Vegan chocolate chip cookies and chhhheesssseeeeeee!!!!

Really some of the most important "c" words in the English language (I could think of one more, but it's not too appropiate at the moment). Anyways, let's get on with some new stuff!

 First, let's talk about The Fresh Market that just opened in Evansvile. It is located in the same shopping plaza as the Target Greatland on the Eastside, by Babies R' Us. It just opened yesterday, and I made my maiden voyage this afternoon. I didn't really need anything, I just wanted to get the feel of it. It was BUSY!!!! It was a good thing I wasn't doing any real shopping, it was hard to move around in there! They did offer tons of organic fresh porduce and many other organic items, so that is a plus. I did notice alot of the produce was a little cheaper than my beloved Schnucks organic, but I wouldn't drive across town for it, if it was also available to me right now the road for just a little more. They did offer more options than Schnucks, so if there was something you couldn't find, it might be worth the trip. They had a candy bar that looked awesome (although I'm pretty sure a lot of it is off limits to us veggies) and a salad bar with fresh fruit that looked amazing! I did pick up a new brand of veggie burgers, that had a way more healthful ingredients list than Boca or MorningStar, so I can't wait to try them. One of the best things I thought they have is a fresh ground nut butter machine (thanks for the heads up Tasha!) They take dry roasted peanuts, cashews, and almonds and crush them right into spreadable butter!!! One of the best things about The Fresh Market is they are letting you sample the stuff! Candy, nuts, and the butter can all be sampled (atleast for now!) All of the nut butters were awesome, cashew was def. my fav. I went with the peanut though as it had the most protein next to the almond butter. The peanut was $2.99 per lb, but the almond and cashew were a whopping $7.99 a lb! So that might be a better treat item. The best part is there is no salt added to the almond or peanut, something hard to find in the natural jarred kind.! Ok, the best part of my trip, I picked up a bag of  Daiya shredded cheese! I had seen this at our local food co-op and the fellow vegan gentleman suggested it to me the last time I was there, it was just a little expensive for me at over $5 a bag. Well I purchased it here because I swore it said it was $3.99 a bag, but come to find out when I got home, it was $4.99 a bag!!!!! I would much rather give my money to the co-op, so from now on I will be purchasing it from there. The taste was pretty damn good for not being real cheese. Let's face it, nothing will taste like the real thing, ever. But this stuff melts and has a pretty close taste, esp. if you are using it in a recipe and not by itself, I think you would be suprised how good it repliactes it! The hubby made a grilled cheese and my 3 year old cheese lover ate it and liked it (and he is one picky little guy!)  It does have a little tinsy aftertaste so be prepared for that. I am really excited to try the mozzeralla on pizza now! All in all, The Fresh Market is worth checking out. And the flowers there are amazing!!!!  It probably won't be my first choice of shopping, but it will be a nice place to visit for treats and unique items.

So now onto the recipe! Vegan Chocolate chip cookies! Per usual, for baked items I turn to my girl Isa! So this is her recipe for CCC! These are super easy to make, and I am also including some vegan items that are really accessible and fairly priced, so check those out! I took them to work and all of my co-workers loved them!! Enjoy and til next time!


Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup margarine at room temp (I used Smart Balance Light Original with Flax, and I get it from Wal-Mart for about $2.50! and vegan certified on the label)

1 1/4 cups sugar (again I use Florida Organic Crystals and also found at Wal-Mart and vegan certified)

1 tablespoon molasses

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( I use whole wheat pastry, seems to not be as fluffy of a cookie, but otherwise the same)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt ( I used 1/4 teaspoon, I hate using a lot of salt in things)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips ( Ghiradelli is accidentally vegan and also found at Wal-Mart)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the margarine and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add in the molasses and vanilla and incorporate. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Now I recommend putting the dough in the fridge for about a half hour, allowing it to become a little more stiff (that's what she said). Otherwise it was alittle hard to work with.

 Roll dough into 1 inch balls or drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets (I did both of those and the balls seemed to not get quite done in the middle, which I happen to like, so I recomend dropping). Bake for about 10 minutes until mildly browned. Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove and place on plate or wire rack to cool

P.S. The dough itself was fabulous and safe to eat since it was egg free! I'm gonna try it in a milkshake!

yum!

the cheese!

