Vegan Lunches

Since Daddykins has decided to go vegan, I have been digging through my brain back to my college days, and unpacking some old favorites.  Now, I have never been one for tuna fish (ew, even when I ate meat as a kid), but Daddykins loves it, so I thought why not substitute a bean?  I didn't want it mushy, so I went with chick peas, because they don't mush unless you really really puree them.  

Better Than Tuna :) 

1/2 can of chickpeas 
1 stalk celery 
small bit of onion (if desired) 
Vegan mayo 
Salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning to taste 

Throw chickpeas, celery and onion in food processor  run until your preferred consistency, add in desired amount of mayo and spices!  Easy peasy!  

I eat mine on toast to give it more texture, and Daddykins says 'it really does taste like tuna... for the most part.' So I got approval for one vegan meal that isn't full of processed/prepackaged foods.  And it is relatively inexpensive, just like real tuna.  

Goin' Vegan!

Well, it has happened... the household is going vegan!  Gasp!  I honestly thought this day would never come (Daddykins loves his animal products), but I am super excited because I get to cook just one time per meal and I can eat all the old foods I love (tofu, tempeh, seitan) that I have foregone because of Daddykin's preferences!  It is going to be amazing!

Some major changes or areas of concern:


Finding Omega-3s....

• We found some at our local co-op that were made from flax seed oil, but the expensive      price ($10 for not even a month's supply) will have us searching for a better price online 

Ensuring enough B-vitamins... 

• We are not huge cereal eaters/energy drink consumers, and without any animal products, we opted for a vegan B-vitamin supplement that has good levels of all B-vitamins, especially 3, 6 and 12, so that we do not become deficient.

The debate on honey...

• Daddykins has decided that honey is ok, and so we will continue to use it.  I have not told him of white sugar yet, but will inform him soon enough. 

Finding real, vegan food, on $80 a week....

• Our food budget is set at $80 per week 
• Since the change, we have needed to add a number of things to our pantry (tofu, miso, new vitamins etc) and these things, while typically not a weekly charge, are adding up quickly 
• We are still not much into the processed foods, and this will remove us even further from it... although it is going to be VERY strange not to buy cheese every week!

Vegan-ism and Running...

• There are many many many amazingly good runners who live off a plant based diet and compete in ultra-running, and Daddykins is convinced this is the right dietary choice for him, but he has concerns about deficiencies/malnutrition, so he is continue to research the diet for himself.  (I assured him he would be fine as long as he ate protein and a wide variety of fruits/veggies)

Organization on a Dime!

One of my major goals this upcoming year is organization, while also maintaining a very strict budget... two things that don't always go together.  I have been on so many 'pre-made' websites, but they aren't exactly what I want/need, plus if I printed everything just to try it out (and figure out it didn't work), I would spend a small fortune on printer ink!  So, I thought of a way to organize my life, without expensive printer ink or fancy paper, and so far, it seems to be working for me!

What is it?

Simple:  card stock and post-it notes!  Some permanent markers to make the writing pop!


Reasons why it is working:

1. It is flexible 
• if I am done with a post-it note, I throw it away 
• if I have something important that needs immediate attention, I can move it to the top with ease 
• if I find I need a new category, I can make one, without having to go to my computer 
2. It is color coded to help me differentiate between categories 
3. It holds all the major/important things in my head in 4 highly organized pages 
4. I can easily see what needs to be done/what my goals are, which helps me stay on track 
5. It is on card stock, so I will be able to use the backing for quite some time 

Total cost: $0 (I had the materials on hand!!)

Vegan Crock Pot Meal - Lentil Chili-ish

This week is going to be very busy for us, between the New Year, working our normal schedules, still putting away Christmas stuff, and getting ready to have my future Mother In Law over for dinner on Tuesday... so I wanted to have a meal/snack ready for us whenever we got a bit hungry, but not wanting to ruin our healthy eating habits.  

A look in my pantry revealed that I had lentils, rice and sweet potatoes, and I managed to find celery, carrots, onion and two tomatoes - To the crock pot! 

