French Onion Soup

The arrival of Autumn has also meant the arrival of some of our favorite warm comfort foods. As the temperatures have cooled, we have begun reintegrating cheese into back our diet and are enjoying the savory and creamy addition it brings to our meals, especially in soups~!

One of my very favorite soups is French onion. There really is no proper way to do a vegan French onion soup since the cheese is one of the best parts, so find some ethically made cheese and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

Recipe credit: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Nicola Graimes

Ingredients:

1 pound yellow onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, 3 chopped and 1 peeled but kept whole
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons thyme
2 tablespoons white flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 cups vegetable broth (I used Pacific Natural Foods found at Target)
French bread slices
10 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated (I used Sargento Swiss)

Directions:

Thinly slice the onions. Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown. Stir in the chopped garlic, sugar and chopped thyme, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the wine. Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a boil, skimming off any froth that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on high. Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler, then rub the toast with the whole garlic clove.

Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls set on a baking sheet. Place a slice or two of french bread in each bowl and divide the grated cheese between them. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with thyme, serve immediately and enjoy!

Vegan Autumn Pumpkin Bread

 I have loved this recipe since 2003, and though I'm not sure where it originally came from, my best guess is that it came from a dear church friend. I have it in a spiral binder handwritten on a piece of printer paper complete with arrows, stars and hearts to differentiate and guide my 17 year old self. Things were simpler, though messier, back then. :)

Who knew that such a messy recipe could yield such a yummy treat!? Never judge a book by its cover!

Vegan Autumn Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 flax eggs 

Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, sugars, and eggs and mix well. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat on medium high until smooth and well blended.

Grease your baking pan and bake at 350°F or 177°C for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Vegan Dinner in a Pumpkin

My sister posted a recipe for a dinner in a pumpkin last Autumn and I never got around to making it. This year, being a Vegan didn't stop me from making it, but I did have to more or less come up with a new (& healthier) recipe! Both my husband and I loved it, and I'm looking forward to trying different variations for more pumpkin goodness! Did you know how good pumpkin is for you? Read all about it at World's Healthiest Foods. Knowing how nutritious they are, I can't believe that most pumpkins are used for decoration and then smashed and trashed! Well not anymore in our home! Make sure that you use the smaller pumpkins known as sugar or pie pumpkins for this recipe. Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, so before anything else, start your rice! 

 
 Wash your pumpkins. Dry thoroughly, making sure that the bottoms are completely dry. To remove the tops, use a sharp serrated knife and cut into the top at a 45° angle to ensure the top can be placed back on without falling through. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers gently with a spoon. Preheat oven to 350°.

Vegan Dinner in a Pumpkin 

Ingredients:

Two 2 1/2-3 lb pumpkins or One 5 1/2-6 lb pumpkin  (we liked having our own)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bouillon cubes
4 ounces mushrooms, minced or sliced (we minced, but next time I'll slice for more variety in texture)
1/2 cup milk (we used original Silk)
1 can lentils (and liquid)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown. Add 2 bouillon cubes, 1/2 cup milk, mushrooms, and lentils. Add both black and white pepper, thyme, cumin, parsley and sea salt and mix well. Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer while rice cooks. Stir every 5 minutes. Cook rice according to package directions. Once cooked, add rice to the lentil mixture and mix well. Fill pumpkins with lentil and rice mixture, then sprinkle with parsley and place the tops on.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before eating!

 Enjoy!

PS.
When you're done eating, remove any leftover filling and scrape out the remaining pumpkin. You'll be amazed at how much will be left after you've stuffed yourself. We got about 2 cups of pumpkin from each one, and that was after we ate until we were stuffed!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

My lovely sister introduced me to this recipe and I am officially hooked! What could be yummier than the combination of oats, pumpkin and pecans?

photo courtesy of my niece, Holly.

Oatmeal:
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milled flax
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice & 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon butter, softened
3/4-1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk (we used almond - use your favorite!)

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 teaspoon softened butter
2 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375° and grease 4 individual ramekins - then set them aside. If you don't have ramekins, you can use any oven safe dish.

Combine ingredients and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins or spoon the entire mixture into an oven safe dish. If using ramekins, place the them on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to get it in and out of the oven) and bake for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping.