Grocery total for first month being vegan...

waaaaaaaaassssssssss $400 dollars! I realize that seems like a lot. Well it doesn't seem like, it is! But keep in mind that is a family of three who eat almost every single meal out of those groceries. So if you break it down per meal, it comes to about $4.75 per meal, for the whole family. That doesn't even include snacks (which this family does a lot of) so throw those in the mix, and the price becomes even lower per meal. Also keep in mind that everything I buy that can be purchased in organic, is. So if someone were more focused on the vegan aspect of things, you could do it even cheaper (but I will always support organic, and if you can afford it, go for it.) Something to consider as well, my family seems to be in pretty decent health (knock on wood several times, I even cringe saying that aloud with fear of one of us coming down with something horrible). My son nor I had been to the doctor since our 1 year check-ups a year ago. Granted we weren't vegan, but we bought a lot of organic, and knew where most of our meat came from. Something to consider next time you shell out a co-pay at your doctor's office. Also, being completely honest, that is almost the exact same amout I paid being non- vegan. One more thing to consider, I had to buy a lot of vegan staples that I didn't have formerly, so next month may not be quite as bad. I could have also made a lot of the same meals I had already made and spent less, but I really wanted to test and try lots of new things! So not too many recipes this week, I was still adjusting to all the change around here, but this week should be full of some good ones. Stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend :)

When life gives you shit, turn to chocolate :)

I love to share delicious recipes and support this vegan journey as much as possible, but I have to be honest, today I am struggling. Most days, I love it. I love talking about it, the cooking, and the satiisfaction that comes along with it, however today that is not the case. You see, these last couple of days have got me down. Nothing too terrible has happened, other than my partner in crime of three years has left me, to start his own journey into the world of preschool. Of course I am talking about my son. I have been thinking how great it is gonna be to have alone time, and be free to come and go as I pleased during the day, but honestly I just have felt lost. I find myself just counting the hours until he comes home. I know I gotta let go, but damn it's hard! I also haven't heard word on the job yet and have convinced myself it just isn't going to happen for me right now. I am a very firm believer in "everything happens for a reason", but sometimes it is just hard to remember that. Combine that with some other stuff no one really needs to here about and I am just in a little emotional. So all of this brings me to my point, food. I am defintely one who turns to food for comfort. I get joy out of food, especially when I'm down. Ice cream, pizza, mac and cheese are just a few of my favorite things. I have yet to find substitutes that are as good as the original. It doesn't help that a dish I had been excited to cook all week, turned out to be a flop :( The edmame pesto was not quite what I expected. I have a queasy stomach, so I am not one who can eat things I don't really enjoy, so that dish was a lesson learned. I wanted so badly to cheat, I was contemplating throwing all of this out the window. I started to make a list of all the vegan things I just don't love (nutrional yeast, fake cheese, sometimes tofu) and thought "I am never going to make it." Then a little voice told me to be strong, think of the greater good and all of the wonderful things I have made. Then I got the idea. I needed to use these big juicy organic strawberries up before they went bad, and what does a woman turn to when she is down? Chocolate of course! I melted some Ghiradhelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and made chocolate covered strawberries (thank god those little treats are accidentally vegan) They were awesome, and quite frankly saved me and my veganism. I hope as time goes on, I grow a little stronger, but I wanted to share this story, so you all know it isn't always as easy as I make it look. I have gained willpower through this and that's something I never really had too much of. So sometimes you win some, and sometimes you lose, but in the end, it all seems to work out!

Spicy Bean and Corn burgers with a Mango Salad and Sweet Lime Dressing

How was everyone's holiday weekend? I have to tell you that mine was one of the best! Good wedding, kickass Primus show, and time pent and new friends made in the sun drinking brews and hooping it up. This week will be a bittersweet one for us though, our son starts preschool after being with his Mommy ever since he was born. My husband also has a big interview for the fire department and I find out if I get a job that I really really really want at our local library! So fingers crossed it all goes well! So I thought I would include some things we nade for our little picnic yesterday in today's post! The "burger" recipe was a really good base recipe. Now that I know we can make them and they wont fall apart, I will probably make them a little more spicy next time adding some fressh peppers and more herbs! The salad I found when traveling thru our local grocery store (Schnucks I love you for all the organic options you offer!) and the lady had out samples. She had this recipe for a a mango salad that was soooo good! I didn't realize until after I tasted it, it was made with honey though :( So in my recipe I subbed out agave nectar and it came out yummy! It would be a perfect thing to bring to a summer bbq! Enjoy!


