Goodbye April. Hello May......

Well, April has come and gone.  We have had some strange Spring weather.  It has been colder than what we are used too. I think the garden is confused. 

But, May is here.  That means school is out in a month.  Yay!  That also means the Summer garden will start kicking.  Woo hoo! 

Now, time to bombard you with a ton of pictures.  Even in my blogosphere absence, I am still cooking, always cooking.  That is due to being a very frugal mummy, or too cheap to dine out, or both.  Hee. Hee.  On with the food!

Simple bowl: beans, rice, salsa, nooch sauce, and avocado.

Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade mustard, better than the store.

Homemade bagels

Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies

African spiced veggies, and lentils

Tempeh tacos

Boston Creme Pie

Drop biscuit chickUN stew

French toast, apple sage faux sausage, and tofu scramble

Mango jelly

Creamy pasta

If you need me, I am usually in the garden.  We have planted so much this season, and I can't wait to see what we get in return. It is so nice to grow your own food.  Chemical free, GMO free, perfect!

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

April showers.....

Bring May flowers.  I hope so.  In our case, the April shower last week brought destruction.  We had a crazy storm it.  I haven't seen it rain that hard in ages.  The swallowtail caterpillars were washed away.  (sad face)  The onions were leaning side ways from the rain hitting so hard, and some of the seeds washed away. Thankfully, we had extra, so we replanted.  We are expecting more rain tomorrow.  Hopefully, it is a gentle storm. 

Now, for the food.  I am always cooking.  Hee hee. I'll start with the baked goods. 

The grocery store had pineapples on sale, so I bought a couple, cut up some for the freezer, some for the dehydrator, and some I used for an upside down pineapple coffee cake.

Upside Down Pineapple Coffee Cake

Call me crazy, but I make crackers for my boys.  Yes, I know they are cheap to buy, but I prefer the boys eating quality food that isn't full of crappy preservatives.  I found a recipe online.  They boys loved them.  As a matter of fact, I had to hide them so they wouldn't eat them all in one sitting.  Next time, I will double the batch.

Homemade crackers

Our local grocery co-op had fresh strawberries on sale from a local farm.  Of course I had to buy some.  The boys love strawberries. I was able to snag a few and make muffins for them. I made strawberry carob muffins.  I used peanut butter in place of the oil.  Not that the boys need an oil-free diet, I  just like to add nut butter for the protein. 

Strawberry Carob Mini Muffins

Now for dinner.  It was quite a busy week for us.  Our usual schedule was jumbled since we were helping a loved one who was sick.  So, dinners were easy since we were all exhasted.  Here is what I made. 

The pizza I made was amazing.  Homemade crust, homemade faux pepperoni, and I used basil, garlic, oregano, onion, and spinach from our garden.  It was the best pizza ever!

Homemade Pizza

Friday night I made seitan fajita nachos.  The boys especially love nachos. 

Super Nachos

The other day, I felt like spring rolls were in order.  So, I made spring rolls using cilantro and mint from our garden. I filled them with rice noodles, tofu, and mango.  I served them with homemade peanut dipping sauce, and fried rice. 

Fried Rice and Spring Rolls

Another night last week, I felt like chili fries.  They aren't necessarily french fries. They are actually roasted potatoes topped with homemade chili, and smother in nutritional yeast sauce.  Wowza!  This was good.

Chili Cheeze Potatoes

Last but not least, I  made some quinoa patties, beans, faux sausage, and mac & cheeze.  The quinoa pattie recipe was sent from a friend. It was quite tasty.  They were pan fried.  Next time I think I will bake them.

Quinoa Patty Dinner

Well, I am off to do some baking.  Hope you have a lovely week.

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

Marching on.....

Wow! I can't believe March is over.  Today, we are going to an Easter potluck. I am making a shepherd's pie. I love the fact that I am using carrots, broccoli, parsley, basil, green onion, and spinach from our garden in it.  Yum!

I also made a pineapple upside down coffee cake for my guys to enjoy for breakfast this week.  Yum!

This past week has been crazy. I only cooked two meals, and we pretty much ate those two, and the leftovers that come along with it. 

I made homemade pitas, quinoa tabouli, and hummus.  Easy and good.

I also made Indian food:   blackeyed peas, rice, and potatoes.  Delicious, and once again tons of leftovers.

Due to the chaos of this past week, this post is short, and tasty.

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

Spring has sprung.....