After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide the topping evenly over each one, then bake for an additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I soaked the oats the second time I made this recipe and the result was much creamier and softer. If you prefer firm oats, make it according to the recipe above. If you want them soft, soak the oats in 1 cup of milk overnight and then continue as directed above, but be sure to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the mixture reaches desired consistency. It will jiggle slightly in the middle until it cools, then it will be firm.

Enjoy! Check out some other yummy recipes at my Sissy's blog here: Home and Lovin' It!

Blue Ribbon Cornbread

This recipe won a blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair for Dana Sly, an 11-year old from Sioux City, Iowa. You won't believe it's Vegan!
A few words about flax:
If you don't usually keep flax in the house, look for it in the cereal section at the grocery store, or in the grains section of your local health food store. My current favorite brand is Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed and I store it in the freezer to maintain it's freshness.

DANA SLY’S BLUE RIBBON VEGAN CORNBREAD
read great reviews here


Ingredients:

1 cup white flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 flax eggs

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray an 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.

 Add the flax eggs, soy milk and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth, do not over-beat.

this is what flax eggs looks like!

Pour into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or unil a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 

 Serve with your favorite cornbread toppings (we like agave syrup and Earth Balance) and Enjoy!

Simple Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

We love chili. Before we became Vegetarians, I would use only two cans of beans and one pound of ground beef cow in this recipe. I prefer beans to ground beef, so to me, this is the perfect chili.
Kidney beans are a fantastic meat replacer as far as protein and iron are concerned, and they have the added benefit of being packed with fiber, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol. Read here to learn about why kidney beans are so good for you.

Simple Three Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, diced, to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, minced, to taste
1 brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
3-6 ounces can tomato paste
1 packet McCormick Chili seasoning, mild or hot
4 cans of your favorite chili beans
Heat the oil in your chili pot over medium high heat and add your onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft and golden brown.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, prepare your peppers. It is up to you to determine how much jalapeno you want to add. One word of caution: the seeds are HOT. Be careful not to add them unless you want fire hot chili! This is the amount of each pepper I used:

about a third of the jalapeno, half of the poblano and one whole bell.

Add to the onion and garlic mixture.

Then, add the diced tomatoes and stir well.

Add your chili seasoning.

And stir it all up.

Now it's time to add the beans! I used one can of white kidney beans (AKA Cannellini), one can of light red kidney beans and 2 cans of dark red kidney beans. I added the whole can, liquid and all.

It's up to you to decide when you add the tomato paste, if at all.  I added 1/2 the can of paste just before serving to take the edge off because ours came out pretty spicy for my taste. It also added a subtle hint of sweet tomato flavor and thickened it up a bit. If you're not sure whether you want to add it or not, wait until just before serving and do a taste test. Adjust accordingly!

After adding the beans, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 45 minutes, the longer the better.

You can keep it Vegan by enjoying it as is. I will admit that in a former stage of life, I would add a dollop of Daisy and a handful or two of cheese, but this way is much healthier and you actually taste the flavor of the chili, not the added dairy. Give it a try and see what you think!

Serve with Blue Ribbon Cornbread and enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

Visit Organizing Junkie to play along!

Here's our menu plan for the week of:

October 3rd-10th

We're Vegans (again), except for the honey which we use in our tea for sweetness and medicinal purposes. If you're interested, the brand we love is from Honey New Zealand and is known as Manuka honey. You can find it at your local health food store.

Breakfast Options:

We always have some sort of coffee in the morning... either brewed Yukon blend or iced espresso with almond milk.

1. Bagel with peanut butter and fruit preserves
2. English muffin with peanut butter and Manuka honey
3. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
4. Pancakes (James' favorite)
5. Baked Apple Coffee Cake

Lunch Options: 

1. Wacky Pasta
2. Veggie Sandwiches with Lay's
3. Veggie Sushi and Miso Soup
4. Leftovers from Dinner

Snack Options:

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Soy Yogurt
3. Pretzels or Triscuits
4. Dried Fruit and Nuts

Dinner Options:

1. Lentil Shepherd's Pie
2. 3 Bean Chili and Blue Ribbon Cornbread
3. Stout Portabello Stew and Irish Soda Bread
4. Vegetable Tian and Quinoa
5. Un-Baked Ziti and Salad
6. Seven Layer Burritos
7. Spring Rolls and Rice

Dessert Options:

1. Zucchini Bread
2. Oatmeal Craisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Beverage Options:

1. Water
2. 100% Ocean Spray Juice
3. Odwalla C-Boost Juice (FLU season is coming...)
4. Samuel Adams Octoberfest

To My New (and Old) Followers! 25 Things!

