It's almost the end of another week, and that means it's time for a new post from Alyssa.  Hope you enjoy it.   Happy almost Friday!!! - Sheri

 

Hello Everyone,

Today I will be giving you the recipe for Honey Molasses Corn bread. My dearest LOVES corn bread, honey and molasses, so when I made this recipe I had him in mind. I love Molasses only in cookies. I had never really had it in corn bread before. I also wanted to add honey to this corn bread. I didn't cut the sugar in half but you can if you want. I wasn't to sure how this recipe would actually turn out. So I was thrilled when I opened the oven to find a nice pan of corn bread. It smelled amazing too. I really hope that you enjoy this recipe. I am so excited for fall for only one reason....which is baking. I love baking but the hot temperatures half the time prevent me from doing so.

I hope you all have a wonderful end of the week, and weekend.



 

Honey Molasses Corn Bread

 

• 1 1/4 Flour


• 3/4 Cup Yellow Corn Meal


• 1/4 C sugar ( You can cut it in half)


• 2 Tsp Baking Powder


• 1//2 Tsp Salt


• 1 Cup of Milk


• 1 Egg


• 1/4 Oil


• 2 TBS Molasses


• 1 TBS of Honey

Mix together all your dry ingredients, and then put all of your wet ingredients in. Mix both together. In a pie plate or a small baking dish spray with non stick spray. Pour in batter. Bake at 350 till golden brown.

 

Chocolate, uh, Dessert?

Okay, so I don't know what to call these, but they are good!  They'd work as a dessert - which is how we had them- or I imagine as a snack, or even the protein component of an otherwise healthy meal.  Chocolate as a meal.  Now there is a thought to consider!  But, before I get around to sharing my dessert, I have to tell you a funny story about dinner...

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I get done working, I'm tired.  The kind of "want to plop on the couch and just rest for hours watching tv" kind of tired.  Dragging my butt out to run, bike or even to make dinner becomes a supreme chore on those days.  It's like the last kid leaves the house for the evening and I become a pile of useless mush.  And just as I sit to relax, the inevitable question comes out of the hubby's mouth, "What's for dinner?"  More often than not, I have a plan, but on those days when I am a pile of mush without a plan, I am not too ashamed to admit it's often a pb&j night, or even worse, a run out to pick up burritos.  This night was one of those nights.  I was a pile of mush with no plan.  And we'd just had pb&j so that was out, and I really, really didn't feel like driving to get burritos.  I tried a few ploys to get the hubby to take me out but he's been sick and wasn't really on board.  I know he would have taken me, but that just felt selfish, so I decided we'd do veggie fajitas.  Or...even better...pineapple veggie fajitas.  One problem.  We were out of tortilla shells.  I figured the couple of mile drive to the store was better than an across town burrito run and hopped in the car.

While I was there, I considered getting a fresh pineapple but thought it would be easier to just use the pineapple I had frozen up a few months ago.  Bad choice.  Once I got home and started prepping the veggies I discovered we had no pineapple.  None.  Insert a huge sigh here because that's how I felt.   But what did I have...?  Pineapple frozen fruit bars.  And, yes, I did add a popsicle to my veggie fajita mix.  And, yes, it worked and tasted great.  I wouldn't recommend it as a replacement for the taste of fresh pineapple being sauteed with the peppers and onions but it did in a pinch and saved dinner.  Yeah, that was a bit dramatic, but that's how I felt.

So, after all that, what was the first thing out of the hubby's mouth after eating the fajitas???  Yep, he asked what was for dessert.  So, I headed out to the kitchen, tossed some peanut butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and chopped almonds and came up with this...



Now, as I was doing this "on the fly" so to speak I have no real recipe to share, but consider this inspiration to try something different and see what you can come up with.  I did chill the "dough" a bit because it was a little on the loose side while warm but it held it's shape better after 15 min in the fridge.  I had a few too many of these but I tried to justify it by telling myself it was a good protein punch.  Feel free to rationalize this way to yourself too!

Enjoy!
Sheri

Oatmeal Flax Pancakes

Pancakes are a staple at our house, and surprisingly, they've been one of the easiest meals to transition to our new vegan lifestyle.  I never would have guessed that making a flax egg would be such an easy and healthy replacement for the real deal.  But it has.  Experimenting with the recipes has become a bit of an obsession, tweaking this or that to make it a little more tender and then oops, a little less tender, until you get to that perfect pancake.  How do you know when you get there?  Well, for me, it means that the daycare kids will eat it.  Kids are a pretty tough taste tester group for something like pancakes.  They don't take kindly to you messing with a breakfast staple.  I guess most kids are like that, but I know without a doubt my daycare kids are!  So, when they gobbled these pancakes up, I knew we had found a great balance to the recipe!



I love the look of these pancakes.  I am ready for another one just writing about them!  And the recipe was super easy - great recipe for vegan or non-vegan families.