Ingredients:

1 cup green lentils, rinsed well 

1/2 cup brown rice (not instant) 

1 large sweet potato - cut to 1 inch pieces 

1 large onion - diced 

1 celery stalk - diced 

2 tomatoes - diced 

1 carrot - cut into 1 inch pieces 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp rosemary 

dash cayenne pepper 

dash turmeric 

dash cumin 

1 tsp vegan condensed vegetable stock 

~3 cu water (more if you are not checking on it all day)

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into crock pot!
2. I put mine on the high/4 hour setting, but I think it would be better cooked at 6 hours 
3. Monitor the water level, lentils and rice suck up a lot!

Makes about 6 servings.  For being a 'throw together meal' this was fantastic!  Really good with crunchy garlic bread or croutons!  The sweet potato was an amazing addition!  

A Wonderful New Year!

As Christmas is over and we are inching closer to the New Year, I have decided to take a bit of time to pen my goals/expectations for 2013.  Some of them are more personal than others, and some are just 'things I want to do.'  Most are aimed at saving money, being healthier and overall improving our lives, which in the middle of this awful winter is hard to do.  

My Goals/Expectations:

Health
During our annual health fair, I was told I have 'high cholesterol' which was befuddling to me, seeing as I have been a vegetarian for almost a decade.  Nevertheless, medication is not an option, so diet changes will have to do.  I fully intend to be vegan by May of 2013, while in the mean time, I have substantially lessened my dairy/egg intake and have been more aware of my cholesterol intake.  

Fitness
As Daddykins and I prepare for our wedding, I am working hard to return to my 'pre-dating' weight, and I will be continuing to work hard (even if I am discouraged by the total lack of weight loss week after week after week!).  I will be setting up a little area in our room to encourage before work workouts, and Daddykins and I will continue to frequent the gym regularly during the winter months.  One of our pups is old enough to run (longer distances), so come warm weather, I will be out with her, slow and ugly as my running might be.  My goal is to be down at least 30 pounds by the end of the year. :) 

Budget
For Daddykins and I to have a wedding, we require a house for our backyard affair, therefore a large chunk of 2013 will be be spent focusing on our budget, spending, income and for myself, trying to get a bit more income through 'at home' work.  Our goal is to save over $12,000 by December of 2013, as part of the down payment/closing costs on our house. 

Blogging
Although I just started this website, I hope to grow it into a useful/dependable site, like many of the awesome ones I see and rely upon daily for various things.  I hope to update it with useful posts at least twice a week, maybe even daily if it takes off enough.  I also hope to have photos in most of my posts, although I do not have a super fancy camera.  

Organization
My house is always in-flux it seems, with new furniture coming in, new pets coming in, people moving in and out, holding stuff in storage for some... it is messy.  And the beginning of my weeks are very busy between work schedules and finding time to cook, clean, etc.  So my goals as far as cleaning and organizing are concerned are:  Take 2 weeks to organize every room in the house (so in 14 weeks, I will have every room organized, with the basement and attic to be attended to once warmer weather hits), starting with the dining room (our main room of mess), and go from there.  I have created a 'what to clean when' chart, but have yet to find it useful as I cannot get through all of the clutter in my house!  

Vegan Crock Pot Meal - Potato Stew!!

I love, love, love stew... and although I have not eaten meat in almost 10 years, I still crave beef stew when it gets cooler out, so I make potato stew instead.  It is yummy, vegan and so easy that we eat it almost once a week in the winter!

I do not always follow a strict recipe.  To me, cooking is a combination of chemistry, art and a passion for feeding others.  So sometimes, I go with 'dash,' 'handful' or 'splash'... do what you think is best and what your family would like most.  