The weather here is lovely. It is getting warm too.  We are working in the garden, and getting our spring/summer garden ready. I can't wait.  If you are interested in seeing what we harvest, and are growing please check the section of this blog called "Gangsta Gardener". And yes, I call myself the Gangster Gardener.  Why, you may ask?  Well, growing a vegetable garden to me is fighting corporate America, growing our own food is teaching my children how wonderful life is, and making sure our food is GMO free, and organic.  No Monsatan (Monsanto) here!  Support your local vegetable gardener/farm.

Now, on with the food.  Monday I made a huge crockpot of black bean chili. I love crockpot meals.  It always makes enough to freeze later.  I served it with homemade cornbread.

Tuesday, I made a lovely chickpea salad with garden fresh roasted broccoli.  It was so good.

Wednesday is always leftover night.  Easy.  And this week, Thursday was leftover night as well since there was a school dance. 

Friday I made Pad Thai.  We used broccoli from the garden that was about to bolt.  I also used cilantro, and green onion from the garden.  Yum!

Pad Thai

Saturday Josh had to work all day, so the boys and I hung out aroud the house, ate leftovers, and made ice cream.  We made ice cream using coconut milk, strawberries, pineapple, banana, and chocolate chip.  Yum!

Homemade ice cream

Sunday morning, we had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.  I love Sunday mornings.

Sunday night, I made pasta. I made a lovely spicy marinara with spinach from the garden, and homemade faux pepperoni. It was great.

Happy Spring!

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

Spring Break treats and eats....

Sunday night we had "crabby" patties, garlic mashed potatoes, and sauteed sweet peas from the garden.  It was quite tasty.  We plan to make crabby patty burgers for lunch this week. Yum!

Crabby patty dinner

For dessert Sunday, I made brownies for my guys.  It was a nice treat.

Chocolate Almond Brownies

Chocolate Almond Brownies
1/4 cup almond butter
2/3 cup soymilk
2/3 cup organic sugar
1 cup organic unbleached flour
1 banana mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3c chocolate chips
1/4c almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, mash the banana and almond butter together. Add the sugar. Stir. Add the remaing ingredients, making sure not to over mix. Place in a lightly greased 8X8 baking pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Once cooled, cut into squares and drizzle with homemade chocolate ganache.  (c) Two Vegan Boys

Dinner Monday night was lasagna. I made a large tray, some for now, some for later. I served it with homemade baguettes.

Lasagna

Baguettes

Our youngest caught big brother's germ.  Ugh.  Our Spring Break wasn't super fun filled since everyone was recovering.

Due to having a sick kid, and going on our second week of sleep deprivation, we had leftovers Tuesday, and Wednesday. 

Thursday, I made our Orange ChickUN and Vegetables recipe.  Chinese take-away made at home.  It is so tasty.  The best part, the greens, broccoli, and green onion were from our garden.  Love!

Orange ChickUN & Vegetables
1lb firm tofu, frozen, thawed, drained
1/2c peas
1 carrot, grated
2/3c mushrooms, chopped
2c kale, chopped
1/4c flour
1/4c cornstarch
1/2t salt
1t ginger powder
1/2t garlic powder
1T rice vinegar
Oil
Orange Sauce
5T sugar
5T rice vinegar
1t red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 large orange
1 1/2T cornstarch
1 1/2T water

Break the tofu into bite-size chunks, set aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix. Add the tofu, making sure to coat. In a skillet or wok, cook the tofu in oil until crispy, and light brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Saute the veggies, add the garlic powder, and ginger. Saute for just a few minutes. Add the sugar, rice vinegar, pepper flakes, and orange zest. Gently stir. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water until dissolved. Add to the skillet. Bring the veggies to a simmer in the orange sauce and cook a few minutes, until the sauce is thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the tofu. Serve over brown rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Orange ChickUN and Vegetables

Friday, I made a favorite for Josh.  It is our Philly Cheezesteak recipe.  Yum!  I made giant hoagie style baguettes earlier in the week for them, as well as homemade seitan.  It was beyond delicious.

homemade giant hoagie style baguettes

Philly Cheezesteak

Saturday we worked in the garden, and had leftovers.

Sunday, I made a favorite for breakfast. I made our carrot cake waffles recipe.  So good!

Carrot Cake Waffles

Well, as you know, Sunday was St. Patrick's Day. I made a lovely "steak" and stout pie. It was so tasty.

The filling simmering:  onion, carrots, homemade seitan, potatoes, stout, and fresh herbs.

Poured into the baking dish, waiting on the top crust.

Hot out of the oven.

We are headed to the park. It is 88F here today.  Hope you are having a lovely Monday.

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

Marching on.....

Monday and Tuesday, our sweet 6 year old was still sick. Thankfully, we did some cooking on Sunday.  It made for easy meals.