Oatmeal Flax Pancakes

Makes about 8-10 pancakes depending on the size

Ingredients

• 1 c whole wheat flour


• 1/4 c unbleached flour


• 1/4 c oatmeal flour


• 1/2 c rolled oats


• 3 t baking powder


• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 non-dairy milk of your choice ( I used homemade almond milk)


• 1 flax egg (1 T ground flax mixed with 3 T warm water)


• 1 t vanilla


• 1 t salt


• 1 T coconut oil  (other oil would work too, but I'm partial to adding coconut oil whenever possible)

Directions

1. Mix flax and water to make flax egg, set aside while other ingredients are assembled


2. Mix all dry ingredient thoroughly.


3. In separate container, mix remaining ingredients except flax egg.  Use 1 1/2 c of milk to start, keep 1/4 c in reserve if batter is too thick.


4. Combine wet with dry ingredients, not overmixing but making sure everything is incorporated.  Fold flax egg into mixture and add remaining 1/4 c of milk if needed.


5. Pour batter onto hot griddle lightly greased.  Be sure to reapply oil or spray between pancakes because they will stick more easily than traditional recipes.

Enjoy!

Sheri

Chia Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I decided to take a zucchini from my garden to our neighbor yesterday, and while we were there visiting on her front porch, I mentioned that I had made chia ice cream.  Her response?  "You mean like the seeds they put on those clay heads to grow?  I may have to rethink saying you're not a hippie."  To which I had to laugh.  Despite our best efforts to look like good suburbanites, I fear the cat may be out of the bag.  When you defend not mowing a hillside in order to harvest the weeds and then casually mention eating chia seeds a few sentences later, sometimes you start to feel like an outsider.  Well, that's how I felt anyway.  Sometimes I just don't know if this suburbia suits us anymore.  I hear the call of a farm life louder and louder every day.  But, before I go all starry eyed about having a little farmette someday, back to the ice cream.  And the chia seeds.

For those who don't know, chia seeds are awesome.  Great sources of energy and full of nutritional goodness!  We first read about using chia as an energy source in the book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  No Meat Athlete has a great article about the running fuel mentioned in the book used by the Tarahumara Indians.  The first time I ever ran past the half marathon mark (13.1 miles for the non-runners) the hubby and I started out with a chia seed mixture in a drink form.  And I think it worked because that was a great run!  So, we always include chia seeds in our daily smoothies, but I've also been experimenting with chia soaked in water as a substitute for a binder such as eggs in our veganized recipes.  It seems to work very similar to flax eggs. So, I thought it might be fun to make it the star of a recipe for a change, so here's the 3 ingredient ice "cream" I came up with.



I miss ice cream so much sometimes that I have given in once since giving up dairy and had a small dish from our favorite ice cream spot.  Big mistake.  I regretted it and my stomach was not pleased almost immediately.  I haven't tempted fate since.  But I have been experimenting with other milks and mixtures and this time, I decided coconut milk would be my base.  I used a 15 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk, added about 1/4 c of soaked chia seeds and 3 T of honey.  I put the whole mix in the blender, made it nice and frothy and then added it to the ice cream maker.  It has a smooth texture and is the perfect sweetness.  I loved it and I loved that I was having ice cream that was full of nutrition and easy on my digestive system.  Perfect combo!

In case you're not convinced on how beneficial chia seeds are to your diet...check out What's Cooking America - Chia Seeds.

 

Anyone else find creative uses for misunderstood ingredients like chia?  I'd love to hear them!!

Sheri

Bruschetta Pizza from Cooking From a SAHM

I am so happy to introduce you all to Lysska from Cooking from a SAHM, and as a bonus, she brought a delicious sounding recipe to share! I'll let her introduce herself to you formally now!

Enjoy!

Sheri

 

Hello Everyone,

My name is Alyssa but people call me Lysska or Lyss, and I am 28. As a child/teen I grew up in Illinois and I loved every aspect of it, but since moving to the East Coast I love it here. The ocean soothes me....I miss the country life though. My dearest and I have two daughters Meghan Brianna(4) and Karina Grace (2).  I am the owner and Blogger of Cooking From A SAHM Blog and Cooking From A SAHM Facebook page :-) Cooking has always been something I enjoy...Some people jog, some people yell when they are stressed. I on the other hand cook, and bake. Growing up my mom always was cooking/canning. We had a good supper on the table every night. She had no problems with us kids experimenting in her kitchen. She gave me my love of cooking and family. She taught me that family means everything, cooking and family dinners are important. So as I began my Cooking From A SAHM page, I decided I would make sure everyone would include their kids in the kitchen. That was the beginning of Cooking From A SAHM.



 

My dearest and I go to this resteraunt every year that has the most amazing Bruschetta, and I wanted to try to make it at home. I decided I would attempt a  Bruschetta Pizza on Herb Pizza Crust. I love making my own pizza crust and it is pretty easy. Don't be to itimidated by the yeast :-)  This recipe was so amazing, and so fresh. We ate the whole thing. I hope you enjoy this recipe.



