Thursday, January 18, 2007

A Lunchbox , Dahl

I made "What A Dahl" in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slowcooker by Robin Robertson. I ate this over basmati rice, however the rest of the family is not yet accustomed to the curry flavor. Over time they may adjust, but after the two bite rule (no pressure to do so needed) applied no one but me continued to eat it.

picture Indian Spice Mix:
I added the spices called for in this Dahl recipe to a small bowl before adding it to the crockpot. It was so pretty I couldn't miss taking a picture.

Lunchbox #2:
Mexi Calzone (oatmeal bread dough with vegan chorizo inside) and a chili seasoned sauce for which to dip it in, home canned sugar free apple pie filling, homegrown green beans mixed with cooked red beans and mushrooms.

My Growing Want List ...
I want one of these (twinkie baking set)! This is way to have fun even if it ends up being one Saturday's entertainment (okay $15 for a couple of hours of fun and a lifetime of memories - pretty cheap entertainment if you ask me). Perhaps this will be my treat with the first paycheck, I think I am going to check out the B&B at the mall on Saturday and if I can't find it I'll buy it from the link above. I am not a twinkie fan so much but would do it for a smile from one of my kids, however the corndogs made by Schmoo's mom would make me get this pan for myself.

On a more serious note ...
I want one of these (link to site about adopting older children) too. Although I love the age my kids are and the freedoms I am experiencing, sometimes I wish I could have a few more around to extend my ability to make simple treats and get looks and admiration like I am the best person in the world. I'd love to know if anyone has ever considered such a thing.

15 comments:

Emmy said...

Those calzones sound absolutely delicious. Yum!

Anonymous said...

Dori,

I heard Jennifer interviewed on KCRW's Good Food about her vegan Twinkies -- sounded like they were delicious and so much fun! I agree...$15 for a few hours of entertainment and a delicious treat sounds pretty much like a bargain to me. Plus, I bet the homemade Twinkies are so much more delicious than the processed, packaged ones. I'm just guessing...

:-) Genie
The Inadvertent Gardener

Mikaela said...

You're amazing Dori. Although I have no personal experience fostering or adopting children, I often imagine myself fostering an older child in the future, as my own son gets older. I know that I won't have any other biological children, and there are so many kids out there that need a foster family... Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

aTxVegn said...

I'm crazy for lentils and split peas, and your dahl looks fabulous! So does the calzone. I love oatmeal bread (and muffins and pizza dough).

I don't really have a comment about your wish list items. Although it was hard in many ways for my son to leave home 3 years ago, we just accepted it as the next phase in our lives. And thankfully, he visits me every weekend (or more!) and he always tells me how great my cooking is.

Freedom said...

Mmm, good lookin lunchbox! I like the two bite rule.
I'm only 18 and I don't ever plan on having any children of my own or otherwise but I have already thought if I did want to I would adopt. It would go with my principles so well - kinda like getting an animal from a shelter not a breeder - why bring another life into the world when there are already so many who need love!
Good on you for considering it!

MeloMeals said...

Your dahl looks great! Hopefully your kids will warm up to the idea...

I have one of those pans.. I should pull it out and make some corn dogs..

Anonymous said...

I checked out the adoption site and it makes my heart ache. I've often thought about adopting or fostering. I can't imagine what it must be like to be 14 and "too old" for anyone to want to adopt. That must be so painful. And the teen years are so formative that having a stable, loving home is important. I don't know if Marty would ever agree to it though. We've talked about it before and he's never been too fond of the idea.

Dori said...

"I can't imagine what it must be like to be 14 and "too old" for anyone to want to adopt."

That's the way I felt VV. Since I started working at the school there are several students whom my heart just breaks for and I often find myself thinking, "If I were your mama ..." and very occassionally the thought runs through my mind, "then you would have one."

Thanks for visiting blog friends and Micheals, for sharing your thoughts too.

AxtV: Glad to hear your boy loves to come home, with great looking food like what you post I would to.

erica said...

Ooh, I've lusted over those corn dogs. The twinkies, not so much :)

I don't think I would adopt unless I couldn't have children of my own (the baby fever... you know how it goes), but I do believe in adopting older animals instead of kittens/puppies. Rosa (my younger cat) was five when I got her three years ago.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

hi dori! i've been eyeing robin robertson's dahl recipe, but have decided to go with emmy's instead -- thanks for the tip. and your golden cauliflower soup really looks & sounds delicious! i hope you get the twinkie pan so that i can have some fun vicariously! oh, the adoption link is really heartbreaking -- all those kids needing some family love, it's just not right.

Anonymous said...

How is the lunchbox working out? I've been wanting to get one but am afraid food would spill/leak. Have you had any problems with that?

I have the twinkie pan and love it (I have two because I'm too impatient to wait for the pan to cool before using it again and I usually have to make more than eight servings). Since BBB often has coupons and I wasn't sure if I could use them online, I called my local store -- they had the item in stock but not on the floor so I was able to purchase mine that way, saving on shipping. I use mine in place of cupcakes now for mini cakes. Definitely worth the investment.

urban vegan said...

All we ate in Nepal was dahl. I like it, but I guess it's not for everyone. The calzones look so good and warming--it's freezing here today, and I would love one, straight from the oven,

I've thought about adopting--but honestly, that's as far as it ever got, especially at this stage of my life.

Harmonia said...

I don't know why...but slow cookers scare me! lol

Hope your weekend is a good one!

bazu said...

Hi Dori,
I'm catching up to your posts that I've missed, and all your lunchboxes look so good! I can only eat liquid soups, so I could really go for some Dal right now!

Oh, and to answer your question, I'm not really thinking about having kids yet, but I know that if I do, it will most likely be adoption. I agree with some of the above commenters- so many kids need love and a home, it just breaks my heart.

Anonymous said...

The food looks so good, about the adoption, i will do it for sure, the bad thing here is that adoption is not easy and i cant afford to adopt from other place, if here adoptions was more easy i will adopt withouth thinking twice. my hearth suffer with so many childrens that need a home!