Gift giving

Now that the holidays are approaching and DIYers are scrambling for tasty morsels to whip up and give out to family and friends its only appropriate to share a bit of sprinkle bark don't you think? I am a huge fan of tasty bits as homemade gift giving, you can never go wrong with a few sweets in my opinion and this cake batter and sprinkle bark would sure be a crowd pleaser. I might just have to give this recipe a try with my own homemade vegan white chocolate and some super dark chocolate thrown in for good measure...oh the tasty possibilities. Wrapped up in a simple container and bow and you have yourself one festive treat to hand out.

image by sweetapolita

VeganMOFO day 5: A normal meal

Everyone always wonders what exactly we vegans eat on a regular ol day so I thought I would snap a picture of a midweek meal. I try to keep things as balanced as possible and when ever I can pick fresh fruits and veggies from the garden its always a plus. For this dish the husband and I dinned on baked yams with purple onion, mustard greens with bell pepper and lentils. Before growing our own mustard greens I had never had them before and it for sure was an acquired taste...it took about 3 times of eating them before I started to really like them but now they are my favorite. They have quite a bit so if you are trying them out for the first time and aren't a fan, give them another shot. Just to be sure. This meal was super easy to pull together, the entire plate was pulled together in under an hour.

To make the yams: I used 2 small/medium yams {sweet potatoes work too} chop up into little pieces and spread in a glass dish with about a table spoon of butter {Earth balance} and a teaspoon of olive oil. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes. Throw in the onion around 20 minutes in otherwise the onion will be burned to a crisp. 

To make the greens: Chop up a good amount of mustard greens {approx. 3 cups, they cook down} and bell pepper. Saute pepper over medium heat until tender and then throw in greens. Sprinkle garlic powder to taste, I like it with a ton! Saute for about 5-8 minutes.

What are you favorite go to dishes that pack a punch of flavor?

Vegan MOFO: day 1

orange banner via vegan mofo, eating meat is dumb image by our designed life

Hi friends. Throughout the month of October I will be participating in Vegan MOFO {month of food} where I will share my favorite recipes, local San Francisco eateries, tips and general vegan issues. Now don't get me wrong, I am not here to judge anyone, so please, I ask the same to you. For some the topic of herbivores vs. carnivores can be very touchy but I assure you, I come from a very loving heart {for all things, not just people} and am doing the best I can to maintain a healthy diet for myself, my husband and my growing baby belly. Heck I even have a dog who's favorite snack is oranges and brussel sprouts, but more on that later! I will start each vegan post this month with the bright orange banner, if you would like please participate- it will be fun! If not, just skip on down I will continue to also bring my meat eating friends daily design and lifestyle inspiration, but I do encourage you to give a few recipes a try. You never know, you may even find yourself surprised with how simple a vegan diet can actually be, not to mention cheaper!

Now that that is out of the way, welcome to my very first vegan MOFO post! A little about me: I have been vegetarian for about 6 years now, vegan for the last 5 months {right when I found out I was pregnant with my first itty bitty}. The {then fiancee} and I took to a vegetarian diet a little slow at first, in fact, our first go round in college we gave up and gave in to the calls of cheap and fast food. But after learning a bit more have been growing to find a great balance in what works for us and what doesn't. It wasn't until about 2 years ago that I can say we really got it. We tried our hardest at being good veggie eaters but it was hard. Especially for me coming from a large Mexican family where everything was centered around food and animal products. Not so say we don't struggle every now and then {still to this day when I pass by a doughnut shop and the wind is just right my mouth still salivates} but we give it our best we possibly can and really that's all I can ask for. 

Now for all of you that may be unfamiliar with a vegan diet you may be wondering what the heck am I doing 5 months pregnant and not eating meat or dairy. Well friends, eating a balanced diet not only works for my growing belly it is giving me a head start in providing a healthy environment for my baby. When I was a meat eater not only was a little heavier then need be but I was also at a risk for high blood pressure and cholesterol. Today I can proudly say I am nice and healthy. And in case you are wondering I get my protein from many natural sources- did you know you can actually get more from some whole foods then from a piece of meat? True story.

Well, enough about me- this post is verging on the longest I have ever written- its about time we get to the food! Join me tomorrow as I share with you one of my {and my husband's} favorite breakfast foods that you can whip up in less then 30 minutes from start to finish. And a big ol' welcome to those that have stopped by from Vegan MOFO. I can't wait to get reading and find fantastic recipes that everyone will be sharing!

If you are interested in finding out more from this huge vegan community please check out the 2012 Vegan MOFO blogroll where you will find hundreds of folks sharing all things food.