Herb Crust

1 C Warm Water

2 1/4 Tsp  Yeast  ( I use Red Star yeast and love it)

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Olive Oil

2 1/2 -3 C. Flour

1 Tablespoon of Corn meal

1 Tsp of Basil

1 Tsp of Oregano

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

Run hot water in  your mixing bowl to get  your bowl warm. Get 1 C of Warm water ( not to hot or it'll kill yeast  105-115 degrees). Add your yeast. Stir till it dissolves. Add salt, olive oil ,lour and seasonings and mix it. If you have a kitchen aid just mix it using that. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time till it cleans the side of the bowl. Knead it 2 minutes longer.  Let it rise 1 hour in a warm draft free spot. Once it has doubled in size then on your pizza pan drizzle oil and sprinkle corn meal on it. Spread out your dough on the pizza pan. Bake at 350 till done. Cool it completely.



Bruschetta Pizza

2 Diced and de-seeded tomatoes

10 Chopped Kalmata Olives

1 C. Feta Cheese

1/2 Chopped Purple Onions

3 leaves Chopped basil

1 Tsp of Olive Oil

3 Chopped Garlic Cloves

4 Leaves of basil chopped into strips for the top.

In a bowl put your chopped tomatoes, olives, feta, onions,basil, garlic and basil in a bowl. Mix it up. Taste it to make sure it suits you.  Spread it onto  top of Herb crust. Put the remaining basil on top. ENJOY

 

Whole Wheat Bread Overhauled

When you make several loaves of bread a week sometimes it becomes old hat, just the same old, same old.  But, then, you see something that makes you want to do something different.  Just to see what happens.  That was what happened when Rachel from healthy.natural.easy.ish posted about her Whole Wheat Bread recipe.  With cream cheese and orange juice in the mix I just had to try it but how?  Cream cheese is is NO way vegan.  And not really something I use much anymore anyway so I brainstormed with and without Rachel about some sub ideas.  I had settled on soy yogurt but last night I had a portrait session and a 5 mile run scheduled and did NOT make time to get to the store.  So, as I was laying in bed this morning going through my "to-do" list, I remembered I had tofu in the fridge.  I wondered....I thought....I decided.  Tofu it was. I love tofu.  A lot.  So it makes sense to throw it into the mix whenever I can!  The versatility is amazing.

After a few delays (I had to actually grind some wheat first) I set to work.  I subbed the cream cheese for some crumbled firm tofu and I added about 1 tablespoon of gluten, just because my wheat was so fresh and I knew it might need some help.  I was rewarded with a seriously awesome whole wheat bread.  I know the hubby is going to love it and the boy might even like it too!



I couldn't wait to try this bread.  The crust was super soft right out of the oven, and my usual recipe is very crusty and softens as it cools.  This recipe might just be my new favorite whole wheat bread!! I think it would make some super soft rolls too!

If you get a chance, check out healthy.natural.easy.ish and tell Rachel that Homemade Served Here sent you!  :)  She has some awesome recipes over there and it's one of my favorite places to visit!

Sheri

 

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Over the past week I have biked a 50k, photographed a 30K, prepared for back to school in the daycare, started to put out feelers about starting my photography business and learned my daughter's wedding date is not two years away but one short year and all this while I am trying to keep up with the usual household stuff.  Sometimes even good stuff can get overwhelming, and that's where I was last night.  My head was screaming from a migraine I'd been able to put off for a few days and just decided to no longer be ignored.  I even had to cave and asked the hubby to pick up some Coke Zero for me.  For some reason, that is one of the few things that will help when my migraines get this bad, so I try to ignore the chemicals and down the drink anyway.  I was rewarded with a bit of relief, but even this morning remnants of it remain.  I hate the toll that migraines take on me!  But, I'm pushing through and fingers crossed it is short-lived from here on out.

But I've been happy to be busy because that is when I'm most happy...I just hate when that "in over my head" feeling hits, so I'll do my best to keep things in balance and ask for help.  I'm getting better at that thankfully.

So, what have I been cooking???

First up...snickerdoodles made vegan.  I was checking out some recipes from Oh She Glows!  and found this one for Snickerdoodles.  Since the hubby loves them, I thought I'd give it a try and was rewarded with a great cookie!  He loved them.  Aren't they perfect?



I took this picture with my new iphone...just wanted to check out the resolution.  And it looks pretty nice.  Well, for a phone anyway.

But it doesn't really compare to my shots of the stuffed peppers I made last night...





I mean, I am hungry for those peppers again just seeing the pictures!  I know the goat cheese isn't in keeping with our veganish lifestyle but it's been the one thing that I just really can't manage to cut out of our diet.  I love it!  Way too much to go without it...so since we're trying to keep animal products at about 5-10% total of our meals, it's not that big of a deal to me!

Here's part of my corn haul that I made yesterday too...



There is a roadside stand that sometimes has corn when the hubby and I run by but never seems to have corn when we actually drive by...so, yesterday when the hubby was running some errands in the morning he came home to report that there was lots of corn there today.  He didn't have anything smaller than a $20 but I was sure that there would be a change box and headed out while he covered the daycare kids at naptime.  Well, I put a dozen of corn in my bag and went to the box.  Huh.  No change.  At this point, I guess I could have put back my dozen of corn but for some reason, decided that it would be nice to freeze some corn so I'd just buy $20 worth.  Sometimes I am my own worst enemy.  I sold some of the corn to two friends and I cooked and froze the rest of it last night.  With a migraine.  While trying to keep up on Sons of Anarchy on the tv in the living room.  But 14 cups of frozen corn later I know I'll be glad for my craziness at some point in the winter.

