It's time...

NAME THIS UTENSIL ....
I will tell you what it is at the end of this post.

GARDEN

I feel like an expectant mother who has been waiting for her first born to arrive. The weather has been right and the ground ideal to begin planting again. Armed with my mantis tiller, onion hoe, 4 tine cultivator and sack of seeds to plant I have visions of wonderful produce dancing in my head. The two small, barely visible yellow packets say PEAS, one kind in Sugar Anne and the other Mr Big Pea. Some people get into flowers and yea, I do enjoy these but vegetables fulfil the practical side of me perfectly.

I recruited my mom and niece to help me plant yellow onions. I have three rows which were planted about 1 inch apart so I can thin them while harvesting young onions with greens. We cannot start large onions that can be stored for winter use from seed here because our zone 4 growing season is not long enough so we use bulbs or "sets" for that purpose. I personally have not had much luck with red onions, which I'm not sure why yet and I usually do not use the white onions. I have heard there is flavor differences, but I am satisfied with the foods I have.... except vidalia onions are super sweet. I will buy these on occasion (when they are "in season" at out grocery store at a reasonable price).

Right now I have planted premium green top broccoli plants even though I prefer packman type, snowball cauliflower plants, nappa cabbage, salad bowl lettuce plants, 2 kinds of peas (edible pod and the kind that needs shelled), cylinder beets, and Yukon gold potatoes.
I like English breakfast radish which have a very mild flavor. I am going to wait to plant these for a couple of weeks because they have a short harvest time and I like these esp well in fresh salads. Soon I will have rhubarb and asparagus coming up as well as oregano and marjoram in my herb bed... these come back each year with little assistance. Corn and green beans (planted every three weeks up through August) will wait until the first week of May while tomatoes and green pepper plants will wait until the first of June with chard. Turnips will be planted in June plants and Brussels sprouts near the end of July for a mid to end October harvest because they can stand a good frost and have a better flavor when they get it.

FOOD...
This has become a staple for my regular lunch at work. It is simply a rectangular Tupperware container that holds my salad which I like to top with a container of balsamic vinegar combined with a little salt and stevia. It is made from romaine lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, carrots, fresh mushrooms, and oven baked flavored tofu. I prefer to get my fats in with a square of dark chocolate (not pictured) instead of in salad dressing. Complete the meal with an apple which I usually eat mid morning.
Here is another meal...

This one comes from Dreena's Everyday Vegan. Chickpea Sweet potato casserole served with 1/2 a whole grain wrap rolled around a lettuce leaf with apricot mustard (I made this). I like to add currants into this stew which offers a little color boost. I ended the meal with some chopped fruit (apples, apricots, dates, and currants over leftover brown rice. I sprinkled it with a sweet lime juice, cardamom, and almonds.

It was good.

On a side note I want to mention that my 90+ year old granmother is in a nursing home. She is blind due to two strokes that have also limited her mobility. Her mind is excellent and she loves good company to talk with. It saddened me when I stopped for a brief visit and she said she enjoyed the visit because conversation helps her to feel alive, she doesn't get much otherwise. I have since made it a point to stop regularly to tell her what I am doing with my day. She loves to hear about the garden and often shares stories that certain vegetables remind her of. I think get just as much from the visit as she does. If I would make a list of things that would become well known for a friendly and peaceful lifestyle, visiting nursing homes and talking to a few residents would be one that list. Peace!

And now for the revealing of the above utensil . . .

Canning hotline, quote, and pizza

I just realized that blogger no longer allows readers to search a blogs and get previous entries. It looks like readers have a ten post window to read it or that's it - no more access to it anymore. There is a search feature on the new beta blogger dashboard that allows me to search former posts to bring them up for reference though. Speaking of the new beta blogger... I can no longer comment on your blog if you have not upgraded, however I just finished catching up reading all I usually read. Nice nails Tanya. The soy whipped cream looks gorgeous on that pumpkin smoothie Laura. Kate, sorry your apple dish tasted bad, it sure looked pretty.