Make this, Grilled tofu tacos

Not only are these grilled tofu tacos from Love and Lemon a beauty to look at, I bet they taste fantastic. I certainly cannot wait to give these babies a whirl, especially with a few handmade tortillas. I've watched as my Grandmother and Mom handmade tortillas over the years but have yet to actually try them for myself. Nothing beats homemade, nothing. And while summer is quickly coming to an end, I bet this would be a perfect meal to seal the deal.

image via love and lemons

Make this: Cold soba noodle salad

One of my most favorite blogs to read has got to be Cakies, a site filled with love, family, crazy crafty goodness and mouth watering meals. And when Ruby posted about her family meals consisting of that cold soba noodle salad my mouth started salivating on the spot. When we lived in L.A one of my favorite eateries was M Cafe, I could eat their soba noodle salad all day long so seeing this recipe not only brought back fantastic memories it made me long for those flavors all over again. So thank you Ruby for sharing I cannot wait to get my hands on these ingredients and try this for myself....seems easy enough.

image via cakies

Make this: Quinoa arepas

I don't even know what arepas are but after seeing these quinoa arepas from the post social I'm now wanting them like crazy. Though the recipe isn't quite vegan, I'm sure I could whip up something similar in taste and texture. Doesn't it just look like the perfect summer morsel?

image via the post social

Make this, Spicy black bean tacos

Sometimes the simplest ingredients come together to make absolutely mouth watering morsels and judging by these photos, I cannot wait to get these in my stomach! Found on Naturally Ella, these spicy black bean tacos look so good I wish I could just reach through the screen and devour, with the added lime it is by far the best summer meal you could have. I've totally been inspired by this dish and am going to whip up a batch of fresh beans stat. 

image via naturally ella

Our eats: Chocolate meet berries

With all the birthday's going on we have had an insane amount of sweets, specifically cake just laying around asking to be eaten. I've tried out all kinds of great cake recipes lately and thought I would share my triple chocolate cake. Its not only moist and full of chocolate, it includes a simple berry filling that's oh so tasty.

photo by our designed life

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 Cup milk substitute {I used Rice milk}

1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup canola oil

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 Cup flour

1/4 C. cocoa

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 Cup vegan chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 350

*Combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle

*In a small saucepan, heat chocolate chips with a splash of milk till melted. Stir often and set aside to cool

*Combine sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in milk mixture. 

*Add the melted chocolate to the wet mixture and stir well.

*In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

*Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

{I used two deep 3 inch cake pans and required a longer time to bake}

Chocolate ganache

1/4 Cup rice milk

1/2 Cup vegan chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. agave

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

*Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat. 

For the fruit filling, combine either frozen fruits {berries work best} or fresh with a few teaspoons of sugar and splash of water in a small saucepan. As it cooks down it will get thicker, just keep stirring and mushing the fruit a bit as you go.

Make this, Pear wafers and Sparkling sorbet

Lets face it, when it comes to desserts its usually the more the merrier and these sugar coated pears would be a perfect match for that sparkling sorbet, don't you think? I imagine the sweet crunch would be a great combo for the zesty sorbet. Of course you could pair them with just about anything, throw in a cup of coffee and you have yourself a tasty afternoon delight.

photos via donna hay and martha stewart

For my Mom

Today is my lovely Mom's birthday and I've got cake on the brain. Though I can't make the drive out for a visit, with one car and the husband needing it for work we had to prioritize, but I can still celebrate on my end with a collection of beautifully and no doubt delicious cakes. So happy birthday Mom, you are not only supportive of everything I do but you are one of my bestest of friends. Thanks for being my Mom, Mom and happiest of birthdays!

photo via not without salt

photos via tlc, martha stewart and mark t

photos via amy atlas, our eyes eat first and cake journal

Quick break for pie

Um, I think I need to bake a pie. I just stumbled across Family feedbag, a blog filled with made from scratch recipes for that down home cooking we all crave and this fall apple pie looks to die for! My husband has asked me why I still read blogs and watch shows that still incorporate meat in the dishes and plain and simple, everything can be adjusted and tweaked into an amazing vegetarian option. I've sort of made it my mission to supply our family with delicious and nutritious meals and have been finding amazing dishes to try out, plus, the waistline is thanking me. But back to this pie, yep, still feel like I need to make one.

photo via family feedbag

Make this, Chocolate pie sticks

Don't you just love finding new recipes? I came across this recipe for chocolate pie sticks on food gawker, one of my go to's for mouth watering eats and knew I had to bookmark this baby right away. Made with pie crust and a few chocolate chips, its a super simple dessert idea that not only looks delicious but is totally portable. I'm thinking a stack of these guys with a thermos of coffee would be a perfect addition to our picnics in the park on a cool day. I would imagine the filling could be changed out easily too.

photos via domestic fits

Feeling better, finally

Hi friends, hope you had a relaxing extended weekend. It took until Sunday for both the husband and I to finally have enough strength to walk around among the living, poor guy was sick for over a week and my allergies played a nasty game with me. Thank goodness for having Monday off, it was like we got a redo of a weekend. Though we took it easy, taking the dog to the park to play and a little shopping of course made it in. But the highlight, new grub.
For a while now, I have been eyeing the menu over at Source, an amazingly delicious vegetarian and vegan eatery here in San Francisco and thanks to an impromptu trip across the city for a DIY project, we were finally almost in the area to stop in for a tasty lunch. Lets just say it was totally worth the second bus and additional half a mile walk to find it. With plenty on the menu to satisfy any craving, the husband decided on the Avocado oink bits mozzarella burger with fries and I the Chicago bow wow. They sound a little on the odd side but oh.my.gosh. Guys. I never thought I would have that char-broil flavor as a vegetarian but Source has found the secret to amazing flavors. And its totally worth another 45 minute train ride all the way back for more.