This weekend's photos were a nice distraction though...perfect weather and great friends running a fun race!



I loved this shot of the sun streaming through the trees.  It was a little too foggy for a good sunrise shot but this just was beautiful!   While I was waiting for the runners to pass me by on a particularly beautiful spot with lots of moss and old rocks, I found this interesting bug traveling nearby.



I am doing my first portrait session tonight for a friend and am super excited!  I know that growing my photography business will be a slow process but I'm ready.  When I'm holding the camera it's as if I was meant to do it.   I know that I need a new lens or two but I want more experience and to have a better direction of what specialty I'm headed toward.  I'm thinking that it will be sports but I love families and children so much that I want to be sure that isn't something that will be my path.  And I don't want to stop talking about food or my journey as a homemade life blogger.  I hate to call myself a food blogger because Homemade Served Here is so much more than that!  It's like a public diary about how we try to live as simply and whole as possible while educating people around us about the ways we can all impact the world around us.  That's not how it started - I thought I'd just blog about homemade food.  Instead, I've become an environmentalist with a camera.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  My homemade life has made me happier than I ever thought possible and I love sharing my journey with anyone who wants to read.

So, bear with me as I plan my daughter's wedding, take pictures to build my photography portfolio,  homeschool my son and prepare these little ones in my child care for school and all the while, I'll keep telling all of you about our adventures!  Thanks for sharing our journey!

Sheri

Goodbye is Never Easy

This week is the last week for William.  He's been in my daycare since he was about 18 months old and he has won my heart over the past 4 years.  He is smart, funny and you can hold a real conversation with him.  Important qualities for a home based child care provider!  He also has a wonderful mom who I have come to appreciate as a good friend over the past few years.  I will miss her being a part of my everyday life through William.  I also have the privilege of knowing William's father and grandmother for almost my entire life.  I still feel like a little kid sometimes when I see her dropping or picking up William, and it's a good feeling to have roots that deep. A hug from her is sometimes just what I need, and I'll miss that too.

Over the past 12 years of doing child care, I've said goodbye to lots of kids.  And I remember them all.  There is always a piece of your heart that belongs to that child, no matter how long they were there or what the circumstances were for them saying goodbye.  Some of the most special memories are of the children that are with me for the entire time between birth and school.  So much time passes, so much love is created in your heart for that child and they become an extension of your family.  Really, they are family.  That is one of the hardest and best parts of my job.  Welcoming a child into your heart and your home for so many years and then knowing that the time will come when they move on to school and so many new experiences that little by little you become a memory.  A good memory, but still a memory.  And then the process continues to repeat itself..

In honor of such an occasion, I made a delicious blueberry banana bread.  Oh, and I finally have decided to try something a bit more advanced than Picasa for my photo editing so this is my first Lightroom edited food pic!



I was happy with how it turned out - the editing and the bread!  Now, of course it wasn't vegan at all, but this was for the kids, not the hubby and I.  I found the recipe on Stonyfield Farm's website, Banilla Blueberry Bread, and honestly I made not one change.  Shocking, I know.  I wanted it to be the perfect breakfast.  And judging by the reactions from the kids wanting seconds almost immediately, I'd say I hit my mark!

A last photo with my whole little group before everything changes tomorrow...



I'm gonna miss that kid.  A lot.

I hope you don't mind me going on and on about all this mushy stuff!  All part of my homemade life...

Sheri

Quinoa on a Burrito? Hmmm....

I had a brilliant idea for dinner.  I wanted to make a cross between a burrito and a veggie wrap and instead of rice settled on using some tri-colored quinoa.  I cooked the quinoa with mushrooms and some light miso soup with seaweed.  It looked and smelled delicious enough to eat right then!  But I continued on...heating an organic flour tortilla shell, topping it with baby spinach leaves, topping that with the cooked quinoa mixture (still hot so it would just barely cook the spinach) and then added avocado and chopped asparagus spears on top.



Doesn't that look fresh, delicious and healthy?  Well, two out of three isn't bad.  It just wasn't delicious.  But it was a very photogenic meal...



So, I ate half and it was okay.  Not spectacular, not disgusting but not good enough that I really was craving that second half.  The hubby didn't agree but I wasn't counting his opinion because his was coated in sriracha.   That is no help to me because I am total and complete sissy when it comes to spicy stuff in my food!  So, what's a girl to do?  Well, if you have a food blog with awesome followers on facebook, you ask them.  And I did.  And you all rocked it!!  You got my creative juices flowing and I decided to cut up my remaining half and do some taste testing.



I know.  It looks like a mess.  But it was a tasty mess.  I used what I had on hand and here is the list of additions I made and my thoughts about them:

Tomatoes - definitely brightened it up and I liked it much better!

Chopped Green Olives (figured it would cover adding more salt as well) - very tasty but something was still missing.  I think these could be added as well as something else.