Spicy bean and corn burgers (I can no longer find the original recipe)

1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot
1 can of dark red kidney beans
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 8 oz can of sweet corn
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1-2 tablespoon mustard (we left this out b/c my husband hates mustard, but I would have totally put it in)
3/4 cup old fashioned oats

Mince all veggies and saute in a pan using oil or cooking spray until soft, adding the spices at the end and mixng to coat. Meanwhile, rinse and drain beans, then mash with a fork or potato masher. After the veggies are finished, mix with beans and add corn, then oats. Form into about six patties (if you have trouble getting to stick, use a little whole wheat or white flour to help). Preheat the skillet over medium heat and again with cooking spray or oil, fry burgers about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Mango Cucumber Salad with Lime Dressing

2 limes
2 ripe mangos peeled and chopped
6 oz bag of shredded radishes
1 cucumber chopped
3 tablespoons evoo
2 tablespoons agave nectar

Grate 1 tablespoon lime peel (about one lime worth) and whisk in a bowl with the juice of 2 limes. Add agave nectar and olive oil and mix together. Throw in the fruits and veggies and mix to coat. Best served chilled!

I am defintely putting a new camera on my Christmas list!

Friday Brunch-Chocolate Chip Blueberry Vegan Pancakes!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone has a magical weekend! I've got a pretty good one lined up with a wedding tomorrow (with a very sweet bride whom took time out of her busy wedding week to offer me the vegetarian meal at her wedding!) and Primus on Sunday with the hubby! I really enjoy doing shows with just us, we seem to have the most fun! But today I'm going to share with you a little tradition I have started in this house, breakfast on Fridays! Now I normally do this for dinner and accompany the pancakes with a side like tofu scramble or oven roasted potatoes, but I have something else in the works for dinner tonight, so I decided to whip up these little treats with bluberries and chocolate chips (one of my all time favorite combos) just by themselves. I got this recipe from food.com and rumor has it, it's an 11 year old's recipe! Now this recipe has 121 reviews and almost a perfect 5 star rating. Trust me I was skeptical, but these things are seriously some of the best pancakes I have ever had! I believe the secret ingredient is the baking powder, it causes them to be soooooo fluffy and light. I really don't think you could mess these up! I added some blueberries and ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (that happen to be vegan)! So here is my variation on the recipe and I will link you to the original one so you may change to your liking. Enjoy the holiday!


1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon Organic Cane Sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread melted
1 cup Silk Vanilla Soymilk

Add ins-
68 Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Blueberries

preheat skillet or griddle to medium high heat with a little nonstick cooking spray
mix all dry ingredients together. add in milk and melted butter. Scoop out some mixture (I learned to use 1/4 measuring cup to scoop  batter out to make evenly sized pancakes (thanks Happy Herbivore cookbook!) into the skillet. Sprinkle with a little blueberries and chocolate chips. When the pancake begins to bubble, flip of to the other side. Cook until brown (about one minute or so). Repeat until all batter is gone. Makes 6-7 pancakes.

I topped mine with Smart Balance Light spread with flax (also happens to be vegan and I get mine from Wal-Mart or Schnucks) and organic pure maple syrup! You can thank me later!

here is the original recipe and feel free to use whatever add in's that you would like..bananas, nuts, cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc. These are so fast and easy to make, you could make a double batch and freeze some to pop in the toaster at a later date!

http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263

A little recap with some Spicy Pasta for Dinner!

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was pretty good! I want to share with you some veg related experiences I had this weekend before I get into dinner with the recipe for a spicy pasta sauce courtesy of Miss Natasha!

I went out of town this weekend to Ohio with my mom and grandma for some wedding related matters (for my mom). Now this was my first time traveling as a vegan, so I tried to prepare as much as I could. I hit the road Friday evening with a homemade burrito and apple for dinner so I wouldn't have to stop at any fast food places on the way! I also prepared snacks to take with me on the trip so I could make it (Luna bars, apples, bananas, popcorn, pistachios).

Breakfast was on the road, so fruit and protein bar it was. Lunch was decided upon by my mother and guess where she picked? The Cheesecake Factory! Talk about temptation! I did the best  I could however, and ordered The Incredible Eggplant Sandwhich (which was pretty damn good) sans the cheese, mayo spread (which I forgot to mention to 86 but the waitress was kind enough to leave off knowing my situation!) and asked them to not use butter when toasting the bread. I realize I ran the risk of the bread being made with dairy or eggs, but if you saw whaat I was working with, I did the best I could. When it was time for dessert they both ordered cheesecake and yes I was completely jealous! But I didn't even have one bite or morsel! I just sipped on my Newcastle (joke was on them because that cheesecake wasn't going to get them a buzz!)
The real treat however came that night! We hit up the mall and I was hungry! I made my way to the food court already mentally altering food to try and veganize it the best way possible. Then my eyes fell upon a little place called The Loving Hut. I guess you would call it a vegan form of fast food! Every location has a different menu though, catered towards the area's interest. I got the spring roll dinner that came with fried rice, 3 springs rolls and a bomb salad with spinach, raisins, other fruit and a spicy chile dressing. I would not lie to you, that was some of the best vegan food I have had. I even emailed the company and told them how happy I was (I have never done that). The meal was about 8 bucks, but the portions where huge, and could have easily been shared or saved for leftovers! So shout out to them and here is the link that list their locations, so if you are in the area of one, check it out! http://www.lovinghut.us/