Monday, we had a bowl of red beans, greens, and seitan with a side of cornbread.  Easy, filling, and delicious. 

Tuesday, we had a cheezy rice, broccoli, and mushroom dish. It was easy to make and so tasty. I also threw in some chickpeas.  Several people on our Facebook cooking page asked for the recipe, it is chopped onion, garlic, mushroom, broccoli, and broccoli greens sauteed in a skillet until tender.  I transferred it to a mixing bowl, added cooked rice, cooked chickpeas, and a nutritional yeast sauce. I baked it in the over at 350F covered for 20 minutes. 

Tuesday, I also created a healthy muffin recipe, cranberry orange muffins sweetened with fruit.  They were so tasty. My boys loved them.

Healthy Delicious Cran/Orange Muffins

1c flour

1c ww flour

1t baking powder

1/2 baking soda

1/2t salt

1/2t nutmeg

1T orange zest

1c orange juice, divided

1c figs, fresh or frozen, chopped

3/4c dried cranberies, soaked for half an hour in warm water, then drained

1/4c raw sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350F. On a stove top, heat the figs and 1/2 a cup of orange juice, gently simmer for 10 minutes until the figs are very soft. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Gently stir. Stir in the fig/orange juice mix. Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pans. The recipe makes 18 muffins. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Healthy Delicious Cran/Orange Muffins

Wednesday I made refried bean, quinoa, roasted sweet potato, and avocado quesadillas.  They were tasty, and hit the spot. 

Quesadillas

Thursday, we had leftovers.  Easy when you have a sick kid.

Friday, our oldest finally started feeling better and asked for food.  Being sick, he didn't want anything to eat.  Poor guy.  He requested a burger and fries.  So, I made a pinto bean oat burger with homemade buns, and roasted potatoes.  He loved them.

Burger and fries

Saturday, Josh had to work, and little brother started to get sick. He caught brother's germs.  Ugh.

Sunday morning, I made tofu scramble, and apple sage faux sausage.  I also did some cooking for the new week. 

Breakfast

Happy Spring Break!

peas and love....
Krys and the boys

March Madness....

 

March begins eating even more raw food.  March Madness!  I love it though. I get to try new recipes, create some, and explore a different part of vegan eating.

 

Monday I made a favorite around here.  Our vegan pastrami recipe.  I made rueben style sandwiches.  They had saurkraut, cheeze, avocado, and the pastrami.  They were so tasty.

 

Fresh sliced vegan pastrami

 

Vegan Pastrami
2T coarse black pepper
1 1/2T coriander
1/2t red pepper flakes
1t garlic powder
1T paprika
1t salt
1 3/4c +2T vital wheat gluten
1/4c nutritional yeast
1T olive oil
2T ketchup
1/3c red wine
2t liquid smoke
1 1/4c vegetable broth

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, except the 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten. Add the wet ingredients. Knead until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Knead the additional 2tablespoons of vital wheat gluten intp the mixture. Form into a large sausage. Wrap tightly in foil. Steam for 45 minutes. Bake for another 30 minutes at 350F in a lightly greased loaf pan uncovered. Slice and eat.
© Two Vegan Boys 2012

Rueben style sandwiches

 

Tuesday and Thursday we had leftovers.  Easy, and no wasted food.

 

Wednesday I  made a salad.  We rarely eat salads, but when we do, we make them big.  I made a chickUN caesar salad.  It was so tasty.

 

ChickUN Caesar Salad

 

Friday night I made big burritos.  I used locally, organic spinach tortillas.  I filled them with rice, refried black beans, cheezy sauce, "sour" cream, seitan, onion, and tomatoes.

 

This month I am eating more raw foods.  I made raw tomato bread. I am not a fan of raw tomatoes. I only like them cooked.  This raw bread is quite tasty, and the dehydrator takes out the raw taste.  I also made eggplant bacun.  I plan to make sandwiches out of them, add some lettuce, and avocado. 

 

Eggplant bacun

 

I also made raw jalapeno burgers, and kale chips.  Yum!

 

Rawsome spicy burgers

 

Saturday morning our 6 year old woke up early so very sick.  Poor guy.  So, we had leftovers Saturday night.  I was still concerned we might have a rough week after dealing with illness all weekend, I cooked several meals Sunday afternoon to make us through the week,

 

For dinner Sunday night, we had a spicy Asian noodle soup. It is a recipe I veganized from the latest issue of Bon Appetit.  It was crazy spicy.

 

Hot as hell soup

 

Well off to get some rest before Monday gets here. Hope you have a lovely evening.

 

peas and love....

Krys and the boys