Cranberries - I really, really thought a sweet element would help but it just didn't.  Too many clashing flavors in this combo.  It's a shame, I usually love adding cranberries.

Balsamic Vinaigrette - Really helped boost the taste a lot.  That plus the olives has real potential!

Lime - Hmm.  This helped, but it didn't brighten enough and got a bit muddled.  Sorta like the cranberries.  I wanted to like it but just couldn't.

Hummus - This was the hands down winner and I can't believe I didn't think of it.  I mean we have a rotating supply of hummus at all times in the fridge how could I have not considered it?  Either way, I WILL make these again and will likely add hummus, green olives and maybe even a tomato or two.  :)

What would I do without my friends?  Well, for starters, I'd likely be scavenging for something else to eat in the house instead of happily devouring the rest of my burrito.

Enjoy!
Sheri

Fried Tofu Sandwiches and Some Crazy-Awesome Brownie Cookies

Does that make a perfect day or what??  The tofu sandwiches were based on the tofu recipe I made out of the Vegan Vittles cookbook a week or so ago, but we wanted a bit of a different taste and were looking for a sandwich instead of something to dip.



I think we found just the thing.  I had bought some rolls while shopping earlier in the morning, a few pretzel, a few ciabatta, and the pretzel one was calling the hubby's name.  And what better way to top it off then some fresh lettuce, tomato, a bit of mustard sweetened with honey and a freshly fried piece of tofu?  I loved it!

There isn't a real recipe here, because it really is super easy.  Start with a block of extra firm or firm tofu, and then press it to get as much liquid out as possible.  That gives it that dense texture that we have fallen in love with.  See my fantastically elaborate pressing mechanism...hahaha.



Seriously, you just want it to press it, not smash it and it will take about 20 minutes or so.  Then you will have something that looks like this..



See the puddle around it?  Just drain that off and then cut the tofu into whatever size you are looking to fry.  I cut mine for our sandwiches into six equal pieces.  Then, I floured all of the pieces and set them aside.  I mixed about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into 1/2 c of almond milk (any milk would do I'm sure) and then mixed about 1 cup of nutritional yeast flakes with seasoning to taste.  I used an all purpose seasoning blend and salt with a little garlic powder mixed in.  Don't go overboard with the salt though because the yeast has a saltier flavor naturally.  I also added the flour into the mix that was left over from flouring the tofu.  Once that is all done, you can heat your oil in a frying pan to medium high.  I would think they could be baked too, but the texture would be different.

So, here's your set up:



Dip the floured tofu into the milk and then into the yeast mixture and then carefully put into the hot oil.  Let it cook about 5-7 minutes each side for a nice crisp.



Once they're browned and crispy, you will need to drain them.  This is the only thing I keep paper towels around for anymore.  Other than that, it's all cloth, so if anyone has any pointers on draining the oil off without paper towels, I am all ears!

After that, all that's left to do is take a bite!



And if you're craving some dessert...I've got just the thing for you!  Head over the Post Punk Kitchen for their Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies...I would call them a Brownie cookie but it's not my recipe, so they have naming rights.  Whatever you call it, it's delicious!  Post Punk Kitchen really has an amazing collection of recipes that make eating vegan fun!  Even though we're not 100% vegan, it's exciting to eliminate as much of the dairy and animal products we can and this is one of my go-to sites for getting that done.

I will make this again, but I will make some modifications - namely in cutting back the sugar and oil.  I think the ratio could be played with to be a bit healthier but still retain the decadent aspect of the cookie.  If I have some success, I will report back. :)  Also, I did not add chocolate chips and instead swapped that for the chopped walnuts.  Tasted even more like a brownie!  Hope you love them!



One of the best parts of vegan cookie dough...no raw eggs so eat away with zero guilt.  :)  Yay!



I think these could be frozen at this step and be baked fresh in small batches.



Because having cookies this tasty around could be a bit dangerous!  I did freeze what we didn't eat last night.  Not that it's ever stopped me before.  I will eat a frozen cookie if I'm so inclined.

Hope you're having a wonderful day!   Enjoy the pics!

Sheri

Big News...There's a Wedding to Plan!

My beautiful daughter is engaged.  I don't know where the past 21 years have gone but they've vanished in a blur, and now, she is standing on the brink of a whole new chapter in her life.  And I couldn't be happier or more proud of all she has done in her life.  She is truly a unique person who marches to her own beat but I see glimmers of me shining through every once in a while, and I have to just smile.  It's so hard because when you're raising these little ones, there is no instruction manual, no way to know if you're doing it right or wrong but then they grow up, you hope and pray, only to realize that you all survived and you've raised a beautiful child into an adult.  And, now, I get to welcome another son to our family.  I hope he's ready for our family's idiosyncrasies.  I know all families have them but you always feel like you need to hide yours for as long as possible.

So, in honor of this wonderful moment, I wanted to share my thoughts...

[caption id="attachment_1123" align="aligncenter" width="339"] My daughter on her 2nd birthday. She loved that rocking horse so much![/caption]

I can't wait to help her plan her special day, to be there to celebrate her new life and be as much of a help as possible without being a hindrance.  I hope that every dream she ever has comes true and that her special day is just as she imagines it to be!

