#1 Vegan Smoothie and a secret that I’m keeping from my dentist

Do you love chocolate? powdered pb

I can take it or leave it.  In the summer time, I do love frozen chocolate (Dr. Collins doesn’t read my blog so I’m safe in sharing this secret–I promised him that I wouldn’t eat frozen chocolate anymore.  He did an awesome job at fixing my tooth).  When I was a little girl my mom would put snickers bars in the freezer so they wouldn’t melt in the cabin–no AC (just hot knotty pine).  After a long day on the boat/beach/fishing–I loved coming into the cabin and eating a frozen snickers.  Frozen chocolate was the end to a perfect summer day.  Now, I love frozen peppermint patties!  

Powdered Peanut Butter? 

What the haywire?  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  I didn’t.  So . . . when I was at Target shopping (because I’m always at Target!) I found this product.  I had to try it!

[Tweet “Why am I always at Target? And why do I always spend $100 no matter what?”]

I instagramed it right away I was so excited.

I use instagram as primarily my vegan/plant based food diary so if you are interested in eating a plant based diet–you may want to follow me here.

Great minds think alike.

The Kitchn is a website that I go to for inspiration.  I was amazed when they posted the powdered protein post on the same day that I bought it.  They show pictures of how it looks when it is reconstituted with water.  The Kitchn has a great review, check out that post is you are interested in learning about using the powder as peanut butter.

My Big Idea!elvis love

If you keep up with the blog you know that I have these BIG ideas.  Everything from making quilts for all the kids to knitting myself a skirt.  (I’m leaving out the idea about having a farm animal sanctuary.) I admit that my excitement begins lots of projects that never get finished.  A character flaw but I’m growing into my own as I get older.  I am multi-passionate . . .   

My big idea is to create a Vegan smoothie that tastes amazing and everyone will eat–so delicious that the “vegan” part won’t even matter.  This time I think I’ve done it!  The only change I would make to this simple recipe would be to add chocolate chips.  Or a bit of leftover coffee.  or hemp seeds if I’m making it for Dana :-)

The Recipe

How simple is this?  You could add ice chips or frozen bananas if you wanted a thicker/frothy drink.  I will say that this was surprisingly filling.  The idea of being a vegan hack is very fun for me, making plant based food fun, easy and delicious is my goal.  My intention was to the powdered peanut butter in smoothies.  I never planned to use it for sandwiches (unless I really needed too).  

Protein

Since everyone always worries about my kids and I getting enough protein, I want everyone to rest easy!  This recipe has 6 grams of protein!  

recipechocolatesmoothie

Go out right now and make up some awesome PB and B/dark chocolate almond milk smoothie.  Ok, we need a shorter name!

Leave a note in the comments for a name!

I’ll post the winner on Twitter and Facebook!

Be Blessed.  Nourish your family with L.O.V.E.,

Renee

 

 

Fun Food Fact Friday #8 Easter Edition

 

Fun Food Fact Friday #8

 

Are you ready for Easter?

I am not!  This Fun Food Fact Friday is about everything Easter!

1)  My not-so-vegan dinner.  

We are having Honey Baked Ham for dinner.  My family absolutely loves Honey Baked Ham.  At Christmas I did eat it but this holiday . . . it just doesn’t sound appealing to me.  I do love homemade split pea soup made with the ham bone–but I’m not even sure that I will make that.  From a culinary perspective I do enjoy cooking with the ham bone, creating meals with the leftovers and seeing the delight on everyone’s faces as they “finally get meat”.  The kids love my crustless quiche–you can easily print out the recipe.

2)  We will not be dying eggs this year!  

I wrote about my huge fail on Marriage, Motherhood and Missions, another blog where I am a contributor.  I will be eating jelly beans and Cadbury caramel eggs!

3)  Food Research.  

The other day I was thinking about “where the heck do jelly beans come from anyway?”  I found this fun little article about the history of jelly beans.

4)  Spring and Easter

are symbols of renewal and spring cleaning!  I did a little bit of cleaning and found a gift certificate to White Flower Farms!  I bought a lemon tree, blue berry bushes, raspberry bushes and some interesting hostas!  I’m one step closer to having and edible landscape.  (Well, I can’t eat the hostas but I love them in my flower arrangements!)

5)  Saturday is National Garlic Day!  

Seriously!  I have a special recipe that I will be posting that I use ALL the time.  Garlic, lime, olive oil . . . stay tuned for the full details.

garlic

Be Blessed as we enjoy exploring all of the fun food facts!

Renee

Fun Food Fact Friday #7 (do you love your lunch?)

ffff#7

 

[Tweet “Fun Food Fact Friday #7 what tip is your favorite? #vegan #lovemylunch”] 

1)  Step-by-step approach to simple change.

This is a very “heady” interview about how we can change . . . for the better.  I believe in an integrated medicine approach.  This is a short video with Depak Chopra that I found very interesting and informative.  

I believe a few simple (free) steps to can lead to a happy, compassionate, healthy life.

2)  Food with Integrity!  

This is another video that shows how pigs should be raised.  (I posted a really horrific one on the blog that showed animal abuse and this is not like that.)  I don’t eat bacon anymore–but I would eat bacon from a farmer like Paul.  My vegan struggle is about compassion–I don’t want to support farming that causes harm to animals.  I get that they need to die and that causes harm–my mind gets that but my heart still doesn’t want to eat meat.  So . . . I will seek out meat from this group of farmers who have adopted humane farming procedures to feed my family members who eat meat. 

3)  Read them or just look at the pictures?

I don’t really like cookbooks–I love to cook, learn about new techniques, explore exciting combinations . . . but 1/2 cup of this or a teaspoon of this–just isn’t my thing.  When I found The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, I was immediately interested!  Deborah Madison, the author, offers food facts (you know how much I love my food facts!), simple recipes–like this one: sliced fennel is brown in oil, add salt and pepper!  How simple and wonderfully delish AND vegan!  As a disclosure–I was not given a book by the author or publisher.  My excitement is purely my own–but if they did send a copy my way!  I would love that! You can order your copy here The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

[Tweet “I don’t really read them, I just look at the pictures! #lovecookbooks”]

4)  Do you Love your Lunch?

I am currently creating an email course about . . . LUNCHES!  I struggle with making lunches–I make 5 a day (hubs goes to the work cafeteria) and I’ll be honest, it can be a grind.  After packing school lunches and snacks for almost 10 years now, I’m getting really good at it!  My criteria for a lunch is sweet, salty, healthy, crunchy . . . with a huge glass of ice water!  Do you struggle too?  I will cover cost, nutrition, ease and how to get kids involved in making their OWN lunch.  I’m making shopping lists, idea lists, night before checklists, my goal is to make Loving your Lunch simple, fun and of course vegan if you want :-).

5)  Please leave a note in the comments!

I’d love to hear from you.  What did you think about the videos?  Could you take 10 minutes of quiet time a day?  Would you support more expensive farming that was compassionate?  Do you want more cookbook reviews like The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  Do you love your lunch?  I’m waiting in the comments to hear from you.

Have a great weekend!  I’ll be at a soccer tournament . . . I’m living my dream of parenthood.

Be Blessed.

L.O.V.E.,

Renee