On the way home, I wasn't so lucky. This time they picked a Frisch's Big Boy (they are pretty sympathetic huh?) I got the salad bar; fresh fruit, salad, and some homestyle potatoes. Not the beest selection but you gotta make due. Well by the time I was on my way home, I was starving. I caved and went thru the drive thru at Taco Bell (gasp). I just got a burritio with beans, rice, lettuce, and tomato. I took a chance, as I have heard their beans may not be veggie friendly, but again lemons into lemonade.

One stop at Ikea on the way home landed Judah some cute new bedtime pillows, a stuffed broccoli and stuffed carrot! He is napping with his new friends!

So enough about my trip and let's move on to dinner! Tonight's menu will feature a spicy pasta sauce from the lovely Natasha! I had to do some tweaking, but I will give you both what I used and she uses so you can adjust accordingly. The correct title for the sauce is Scotch Bonnet Pasta Sauce, but you will see why I can't exactly call it that :(

1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (Orange or Yellow Preferred) (I had to sub Serrano peppers, as thats all I could find, so I used a couple of those instead)

 

2 Tomatoes  ( I used about 5 ounces of yellow cherrry tomatoes and abouy 14 oz of organic crushed tomatoes because that is what I had on hand)

 

3+ Cloves of Garlic

 

Scallions

 

1 White/Yellow Onion

 

1 Jar of Tomato Sauce or you can make your own out of scratch (I used Bertolli Organic Tomato Basil)

 

1/2 box of your choice of pasta (I used whole wheat rotoni)

 

Mince all the veggies and boil pasta and set aside. Use a small amount of oil in a small skillet or sauce pan and slow cook your tomatoes. After they have simmered, add pasta sauce keep on low heat. In another pan, use a little more oil and added the remaining diced veggies saute until tender. Add veggies to the simmering sauce (careful not to add excess oil from the veggies if any) and continue to simmer for another fifteen minutes or so, letting everybody to get to know each other in there. Add to pasta!

 

Now she also included a recipe for garlic bread and spicy croutons, but I had trouble finding a loaf of baker's bread that was vegan friendly late last night, so I will save that for another time, but trust me I am going to use it as it sounds so yummy!

 

She also recommened a salad:

 

Two mixed bags. One spring mix and a three mix of Romain lettuce leaves.

 

green olives, tom, carrot strips (the thin ones), croutons, sweet red, orange and yellow peppers, scallions, almond slivers, and if you really want to jazz it up grapes, apples, and cheese if you are on the vegetarian side of the fence (as she is!)

 

I did a salad the consisted of:

 

Organic baby spinach, orange pepper, scallions, carrots,  red onion, cherry tomatoes, and chopped almonds with Anne's Natural Green Goddess dressings!

 

 

 

the sauce brewing!

the salad!

the finished pasta!

they get married :)

 

 

 

This was an awesome meal and the husband, who is not a big marinara type pasta fan loved this so I hope you guys love it too! Here are some pics :)

 

 

 

Just so you don't wonder...

I haven't left you all hanging! I will be back after the weekend, but bridesmaid duty calls this weekend, so out of town I must go. But I have some good things in store for the next couple of weeks! I will be featuring a dinner menu courtsey of one righteous mama! I also am planning to do a recipe I found for a vegan spin on my favorite fast food meal (it won't be very healthy, but I can pretty much guarentee it will be delicious). Can you guess what it is? If you know me, you can probably figure it out ;) I also have peaked my own interest as to just how much this lifestyle is costing me a month, so I have decided to keep a running tab of all my food expenses for a month and see where it lands me! I thought inquiring minds might want to know. I'm gonna touch base on just what people (and myself) think about Evansville, IN landing itself as the most obese metro city in the U.S. (The hubby informed me it was even featured on Leno!) Thanks Lindsey for the heads up on that! I wanna do some research (which in turn I will probably have to purchase hehe) on vegan beauty products so that will be coming up too! Soooooo stay tuned everyone and have a blessed weekend!