[caption id="attachment_1124" align="aligncenter" width="363"] Isn't she precious?[/caption]

I was a young mom, so maybe I feel like sometimes I was just winging it, not always knowing what the right move was and I'm sure I made my share of mistakes with her, but I'm glad that she still loves me and that we got through it all okay!

[caption id="attachment_1125" align="aligncenter" width="581"] At our wedding, my daughter and my dad escorted me down the aisle. She is completely adorable in her hat and dress. And holding tight to her "great-mom" my grandmother.[/caption]

I know that her great-mom, my grandma, is looking down from heaven, smiling.  I wish she could be here with us to share in the love and the good news, but I know that she's watching and loving that her little girl is so happy.  My grandma and my daughter shared a special bond and I am forever grateful she had the chance to have her in her life.  :)  I know that my daughter's father is also smiling at her news, and wishing he could see her married. I hope that he knows that I've done the best job as a mom that I could and that her dad has been a fantastic dad for her in his absence and he will always be there for her too.  She's been blessed with many people in her life that love her so completely.  I've often joked that my husband fell in love with her first, me second.  And I wouldn't want it any other way!

[caption id="attachment_1126" align="aligncenter" width="941"] Welcoming her baby brother and holding tight to her favorite doll baby, who she named, Pink Baby. Seems apt, doesn't it? :)[/caption]

As she grew up, she only got more beautiful, until one day, she was the beautiful woman she is today.





[caption id="attachment_1127" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Her graduation photo[/caption]

I know that her life holds so much beauty, love and promise and I'm just glad to be her mom and there to share in it.  So here's hoping the next year or two of planning is full of lots of fun!  Of course, the hubby's already looking at the budget, but where is the fun in that?!?  I only have one daughter and I am an excited mom with a wedding on her mind.

 

Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

Dessert is a staple at our house.  We've tried to eliminate it only to have it creep back in when the sweet tooth strikes either me or the hubby so instead of getting rid of it, I try to plan for it and have healthier things in the house.  But I decided it was cake, and only cake, that would do for this dessert and I just had to figure it out.  Enter Post Punk Kitchen and her Vanilla Bean Cupcakes.  Did I mention the chocolate ganache yet?  Well, although the cupcake was amazing, the chocolate ganache was over the top!



I did make a few changes.  Instead of adding vanilla bean which I didn't have, I just upped the extract content a bit.  And I used dark chocolate in the ganache but everything else is exactly as the site's recipe describes.



I love when I make cake now and even though it has no eggs or dairy, it still has that perfect delicate crumb of a cake that does.  It's just a perfect surprise, even after a few months of making things like this.  :)  And I thought cake would be a thing of the past when we went vegan.  Whew!  So relieved!

And, just to prove that I did NOT lick the plate...although it was quite tempting!



 

This cupcake was the perfect ending after a wonderful veggie burrito from my favorite place, Mexitaly.  I wish I had been able to stop myself long enough to take a pic while it was whole , but this is HALF of their burritos.  It seriously is huge.  And delicious.  I only wish I could justify driving there more often...but when we're running on that side of town it's a "must have" dinner.  And I'm super thankful that Greg never minds that I pick up our dinner usually sweaty, smelly and sometimes even muddy and dirty after running.  :)



That was our hot night last night...a super sweaty and humid trail trail run with some friends.  I was a bit "off" and only did 5 miles, and the hubby did over 7 and most of that was super hilly.  I am in awe of that guy.  He is a crazy runner!  I wish I could keep up. But my 5 mile run earned me a burrito and a cupcake guilt-free so it was well worth it!

How did you spend your evening?

Sometimes You Just Have to Put One Foot in Front of the Other. And Repeat. And Repeat Again.

I mean, if you don't, there's no progress, no forward motion at all and you're just standing there, looking around wondering what the heck is next but yet you're not doing anything to change it.  I know.  I've been there.  Sometimes I'm there every day.  But, usually, I can push myself to move forward until my mind gets a little clearer, the stress seems to lessen, and things are looking ever so slightly more positive.  I'm not sure why life has to be difficult sometimes, but it gets that way, and the best we can do is put our best game face on and hit it head on, never faltering or looking back.  Yes, yes, I look back too and the coulda, shoulda, wouldas get the best of me sometimes but I try not to stay there too long.  I start to look around to find something, ANYTHING, to be thankful for and to praise God for his goodness in my life, and it helps.  It seems like such a small thing but it's that small flip of a switch in my brain that gets me moving again.  People are mean, selfish and petty but people are also kind, generous and loving - it's just easier to focus on the negative stuff.  I know I do it sometimes and then their negativity washes over me and starts coloring my view of the world.  But that's a choice that I'm making, to allow that to be a part of me in that moment, and that's not the best choice to make.  I'm most thankful that God doesn't treat me the way I treat him far too often. He never ignores me, forgets about me or puts his own thoughts and interests ahead of me.  He is always there.  I need to stop taking that for granted, for there would be no homemade life to love without him in it.