OUR FAVORITE AT HOME EASY MEAL - PITA PIZZA:
My pita pizza plate. I took a New Jerusalem organic whole grain pita and topped it with some tasty yums including some leftover white chedda' and broiled.... a fast fix and one of our family favorites. I quartered my pizza, placed a salad with Balsamic dressing in the center, and garnished with dried currants. The yums this time included 1/2 a Lightlife zesty Italian s'sage thinly sliced into rounds and canned sliced mushrooms.

LUNCHBOX (pita pizza round 2): For the lunch box I cut a pita in half and wrapped it separate. The sliced s'sage, sauce, and cheez were put into a container to be heated, stirred and added to the inside of the pita. The currants (like little raisins) were in a separate small container and the salad was sprinkled with sunflower seeds in a slightly larger round container. The sauce gets a small container of it's own so it can be dipped or added right before eating, soggy salad greens are yucky. My favorite dressing is a balsamic vinegrette (like Newman's lite brand, but I make my own). Dave and the kids like a Ranch style dressing best ... have both and each family member will feel like you love them best. :)

I also found another great lunchbox tool. They are bendable ice blankets to fit in your box any way you need them to. Here is a LINK TO AMAZON so you can see them, but I got mine at a grocery store for 99 cents a blanket.

FAMILY LIFE RESOURCE:
Professional consumer and family scientists answer questions about child development, cleaning, consumer management, food preparation, food preservation, food safety, home environment, household equipment, nutrition, textiles and laundry.

Families Extension Answer Line WEBSITE

CANNING:
That would include canning. I am canning salsa today.

I called the hot line listed above today and asked about which method of canning would be required to process apple pie filling using wheat flour. I discovered wheat flour is not recommended because it will break down and not maintain it's thickness. WOW! Glad I called I had two jars with lots of work in dicing apples ready to go - what a waste of work that would have been. CLEAR JEL is recommended for canning. Freeze your favorite apple pie filling recipe if you must use wheat.... okay, I know and now you know too.

Here's a canning idea of a different color:










On the left is TVP chucks/ strips (chik'n style and B*fy strips). On the right.... gourmet rice blend and black eyed peas... both fully cooked in the jar, I added the grains and peas raw, salt, and hot water. I cooked all 1 hour 30 minutes just to be VERY safe, a pint with legumes usually requires 1 hr 15 minutes. The rice was sticky, but very edible. I like the B**fy strips. I get them from Country Life Natural Foods, see link at my side bar. I want to try their soy curls sometime, I've seen others rave about them, but that will wait until I need to place another order.
USES:
Here I added b**fy strips and the canned gourmet rice to a lettuce and cabbage salad drizzled with balsamic dressing. I like that all I had to do was open the jar. I was also thinking the strips would make some great fajitas as well as a good stir-frt with broccoli.

I wouldn't rate my salad wonderful, but for a change and the ability to try something new ... it worked! It could use a little shredded carrot and sliced black olives for color. :)

A QUOTE TODAY: To cook is to create create and to create , well .... is an act of integrity and faith. I think I read this on some monk bread baking site a few years ago, the author was unknown. I like it, thanks unknown author!

Lunch Box, Canning, and Family

School has started. We have a lunch box to share with you today!

TODAY'S VEGAN LUNCH:
Organic Multi-grain bread with Bryanna's Vegan Chedda' Cheese, YVES Veggie Brats meatless zesty italian sliced into rounds and broiled until the top was set and somewhat cripsy (although it does't stay crispy it holds together well and you can eat it cleanly). I used Bryanna's vegan "cheddar" which calls for tahini and irish moss powder, but this recipe is from a subscriber only newsletter, so I will post a link to Bryanna's free archives for cheesy sauce that I have used for this purpose before. We do like the tahini recipe better. It does melt and when chilled it firms again, the flavor is awesome.

This is served with a side salad, Bryanna's vegan ranch dressing, and romaine/purple cabbage/ shredded carrot salad. I found some vegan carob chip cookies in the freezer so she also got a couple of those stuck in at the last minute (not pictured). We froze a container of Capri sun juice to serve the useful dual purpose of ice pack.