I recently discovered several new blogs and I know I have several new followers who must be a little curious about the author of this blog, just as I am curious about them! I thought it would be fun to get to know each other by telling each other 25 random things about ourselves. It took me a little while to fill this out, but it was really fun and kind of gratifying.

I hope you'll join me, and if you do, comment on this post with the link to your post so others will know to visit your blog! You don't have to be a new follower, either, so if you read this, play along!

25 Things About Me:

1. My name is Paris. I am 24 years old and have been married to my handsome husband for 6 years.

2. I have a 2.5 year old son whom I mother instinctively and gently.

3. I live my life to glorify God and I love my Savior!

4. I have been to several countries and 44 of our 50 states and I love to travel!

5. I love to read books, but I have a hard time sitting down and starting a new book. But once I start one, I can read for hours.

6. I love animals. I don't like eating them, and it just so happens that it is usually healthier for you not to eat them, but it is healthy for you to love them, so it's a win-win in my book.

7. I LOVE food. I'm not sure there are many people who don't love food, but to me, it is such a wonderful experience, from the planning of the meal, to the making it with my own hands, to serving it to my family and friends and then sitting down and enjoying it together. It's satisfying in so many ways!

8. My hair is straight. I wish it was curly.

9. I love doing laundry, washing dishes and cleaning our home. I especially love to de-clutter, sanitize and organize.

10. My favorite time of year is October-January. Each season is beautiful in its own way, but I love waking up to a crisp and cold morning, putting on slippers, brewing coffee and making a warm breakfast for my favorite people.

11. I think the world needs more Mothers, not just Moms; a few more Fathers, not just Dads and a lot more homecooked meals around the dinner table.

12. I don't have a favorite kind of music, I listen to everything from Big Band, Jazz, Classical and Ethnic to Christian, Country and Pop. The only kind I can't stand is death metal and a lot of the newer secular Rap.

13. My favorite movies include: All Disney & Pixar. Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. Chronicles of Narnia. Amadeus. Immortal Beloved. Cinderella Man. The Man from Snowy River. Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. The Sound of Music. Apollo 13. Sweet Home Alabama. Star Trek (all of them). Star Wars. The only genre I won't watch is horror/thriller.

14. I want to become more crafty and artistic. I admire those of you who dream up a project and complete it without any fumbling!

15. I got my first kiss (from my husband) when I was 17. Oh happy day!

16. I highly dislike reading the news. It always makes me feel overwhelmed and helpless. I don't think that humans were designed to handle the weight of the news from around the world on our shoulders, especially when there is nothing we can do about it aside from becoming suspicious and paranoid in our own lives.

17. I believe in God ordained evolution and have recently started reading The Science of God by Gerald Schroeder.

18. I am very much Type A. As a teenager, I didn't leave my room until everything was in its place. My husband is very much Type B. As a teenager, nothing in his room was in its place. Surprisingly, we are still together, and are both still alive. His Type B is good for my Type A. Balance is a good thing.

19. My favorite kind of beer for this time of year is Samuel Adams Octoberfest and Boston Ale.

20. Before I became a Mother, I was very concerned with myself and what I wanted. Now, I am concerned with what is best for everyone, including the world at large. I discovered cloth diapers before my litte one was born, and it was all up hill from there... what a fulfilling journey it has been though!

21. I love being outdoors enjoying nature. Whether we're biking, walking, playing at the playground or just swinging on the porch swing, there is something about cool, dry air that is so invigorating in Northern Louisiana this time of year!

22. I hope that I don't come across as judgemental, though I do hope I seem opinionated, and I hope you are too! I think the best people have open minds to differences, as long as they are not harmful to others, and that people who don't care about what you think, really aren't worth your time. Your best friend is the person who tells you the most truth!

23. I love, adore and cherish quotes. Any opinion that is concisely stated is golden!

24. This blog has been used as a recipe folder for a long while, and I am hoping to continue adding my favorite new recipes, but I am also looking forward to posting about topics that matter to me as well. I'd love to have a sounding board for those posts, so please, do share your opinion in the comments.