Yes, this is one of those introspective, mushy, feeling filled posts.  It's just where I am and what I feel needs shared at this moment.  And I hope that someone out there is touched by it.  If that's not you, understood, and feel free to move along until I talk about yummy food or the things that I create in our home.  I understand.  But if you are touched by it, I'm grateful to have had the chance to write these words.  None of us are alone in this journey through life, even when it feels that way.  Life was never meant to be a solo trip.  I'm blessed that for every negative person in my life, I've got a handful to balance it out with unbounding optimism.  My husband and my friends are the absolute best in the world, and I am so, so thankful for them! So, for whoever needed that pick me up this morning, remember one foot at a time in front of the other.  And stay as positive as you can be - even when you don't feel it.  It'll come.  :)

So....on to my positive post for the day....lol!!

I started to write a new post based on a blog party I saw at momdotcom, saying 5 things you would learn about me if you came to my house, or something along those lines.  But then, I thought, that's not really how I do things.  My house is my house.  I don't know that there is anything you would learn about me by coming to my house that you don't already know about me through my blog.  Is there?

I mean, the hubby and I have an extensive running & biking shoe/gear collection....is this news?




Nah, I didn't think so.

How about the fact that I have 3 spoiled rotten dogs who destroy my house at every turn?





Again, not news. My house is a dog disaster.

Did you know that Vegan Vittles is my new FAVORITE cookbook????



Oh, you did?  Well, geesh.  What is it that I can share about my house that would tell you something new about me????

Wait....did you know I do child care from my home?



You knew that too?

Well, that confirms it.  I share WAY too much on my blog.  :)  Our little homemade life is an open book apparently.  But, I'm glad to share with all of you.  Living our life in a homemade way doesn't make us crazy or make our house look any different from tons of other houses out there.  It's just a way of life - a way of looking at things with a different perspective and searching for something with more substance whenever possible.  We try to reuse and recycle whenever possible, and try to lessen our dependence on the corporations that tell us we need the newest whatever to be happier, more successful, whatever.  We just don't buy that line anymore, and we try not to buy the products as much either.

So, what does your house say about you?  Or, more importantly, what do you say about you???

Enjoy your day!

Sheri

Chocolate & Bananas = Delicious

Inspiration can take so many forms.  You never quite know where or when it will happen next.  Like when it hit me at snacktime today, for instance.  Who knew that my simple act of cutting up bananas to add to the the daycare kiddo's pudding treat would cause my fingers to be covered in chocolate for the next half hour.  I should have seen it coming but I doubt I would have stopped myself anyway so what does it matter.  All that really matters is how freakin' amazing our little treat was.  I know, I've seen several other blogs have dipped bananas in chocolate but I just wasn't motivated enough to actually make them.  What did motivate me?  My love of those half bananas dipped in chocolate that I am addicted to from the grocery store.  I try and convince myself my habit is okay.  I mean it is a banana...not some weird lab created concotion.  And it's dipped in chocolate.  Again, I know what chocolate is.  But, I thought, why keep buying it when you can make it and then I know it's real food made with organic ingredients and no extra stuff added in.

So, I set to work.  I melted some dark, almost completely bitter (yum!) chocolate and then I dabbed a bit of organic peanut butter on top of each banana slice and gingerly dipped it in the melted chocolate.  I used my silicone muffin cups to contain the banana slices while they set in the freezer.  I made some without peanut butter too but where is the fun in that???



For the record, I had to try it.  Just to make sure it was, you know, suitable for consumption.  That will be the story I will be sticking to.  I was generous enough to basically shove one of these down the hubby's throat when he woke up.  :)  He seemed to like it but I don't think I gave him much option.



And, then, just for good measure, I made a few more of those yummy almond butter patties from my Queen of Quinoa adventures last week.  They were still delicious as could be.  I will need more almond butter.  That is a definite.  Good thing I'm headed to the store tonight because we are all out.  I don't know where it possibly would have gone.  I just know we need more.

I will say that these banana chocolates are one of the most delicious treats I've made in awhile.  There is just something about that chocolate and banana combo for me.  And the fact that they're frozen just makes it taste like an ice cream pop...sorta like those really, really crazy creamy ones that Dove makes?  But without all that fat and chemicals.  :)

 

So, these are on the must make again and soon list now.  Can you blame me?

Now, before you go thinking I've gone off the deep end here and there's not healthy stuff going on (if bananas enrobed in chocolate is not healthy enough for you) I also did some canning at naptime.  First time my beautiful canner has been out this year...just seeing it steaming away makes me happy.



Seeing what comes out of the canner makes me even happier!  3 jars of tomatoes and 1 jar of pickled beets.  Now, if we could just slow down eating everything out of the garden as soon as it comes out of the garden, maybe I could get some more canning done!



I think the canning balances making the chocolate...don't you?  I also roasted some of the most beautiful beets...I should have snapped a picture of them.  Freshly roasted and peeled beets have one of the most beautiful colors of any vegetable I think.  Not to mention I have to pull myself away from stuffing my face with them.

I hope you enjoyed our canning and chocolate adventures!

Sheri

A Great Weekend!