Bryanna’s REAL RANCH DRESSING, VEGANIZED

Makes 1 cup

1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise
1/2 T. lemon juice plus soymilk or nut milk to make 1/2 c.
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder or granules
1/8 tsp. onion powder
pinch dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Place in a covered container or jar and refrigerate for several hours before using.

CANNING:

I also canned last night. Using the tomatoes that are ripening in our garden I made spaghetti sauce and Sicilian Style Split Pea Soup. These require a pressure canner and 1 1/2 hours at 10 lb's of pressure. I have raved about my Presto 23 quart pressure canner in previous posts. I still love it and have no complaints.

For meals away Matthew took a package of instant noodles and a homecanned jar of "browned meety TVP strips for Brown and noodles - an easy fast supper. Good bread and mom canned lentil stew was another ready made, just toast and earth balance the bread. He will stop and get some lettuce and dressing from the store to have there also. This weekend we will have to plan ahead for his meals next week. It's really wonderful to have the soups and TVP strips canned ready for use because they can travel and sit without refrigeration (until they get opened).

Both recipes here were inspired by Bryanna Clark Brogan's cookbooks. I used Brian's Wine- Free Mushroom Tomato Sauce on page 44 of the Nonna's Italian Kitchen Coookbook. I did add 1 cup of TVP granules and 2 tsp Bill's Best Beffy flavored boullion powder to this. I reduced the cooking time since the TVP soaks up some of the extra liquid which does not need to evaporate during the long simmer process... I also only simmed for about 1 1/2 hours since I knew I would pressure can it and it would cook for another 1 1/2 hours there.

The Sicilian Style Split Pea Soup recipe came from Bryanna's Fiber For Life Cookbook, page 93. The recipe calls for 1 c split peas and macaroni, I use only split peas and use a whole 1 lb bag... all other ingredients stay the same. The soup was brought to a boil, cooked for 10 minutes and then placed in jars. I made 3 quart and 5 pint jars by doubling the recipe (I have a 23 quart pressure canner). The canning time would require 1 hour 15 minutes for the pint and 1 hour 30 minutes for the quart on both the split pea soup and the pasta sauce, so I did both of them together for the 1 hour and 30 minutes. At the end of the process time I was tired so I removed the canner from the heat and went to bed. This morning the canner had cooled, so I opened it, took the jars out , set then on a towel to rest for a few more hours (undisturbed), and cleaned up everything else ... all is well. A friend who has pressure canned for years said that she has done the "t tired to wait gotta get some sleep" time for years and has never had a problem, the food is the same. I did it previous with lentil stew and TVP strips, there was no difference.

FAMILY LIFE:
Melissa is the school crossing guard (and I am her backup). She was pretty happy that she got a $2 an hour raise. It is an exceptional raise, considering that she works one hour a day. She now has a school license and can drive herself to the crosswalk and then to school. A boy named Victor has also been calling quite regularly. He seems to be respectful and she says they are just friends. I am glad this friend lives more than an hour away from us. Watching my babies grow up is exciting and wonderful as well as a little sad. She seems to have matured alot this summer as she was working at the church summer camp where she met alot of interesting and friendly people.

One thing that really tickles my fancy is that she takes lunch during school days and I am really looking forward to packing these come September when I will be eating at the school for 12 weeks. STAY TUNED... the Harvey family version of vegan lunchbox. :) Melissa is enrolled part-time for SpanishII, Algebra I, and Anatomy class. She continues on in piano, drum, and singing lessons as well as is practicing up on the ability to test for 1st degree TKD black belt sometime this year. Iowa's laws towards homeschooling / dual enrollment are friendly. Even in my rural area, although there are NO programs or helpful things like many bigger cities have, this option allows our family the best of both worlds and maximizes our freedom of choice.