25. I am looking forward to finding fun and inspiring blogs and getting to know you guys as well!

I'm "tagging" you if you read this! :)

Vanishing Vegan Oatmeal Blueberry Craisin Cookies

I was grocery shopping last week when I discovered "Blueberry Juice Infused Cranberries" from the makers of Craisins. They look a bit like fruit gushers, only much healthier, so I couldn't resist. I bought a bag of them, and had planned on putting them in my oatmeal for breakfast. 

That is, until I set out to make cookies earlier this evening and my husband asked for his favorite: Oatmeal Raisin, but this time, Oatmeal CRaisin! He came up with the idea to make these, and at first I wasn't convinced that they were going to be good, but after about 7 minutes in the oven, our house started smelling like heaven on earth. The combination of oats, sugar, blueberry, cranberry and dark chocolate is incredible. 

The recipe is Vegan, and it was actually our first attempt at baking Vegan cookies. I love using flax as an egg replacer, and while I was nervous as to how it would work out in this recipe at first, the final results scream success! Even if you're not Vegan, try using a flax egg! Flax is wonderful for you! Learn more about how great flax is here.

Vanishing Vegan Oatmeal Blueberry Craisin Cookies

recipe adapted from Quaker by David

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 flax egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup blueberry infused Craisins
1/2 cup Ghiradelli chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat together Earth Balance and sugars until creamy.
Add flax egg and vanilla and beat well.
Lick the beaters. (if you're using a flax egg)
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Add to the sugar mixture and mix well.
Stir in oats, Craisins and chocolate chips and mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

meet the crunchy softies: chewy and gooey. they're crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

the best thing about baking Vegan is feeling 100% carefree while your little one licks the beaters.

Success!

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

I think most coffee lovers will agree that Starbucks has some pretty amazing coffee. Now that Autumn has arrived, so has their impressive line of comforting, ritualistic and expensive cold weather beverages. Whoever you are, they probably have a beverage to suit your tastes, and leave you wanting more.

photo credit: starbucks.com

I love the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate:

photo credit: starbucks.com

My husband loves their Peppermint Mocha:

photo credit: starbucks.com

We both like the Pumpkin Spice Latte:

photo credit: starbucks.com

When we went to Starbucks last week, I ordered a Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte. It's about $4 for a Grande' Pumpkin Spice Latte, and they charge an extra .50 cents for soy milk in place of cow's milk. $4.50 is a bit out of my budget for a 16 ounce drink, and if my husband had ordered a similar soy drink, we would have paid almost $10 for two drinks. If we have no other options, like when we're on vacation or a road trip, we'll splurge, but otherwise, we like to make our own at home. This is when our espresso maker comes in handy. We bought it over two years ago when we were spending $50 a month at Starbucks, and realized that if I was going to be a SAHM, we were going to have to find a way to cut back in every possible way. Starbucks visits went from necessity to luxury. To this day, I use our espresso maker daily for my Iced Vanilla Latte. Starbucks sells many of the products they use in their drinks, including syrups, flavorings and even their cups! We bought these tumblers a couple months ago for our iced beverages. It's amazing what a well stocked kitchen can do for you in place of going out!

We decided to make our own copy cat version of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it was so good and inexpensive that I want to share it with you! It's easily made Vegan by using soy milk. If you're a Vegan, you should know that the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, made with soy milk and sans whip is NOT Vegan. Read more here.  If you make this, please let me know how you liked it by clicking here!

Just Like Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte
recipe by David
 Ingredients:

2 shots Starbucks Espresso
2 tablespoons Starbucks vanilla syrup (or you can easily make your own)
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened soy)
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
Pumpkin pie spice, for sprinkling

gather your ingredients

pour milk into a steaming pitcher and add pumpkin to the milk

then add vanilla syrup

and whisk until creamy and well blended

steam the pumpkin mixture using the steam wand

steam until foamy!

pour pumpkin milk into mug

add espresso

sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice

serve and enjoy!

For a soy Pumpkin Spice Latte in my area (Northern Louisiana), it costs about $4.50. Using organic soy milk(.37¢), organic pumpkin (.16¢), Starbucks espresso (.62¢) and pumpkin pie spice (negligible), the total cost of making this beverage at home is: $1.15¢

Go make it and let me know how it turns out for you!