Potato Stew (in the crock pot):

Ingredients:

4 to 6 large red potatoes, washed and cut to ~2in x 2in pieces 
1 large onion, quartered (or smaller, depending on your texture tastes) 
4 to 5 large carrots, the fatter the better, washed and cut into 2 inch chunks 
3 to 4 celery stalks, washed and cut into 1 inch chunks 
Thyme 
Italian Seasoning
Sage
Black pepper 
Vegan stock (I use the brand Better than Bouillon)
1/2 container of Tofu (silken) 
Corn starch 

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into the crock pot, add about 6 cups of water (enough to cover the potatoes and veggies), with spices on top.  
2. Turn on crock pot to have it done cooking a half hour prior to dinner.  
3. If you will be 'setting it and forgetting it,' heat a cup of water in the microwave for about 2 min and stir in about a table spoon of broth, mix well and add to the stew.  If you will be supervising, add bouillon directly to stew after 2 hours, and stir well.  
4. A half hour before you are ready to eat, the stew should be finished. If you want a thicker stew, take a half cup of stew broth and put in a sauce pan.  Heat on medium low, and as it is rising to a boil, take a tablespoon of corn starch and add a small amount of water to make it a liquid (but not too thin).  Once broth is boiling, add corn starch slowly, while whisking quickly.  It will thicken as you continue to add the corn starch.  Once the broth has become thick and uniform, add it to the stew and stir, stir, stir!
5. If you would like a creamier stew, take half a container of silken tofu and a few tablespoons of water and blend it until smooth.  If you would like a more flavorful stew, you can add a teaspoon of broth to the tofu as you blend it.  Once blended, add to stew and stir, stir, stir.  
6. You can have both creamy and thick stew, or you can have a more soup like stew, up to you!  
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Very simple and delicious!  I usually serve with a fresh green salad and homemade whole wheat rolls!  Yumm!!     

A 'mostly' DIY Christmas!

In our house, we do not believe in anything religious, but we do believe in giving gifts and being with family.  

This year, our budget was tight and we still wanted to do some nice things for people. 

The 'smaller' gifts:

I had my aunts and uncles, grandparents, Daddykins' step siblings, and neighbors to give gifts to, and I had been busy all summer trying my hand at canning, so for presents, I made jelly/jams.

For 8 people:                                                                              

• they got 3 jars of jam each                                        $.66(jar)  ~$1 (jam) x3
• wrapped in bags (leftovers from a few years ago)            $0
• ribbons from the dollar store                                   $.33
• little plastic plates from the dollar store               $.13
• decorative fabric to top jelly jars                             $.16  x3
• and "care cards" that I made from old scraps     $0

  Total each:  $5.92

The smaller baskets, with the small plastic plate to keep the jars stable.  
I used old curling ribbon and scrapbook paper to decorate the jars.  

The 'bigger' gifts:

For the big gifts, I made the the 'couples' or dear friends presents that were a bit nicer and bigger than the smaller gifts.  

For my parents, Daddykins' parents, my sister and brother an law, and soon to be brother and sister in law, I made fun baskets.  We did baskets, but only had to buy 1 basket for these gifts.  Some baskets I was able to make one of the presents work as a "base" which worked out well.  

For 4 baskets:

• They each got 3 jars of jelly (no plastic plate needed)                               $5.97
• I crocheted each of the girls a scarf, with yarn bought on sale               $4.99
• and the boys got small presents, which averaged around $10 (with the exception of my step dad who threw my budget out the window, with his only request for a gift in 20 years)      $10.00

Total each:  20.96 each 

The basket for Daddykins' parents...
strawberry, raspberry and blueberry/cherry jam!

Some of the scarves I made, wrapped in ribbon or tulle, 
put in the baskets with the jelly and guy's gifts  

The tag on how to ensure food quality were 
included in the presents!

For my close girlfriends, they got scarves and jelly:

For 3 baskets: 

• They each got 3 jars of jelly (no plastic plate needed)                     $5.97
• I crocheted each of the girls a scarf, with yarn bought on sale     $4.99

Total each:  $10.96

Random Present Expenses:

• baskets                        $2 (dollar store) 
• basket fluff                $6 (dollar store)
• basket bags                $3 (dollar store)
• candy                           $5 (dollar store)
• wrapping paper        $3 (dollar store, recyclable) 
• 'pet gifts'                     $10 
• random stuff             $2
• 2 Thomas Puzzles    $2 (dollar store) 
• 1 Thomas DVD          $16

Total: $49

Total for 16 people:  $213.08