I love when Sunday evening comes and I just wish I could stop time because the days were so wonderful.  Not like the kind of do-over you want because the day sucked, but the good kind.  This weekend was like that.  I love when the weekend comes and I can just relax, enjoy time with the hubby and remind myself of what is important in my life.  I have been so blessed in my life and I do lose sight of that amidst the busyness of working, cooking, cleaning, etc, etc.  So, spending time enjoying things that we love is always welcome!

We've had thunderstorms just about daily here.  I love that the garden is getting watered regularly, and it's not me doing it but still.  I want to be able to reliably plan a bike ride or a run and know that I will stay safe doing it!  But, I'll take what I can get...  Saturday morning was spent doing something that I completely love doing - photography.  And, the plus side of hanging out with friends and the hubby is a HUGE bonus!  A friend, Sean, invited us to a Cyclocross Clinic.  Now, I have had the chance to go to a few bike crits this year and take pics, but this was my first time even getting to see what cyclocross is.  Let me explain this in simple terms...you are expected to bike in the grass, hop off the bike and  over obstacles while HOLDING your bike and then hop back on again and start racing again.  Whew.  I was impressed watching our friends out there who race cyclocross do the drills and make it look way, way too easy!  Like our friend, Will...

And here's Evans showing off a bit :)

And here is my personal favorite picture from the whole day...

There's just something about the layers, the angles, something that I love about this.   I try to create an image in my mind as I snap the photo and this one just came to life.  I love when that happens!!

And, just to give you an idea of what our morning looked like...

How can a weekend be bad when your Saturday morning looks like this??  It just can't.  I was glad to be out there and supporting a great cause for the 1st Annual Jonathan Gantz Memorial Cyclocross Clinic.  I had the chance to meet and talk with Jonathan's mom years ago at a YAMBA picnic when my hubby was just starting out in mountain biking and I was privileged to again have the chance to chat with her Saturday.  What a feeling it has to be to see your son's memory honored is such a special way and I was glad to be there and be a small part of it.  I hope the pictures help you feel like you got to share in our day too! I have been talking about trying to branch out and do some photography professionally.  I never want to lose my passion for doing it though, so I'm not sure I'm ready to try and make that leap yet.  But I'm getting there....

Then, I came home and worked on the new craft/dog room/office.  It is designed to be a multipurpose room where the dog bed will stay, my sewing machine will finally find a home and storage galore abounds with a place for paint, brushes, fabric...you name it!  It is coming along nicely, and once all the finishing touches find their way onto the walls or in the permanent homes, I can't wait to share it with you.  I will say that my first project, a canvas dog bed cover made out of a drop cloth turned out better than I would have hoped!  I am going to be making pillows to match and putting each dog's name on them.  I know, it seems a little silly, but that canvas is a bit bland colored and the lettering will brighten it up.  But, first, it's back to Lowe's for another drop cloth so they match. Having three dogs means they need a big space to sleep, so they share a twin bed that I have sitting on the floor on a boxspring.  It's the best solution we've found...

Dinner was completely awesome!!  I was back to the Vegan Vittles cookbook and found a recipe for Southern Fried Tofu.  Skeptical?  I was too until I tried it.  It was delicious!!!

We had it with a honey mustard dipping sauce, baked potato fries and mixed veggies.  It really was like a southern fried type of meal.  Maybe we should have made some hushpuppies?  Why am I just NOW thinking of that??  I love hushpuppies so I don't usually need much of an excuse to make them.  We did round out the dinner with a vegan chocolate cake also from the cookbook.  I wish I could share these recipes but I don't think it's right since they're not my own creations so please, please forgive me for sharing all our yumminess and not telling your how to make it!  I will say that chocolate cake was interesting.  It used a reaction between baking soda and vinegar to rise instead of the usual eggs, etc in cake.  It was still pretty darn tasty too.  (How do I not have a picture of the cake?)  I guess we were too busy eating it.  Oops.

Finally, this morning we woke to clear skies and no rain until late afternoon so we headed out to do a 23 miler on the bikes.  While out there, we encountered a few more rude people than normal, which was a shame for such a beautiful day.  But we carried on, headed home and decided to head back out and do our run that had been scheduled for today.  I always forget how wooden the legs feel running after biking.  My ambitious plan of 6 miles was cut to 3 and I was still pretty pleased with that!  The puppy was glad we cut the run short too...he was hot by the end and kept stopping.  I kept him hydrated, but all he wanted to do was rest in the grass.  We made it home and he was thankful!

Lunch was some delicious burrito bowls that I whipped up quick since we were starving and then we finished off that awesome chocolate cake.  I even got the hubby to head out with me to the craft store to try and find some organizing stuff for my thread, etc.  But I did agree to walk around the car lots with him.  We love doing that on Sundays.  Its fun to look at what's out, and just spend some time talking and walking.   Good thing we did it then because an hour later it was pouring.  :)

I won't say that I'm always as thankful or as positive as I should be, but I try, and I think that's pretty important.  Always remember to be kind to yourself.  I forget to do that sometimes and I get down on all that I think I should be but I'm lucky to have a hubby who reminds me of all that I am and makes me feel like I can do anything.   And you can too! Never forget how fabulous and special you are.

Sheri