, so the kids will have to practice a lot over the Spring/Summer to keep up with what they've learned so far. Tiernan is super pumped to have his full on yellow belt now... as you can see in this picture... :)

Friday has been really good to me this week. We had a very easy dinner for Fun Food Friday - tacos in a bag! We recently discovered this treasure, and it quickly became an absolute favourite in our house. There really isn't a recipe per se, but I'll write out the steps I use for mine.



First I whip up a quick batch of veggie taco filling. I heat a tbsp of olive oil in a wok/skillet and add one onion (chopped) and whatever bell pepper I have in the house (today I had a yellow bell pepper, chopped). I cook it until it's soft and then add a can of lentils (drained and rinsed), a can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed), and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed). I stir it up until the legumes are heated through and then I add two packages of Old El Paso Taco seasoning and a splash of water (enough to make a bit of a sauce). Heat until thickened and warmed through and then it's ready!



Take a small bag of tortilla chips (Kyle and Avery use plain, but Tiernan, Rhianna and I like some flavouring to ours), cut the top of the bag off and crunch the chips up in the bottom of the bag. Add a few scoops of the taco filling, some lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa (or Thousand Island!) and it's ready to be eaten.

Oh, yes... the perfect bite!

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Tiernan headed over to a friend's house after school today so he wasn't around for tacos in a bag.. he gets it for lunch tomorrow! Instead, he ate four helpings of their spaghetti dinner. Maybe I should have warned them that he's going through a growth spurt?? Eeep. While he was at his friend's place Avery suggested we play a game of Catan (Kyle won) while we waited for TBone. I hadn't played that game in soooooo long and I missed it so much (even if I sucked today). I feel whole again. ;)

Tonight was also Rhianna's Date Night with Kyle and I. We try to take some time with each of our kids on their own doing whatever they ask to do. Rhianna's choice was to watch Ramona and Beezus and eat her favourite snack - taco dip! The movie was really cute and it made me want to reread the books. Luckily, Rhianna has them so I just might do that! Maybe she and I can read them together. Yes, I think we will. The taco dip was delicious as usual. It's such an easy thing to make, too. Unfortunately, it's hard to stop eating it once you've made it, so I try not to make it more than once or twice a year. So yummy. Too yummy.

Taco Dip

1 brick light cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup light sour cream

1 package Old El Paso Taco seasoning

lettuce, shredded

tomatoes, diced (I didn't use any tonight because Rhianna doesn't like tomatoes on their own)

cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning with an electric mixer until smooth and no lumps of cream cheese are left. Chill for several hours. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Cheers to this wonderful weekend, friends! Enjoy. :)

Comfort!

I'm jumping straight into our dinner menu tonight because I am beat and want to get some sleep. I attempted to nap this afternoon to no avail, so bed before midnight would be a good thing for me!

Tonight's dinner was brought to you by the word comfort. It's one of those meals that feeds your soul and mind as well as your body. I made a lentil loaf, my mushroom gravy, some champ potatoes which I grew up eating, some asparagus with a butter/balsamic sauce drizzled over top and just some baby spinach with the leftover creamy garlic dressing. I also baked a banana chocolate chip loaf for the kids lunches (and dessert tonight!). I mostly follow Savvy Vegetarian's lentil loaf, making some changes to suit our own personal tastes. I also got the recipe for the asparagus from the same Moosewood cookbook I used last night. The champ is similar to my Mum's, but I do change it up a bit since traditionally it has no garlic in it. I love garlic. I put garlic in everything. Yum. Garlic, mushrooms and lentils are three of my favourite things.

Lentil Loaf

1 cup dry brown or green lentils

1/2 cup bulgar

3 cups vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp ginger root, minced

1 carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Braggs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

freshly ground black pepper

Cover the lentils in boiling water and let it sit for 1 hour. Drain.

Cook the lentils and bulgar in the stock for half an hour until cooked, and liquid has been absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute all the vegetables, garlic and ginger in the olive oil. Mix in the lentils, bulgar, tomato paste, spices and Braggs. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is thick.

