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French Toast Sticks (Dairy Free)

French Toast Sticks!

Dairy Free French Toast Sticks were a hit on Instagram this week!  This recipe is not vegan.  I tried to make it vegan and it didn’t work.  I was a bit bummed.  I was also not thrilled with how they turned out . . . but my kids assured me that they were perfect!  I didn’t add powdered sugar but I thought about it.  What bugged me was the inconsistent coloring . . . I know, I know–who gives a shizzle?  But I do.  I like things a certain way.  Next time I will cook them on the griddle and see how they look!

https://instagram.com/p/8YOQFFumpe/

 

The Recipe (such that it is . . . I don’t really like recipes.)

  1. cut a stack of bread into 4 pieces.
  2. crack 3 eggs in a bowl, whisk.  add almond milk until the mixture is less yellow and more white–that is the perfect “wash” for the bread.  If you are using eggs and milk it is the same thing–add the milk until the mixture isn’t yellow.
  3. add the bread to the mixture one slice at a time, turning to coat them.
  4. place the “sticks” into the hot oiled/buttered/earth balanced pan–same temp as for pancakes.
  5. enjoy!

[Tweet “I just watched Renee’s short video on how to make perfect french toast sticks!”]

Don’t Forget

This is a great make ahead meal AND a great lunch meal.  I have also frozen them for traveling or for breakfast.  I play around with different breads . . .

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Be Blessed as you eat and live with love, gratitude and compassion.

Banana Muffins Vegan Style

vegan muffinsVegan Muffins?  Blech!

I miss baked goods.  I miss making banana muffins with my kids.  

The warm smell of melted chocolate and banana . . . that–get’s me excited.

One of my final steps in being Vegan was the problem with eggs in baking.  The problem . . . is kind of complicated.  I have a CSA egg share and I don’t want to cancel it for a few reasons . . . really, do you want me to bore you with the details about my eggs issues?  I won’t.  Just know, that being a Vegan Mom among non vegans isn’t always easy.

I’m lazy!

Not exactly true–I’m more like the energizer bunny ;-) or a race horse.  But some times I just can’t battle the little things.  Like eggs!  I love my muffin recipes and I didn’t want to go and find another recipe (from some weird vegan cookbook) that I had to then tweak, just so I wouldn’t use eggs.  

I solved the problem by not eating baked goods.  No muffins, cakes, cookies.

Did I just say Weird Vegan Cookbook?

Actually, yes I did.  I love going to the library and getting armfuls of cookbooks.  Do I ever make anything?  NO.  I look at the pictures.  When I started to seriously pursue my vegan-ness I checked out vegan cookbooks.  What a mistake.  The cookbooks had all sorts of ingredients that I do not typically buy.  And if you are Vegan, and love using all those ingredients–knock yourself out.  It’s just not for me.

Real Mom, Real Food in a Real Kitchen

I do pride myself on being a real mom with big issues with getting the kids out the door . . . somewhat on time, making food that is healthy with REAL ingredients.  I do cheat on some things.  I will buy those microwavable rice pouches and those salad kits to save time–the kids are starting to have 3rd and 4th dinners at 9 and 11 pm and I’m a “real tired” mom at that point and they are on their own.  My point is I don’t like processed fake vegan food.  But having just said I don’t like fake foods . . . 

Fake Eggs

In this recipe I finally used my “egg replacer”.  A box of . . . what?  I’m going to admit something here–I just bought the egg replacer because I didn’t want to eat eggs but DID want to eat muffins AND didn’t worry about what was even IN the egg replacer.  That was not forward thinking!  What is even in it?

  • Potato Starch–that doesn’t sound bad.
  • Tapioca Flour–I’ve used that before in thickening my famous pies!
  • Cream of Tartar–I’ve used that before too!
  • Cellulose Gum and Modified Cellulose . . . hhhmmmm.  These are not on my spice rack!  Definition: A chemically modified form of cellulose (the principal component of plant cells) used to prevent ice crystallization in foods.  I can live with that.

This website is a great resource for crazy ingredients.  http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/  I use it often to figure out what I’m eating–then decide if I can live without it or not.  It’s all about making the best choice at that moment in time.  

[Tweet “Check out this amazing vegan banana muffin recipe at Renee’s Kitchen! #veganRenee #Yumilicious!”]

Finally!  The Recipe!

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’15’] 

 

 

 

Is your mother a cow? Then why drink milk?

I don’t like milk.  I never have.  I do like French Toast Bake–but I don’t eat it anymore.  I love ice cream–but I don’t eat it anymore.  Why?  I have watched several documentaries . . . now, I see milk and I think about rape.  I don’t see cream in my coffee–I imagine a man’s arm, shoulder deep inside cow privates.  I know.  Gross isn’t it.  I just can’t get the image out of my mind.  For me, consuming dairy products perpetuates abuse and violence.  I haven’t always felt this way and I may change again.  But for now my idea of living in harmony and living with compassion, excludes me from enjoying ice cream.   

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My family still drinks milk.  My kids love ice cream (just as much as I do!).  The whole dairy thing is what I call being a compassionate vegan.  It is something that weighs heavy on my soul.  It is my choice, my soul, my decision.  I ask that my family honor and respect my decision as I honor and respect their decision.  So far it is working.  I eat what works for me and they eat what works for them–no judgement, no high and mighty moral attitudes, just gentle, loving, kind and respectful acceptance.  I extend this acceptance to everyone–not just my family.  

Let’s take a look at a cow’s life cycle and some myths about milk.  These are facts–not hyperbole.  I’m sharing with you a snippet of the information that I have gathered on my vegan journey.  

A cow’s life cycle:

  • artificial insemination
  • forced pregnancy
  • having your baby taken away
  • extreme sadness over the lost of a baby (that will no doubt be killed in a few days or weeks for veal)
  • the milk supply dried up due to depression
  • hormones and antibiotics are given to increase milk production and heal mastitis 
  • never see the light of day
  • never touch grass
  • never eat grass
  • die at 5 years vs the normal life span of 20 years

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If you aren’t a cow–don’t drink milk!

Don’t butter your bread, have your Greek yogurt or eat ice cream.  Why?  Because you aren’t a cow.  A cow doesn’t produce milk for you–she produces it for her own calf.  Dr. Hyman is much more eloquent–you can read a very informative article about milk here.

I was very naive.  I thought that cows just “gave milk” (no doubt from signs like the one above).  Sadly, I never stopped long enough to think about the entire process.  Now that I have, it seems reasonable for me not to consume dairy products.  I will say that I didn’t just stop.  It took about 2 years for me to stop.  Ice cream was the last to go.  I even thought that if I made my own ice cream with organic milk–I wouldn’t be part of the abuse.  

I know now.  I can’t change the harm that I have caused by my own consumption but I can change what I do moving forward.  I can offer recipes that are dairy free.  I can educate by sharing what I have learned shedding light on the issue.  I can be at peace with my soul.  

Be Blessed.  Eat L.O.V.E.

Renee