 

This photo doesn't do it justice, the 'hot dog' was amazing! Its somewhere under all that relish and tasty goodness. 

photos for our designed life

Make this, Cinnamon roll pull outs

On Sunday after a morning of walking all over the city I had a sudden need for sweets and thought of this crazy concoction from Plain Chicken right away. I came across this recipe for a cinnamon roll pull outs a while ago and couldn't wait to give it a try, and really who would turn down bits of cinnamon roll goodness? Not me. I made sure to stop by and pick up a super fresh loaf of sourdough from our local bakery on the way home and got to work slicing and dicing. 40 minutes later something very similar to this was sitting in front of my husband and I, ready to be devoured. And oh was it. I had to tell my husband to slow down twice just so I could get a few pieces, it was that good. Have you made anything scrumptious lately?

photo via plain chicken

Make this, Apple rings

I'm pretty sure these are incredibly unhealthy for you judging by the ingredients alone, but oh.my.gosh. they look good. I came across this recipe for Apple rings on How to simplify and added it to my recipe bookmark right away, you know for those special occasions when oodles of calories are a no biggie. I wonder if I can make this stand up with out the egg, sometimes recipes just don't translate to a vegan version, but it might still be fun and tasty to try. Have you made anything interesting lately? I'm still on my 'new to me' recipe kick and so far the husband and I have happy and healthy tummies.

found via paper flora; photo via how to simply

Make this, Pav-Bhaji {spicy vegetable mash & buttery rolls}

There has always been one type of cuisine that has intimidated me so much I have never even given it a try in the kitchen even though I have an entire cookbook dedicated to the art of Indian cooking. The spices alone are enough to make my head spin, then add in technique and timing and I'm a goner. Then I came across this recipe for Pav-Bhaji {spicy vegetable mash and buttery Indian rolls} from Sinfully Spicy and call me crazy but I think I can do this.  I mean, with a little patients and planning it seems simple enough and oh does it look tasty. My husband absolutely loves Indian food so I'm sure he will be all on board this recipe. Now to find Pav Bhaji Masala.

photo via sinfully spicy

Make this, Focaccia bread

Nothing like having a food post right after I dedicated myself to getting in shape but everything in moderation right?  Plus I find that the second I commit to eliminate something in my diet its all I want.  I have always had a weakness for bread, particularly anything in the sourdough variety, but these homemade focaccia breads from Veggie Num Num simply look divine don't you think?  Though I have never actually made bread unless you count sweet breads, yeast is completely foreign to me and slightly intimidating.  If in an hour and 40 minutes you get these, just think of all the possible topping choices!  These would be perfect as is or dipped in a tangy oil.

photo via veggie num num 

Make this, Peanut butter and chocolate covered pretzels

Ever come across a recipe or photo that instantly makes your mouth water?  These peanut butter chocolate covered pretzels look simply to die for.  Seriously.  Chocolaty, creamy and salty, its a snackers dream and a dieters nightmare.  I'm sure they are super bad for you, but I am willing to run an extra mile for a handful of these, aren't you!?  I wonder if it would work wrapping peanut butter around stick pretzels, then dunked in chocolate... oh the possibilities!  Might, have to make a super small batch for the weekend.  You can find the recipe for the photo here, and originated {I think. its so hard to tell these days} from here.

recipe via foodaphilia, photo via two tiny kitchens

Make this, Chocolate coffee cake

Ever have one of those moments when you are making something and it turns out completely different then you expected?  I had set out to make a brownie, but ended up tweaking the ingredients so much, it turned into a delicious cake.  A chocolate coffee cake that just so happens to be vegan.  I love to experiment with flavors and textures, and this cake is very moist and has a very distinct coffee flavor.  Its a super simple recipe, and odds are, you would have everything in your pantry.

Vegan Chocolate Coffee Cake

2 Cups white flour

1 1/2 Cups vegan sugar

3/4 Cups cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup coffee,  I used an organic dark roast made in a French press

1/2 Cup rice milk, or any other milk substitute

1/4 Cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.

3. Pour in wet ingredients and mix.

4. Spread evenly in a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

I think I ended up pulling mine out around 33 minutes, so just keep an eye on them.  I also sprinkled half with raw sugar to give it that extra sweet crunch.  So good, and super easy.  Enjoy.

Make this

Holy moly I need to make this.  Over the weekend I discovered Healthy happy life, a blog dedicated to beautiful and healthy food... that just so happens to be vegan.  Yay.  I've loved salads my entire life, as a toddler my Mom would order me salads for dinner at restaurants all the time and I couldn't have been happier.  And it really hasn't changed.  This arugula salad with mango, macadamia nut and avocado looks fantastically fresh.  I wish we had warmer weather these days, its hard to get into summer salad mode when its grey and rainy.

photo via healthy happy life