Place in an oiled loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes.

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Mushroom Gravy

1 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 small white onion, chopped finely

1/4 cup margarine

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp Braggs

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp marjoram

freshly ground black pepper

Melt margarine in a skillet and saute onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes over med-high heat. Reduce heat. Add 2 cups veggie broth and Braggs.

Mix the 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and 1/3 cup flour in an airtight container until smooth and there are no lumps. Add to the skillet.

Bring skillet to a low boil. Add seasonings and cook on low for 8-10 minutes until it's thickened.

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Champ

4 lbs potatoes, quartered - I don't peel mine

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 green onion, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

Cook potatoes in a large pot until tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the milk and heat. Drain potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and serve immediately. Champ should be served with a well in the middle of the potato pile, with butter or margarine added. As it melts, you dip your potatoes in the well to coat with butter.

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Aparagus in a Balsamic/Butter Sauce

1 lb asparagus spears, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cook asparagus in a little water until just tender, but still vivid green (3-6 minutes, depending on size). Toast the pine nuts while the asparagus is cooking. Melt the butter, add the vinegar and serve over the asparagus with toasted pine nuts.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 mashed bananas

chocolate chips, to taste

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream the first three ingredients together until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients, the mashed bananas and the chocolate chips.

Put in a lightly sprayed loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

I should rename Avery, "Tomato".

Whenever I make up my menus, I ask my kids and my husband if they have any requests. Tonight's dinner was a request from my eldest son, Avery. He loves tomatoes. He doesn't just love them, he looovessss them! If he had to eat only one thing for the rest of the life, it would be pasta with a tomato based sauce, done any way... just as long as it focuses on tomatoes! Needless to say, he was a happy boy tonight. Actually, both of my boys had second helpings. Oh, growth spurts! It's only going to get worse, isn't it?

I got the recipe for the greek salad from my friend Cara a few years ago. It's a favourite around here, so we eat it pretty regularly. I don't add olives to our greek salad since there is only one of us who likes them (Kyle), but feel free to add them to your salad. The muffins are adapted from a recipe in Moosewood Restaurant's Low Fat Favorites Cookbook. My friend Dylan bought me one of the Moosewood cookbooks for my birthday years ago, and I now own most of them! Love them!

Tomato Based Pasta Sauce

2 large cans (680 ml) of tomato sauce

1 large can of tomato paste (369 ml)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

15 cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 bell pepper (I use whatever I have on hand - today was half of a red and half of a yellow)

1 medium zucchini, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp oregano

pinch crushed red chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, saute the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Simmer for at least an hour so the flavours can blend and the vegetables are tender.

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Lentil Balls

1 19 oz can lentils, fully rinsed and drained, and mashed

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup cooked baby spinach

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

splash of soy sauce

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, form into 2 inch balls, and place on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes until they are browned and crispy.

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Greek Salad

2 romaine hearts, ripped into bite sized pieces

1/2 long english cucumber, chopped

15 grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

handful of pepperoncini peppers, seeded and chopped finely

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of 1 large lemon

a pinch of allspice

coarse salt & black pepper, to taste

In a glass measuring cup, cover the garlic with oil and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Whisk in lemon juice, allspice, salt and pepper. Toss evenly into salad and serve.

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Urban Cheese Muffins

(It's actually Herb & Cheese, but my daughter thought I said Urban, so it stuck!)

1 cup unbleached flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1 cup buttermilk

3 tbsp chopped chives

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp canola oil

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray down 12-cup muffin tray with cooking oil.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornmeal and brown sugar together in a large bowl.

In a seperate bowl beat the egg and egg white. Add buttermilk, chives, mustard, dill, garlic, thyme, pepper and oil. Add the grated cheese, reserving some of it for the top of the batter.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until evenly moist.

Scoop into the muffin cups and top with a small amount of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.