Matt starts his first day today in a big city 1 1/2 hours away. He left today, will stay at grandpa's tonite, and will be back tommorrow for supper. I hope to have a special celebratory supper with movies and fun chatter. Although I am sitting here typing for my blog, I feel almost exhausted like I am coordinating some big event. I think it must be mom emotional baggage. Hugs to moms who are exercising faith as their babies venture out into the world this month.

I end with another Matthew cooking event ... here he is with his first attempt at making Vegan with A Vengance orange scones. We liked the scones idea, but the orange zest flavor was very bold, we didn't like that. Matthew took one bite and didn't eat anymore of these due to the orange zest flavor... the rest of us did with the frosting.

Cherry Almond Muffins and tagged

Here's a picture of the muffins Melissa made for me. They are a bit smaller than what I would have done because she made 18 out of a recipe I make 12 from. She followed the 2/3 "rule", I don't with these muffins and for me they always rise into perfect little dome tops ... that doesn't always happen, but it does with this recipe. I got the idea for these from VwaV cookbook. I like many of the recipes in this book, but am unhappy with white flour and sugar. For a breakfast muffin I wanted it to be a bit more fibrous and hearty, so I combined the idea of this recipe with a favorite recipe of Bryanna's that we love (Almond Crumb Cakes). The end result became ...

Dori 's Birthday Cherry Almond Muffins
I do not add almonds to the muffin batter, but these are topped with a sweet crunchy almond topping. They were grand and I think I will ask for them next year too.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine Wet Mix in a small mixing bowl:
1 3/4 cup vanilla soymilk (or add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar OR same amount lemon juice
2 tsp almond extract
3/4 tsp KAL brand stevia extract powder (you can try another brand, but the results will probably not be the same... I notice a "stevia" taste when I use other brands

Combine Dry Mix in a medium mxing bowl:
1 1/2 cup spelt flour OR same amount unbleached organic all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Combine the wet mix into the dry mix, stir until just mixed - do not over mix. Then stir in:
1- 1 1/4 cups pitted and quartered Sweet Cherries (note change from original publish)

Crumble Topping:
1/3 C slivered almonds
1/4 C unbleached sugar or sucanat
1/4 C whole wheat pastry OR spelt flour
2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance or preferred margarine

Fill 12 non stick (I use I CARE brand) parchment paper type muffin cups full, 18 for the size muffins pictured but I prefer 12. Comine the almond crumble top ingredients and spoon 1 Tbsp of this over each of 12 muffins OR divide evenly if making 18 muffins. Bake 18-22 minutes (until toothpick test done). Use the shorter time if making 18 muffins, the longer of making 12.

We also ate sandwiches and blackened tofu salads this weekend. Here you see my firm tofu slices sauting on a hot flat griddle pan. I like to cook mine with onions. I did marinate the tofu before cooking on the non-stick. I also like to slice it thinner like this so that it absorbs more flavor. I often use the marinade as a cooking liquid, over the hot heat the tofu soaks up more of the marinade flavor.

We often eat our meals like this. Dave prefers sandwiches (sourdough bread in this meal topped with a savory mushroom sauce) while I prefer salads (yellow pepper, red tomatoes, blckened tofu/mushroom/onions topped with a few slivers of almond). Matt often likes everything separate... protein, bread toasted, and then fruit and/or green salad on the side. Melissa varies between sandwiches and salad. I have found the family to be happier at meals when I have "eating options" then we all feel like the meal is designed for us.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying what is considered the last part of summer. The peppers, tomatoes, and canteloupe in the picture at the side were grown in our garden.


I have been tagged by kunsjoi, the computer engineer and future door to door soymilk salesman. This tag is to allow me to share 5 favorite quotes with you. There is a list here and I chose five from this list.

"Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing."

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

"Working in the garden...gives me a profound feeling of inner peace."

Ruth Stout

"Frugality without creativity is deprivation."

Amy Dacyczyn

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Critic as Artist

and at last...
this one seems appropriate for my blogger land friends.

"I have you and even if we never meet or ever see each other, we have left our thumbprints in the thick, moist clay of each other's lives."

Hugh Elliott, Standing Room Only weblog, May 6, 2003