Meatless Supper Club Meal #8: Vegetarian Web Sites

This last week we've been experiencing the joys of illness around our house. At any given point there has been at least one person crashed on the couch surrounded by books, blankets, and emitting a quite pitiful sounding cough. There hasn't been a lot of cooking going on thanks to some generous friends who have provided us with meals and all the meals in between have been nothing too glamorous.... think macaroni and cheese......from a box.

I didn't want to pass this week up though with it being the final week of Enviromom's Meatless Supper Club. So I thought I'd share my two favorite vegetarian recipe websites, maybe these will be a new window for you to a whole new catalog of vegetarian dishes.

The first is vegweb. This is a huge collection of recipes, try 13,000+. The recipes are submitted by readers and there are usually tons of comments on each one with tips, suggestions, additions, and general changes that help you to make each recipe just perfect.
If you've got something specific in mind you can search the site by keyword or you can just browse by food category until you find a recipe you can't wait to try. This is a traditionally vegan website, but many of the recipes give options for both vegan and non-vegan preparation, although I've found many of the vegan recipes to be great for even my family of milk, cheese, butter, and egg lovers.


The second website is FatFree Vegan Kitchen. A friend directed me to this the website last year and I've loved every single thing I've ever tried from here. Some of the recipes are a little time consuming, but so far I've found them all to be worth every extra minute in the kitchen. Her directions are always clear and thorough and the recipes have all been flavorful and delicious.
Here is the search page for finding recipes on the site. My all-time favorites are this soup, this holiday favorite, and this late summer treat.

I hope these websites are as helpful to you as they have been to me and that you find some great recipes that you and your family will love. A big thanks to the gals over at Enviromom for joining us all together to share our favorite recipes these last eight weeks!

The Christmas season is right around the corner. If you're on the lookout for gift ideas that allow you more time to cherish the season, more money to give where it counts, and gifts that give in a relational way then come check out the Do-It-Yourself Fair TOMORROW!!

Advent Conspiracy DIY Fair

2830 NE Flanders St
Portland, OR 97232
**Enter through the door at the bottom of the ramp off Flanders**

10am-2pm

And the best part?? It's Free. There will be live music, crafts for the kids, yummy treats and lots of great ideas.

Many of our presenters will have supplies to walk you through the steps of creating gifts right there on the spot. Some will have kits for sale and some might appreciate a small donation to offset their costs. Lunch will also be provided and donations to cover those costs is appreciated too.

Hope to see you there!!



http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Meatless Supper Club Meal #7: Moroccan Vegetable Stew

A few years back I tried my hand at selling Pampered Chef. I loved all the great kitchen stuff I acquired in those few years, but I hated the multi-level marketing gig. It was a less than enjoyable experience, but I did come away with not only super awesome kitchen stuff, but also a new respect for those who can make a home business like that work as well as a ton of awesome recipes that I love.

This Moroccan Vegetable Stew is one of those recipes. It takes about 20 minutes of prep time in the kitchen then another 20 minutes on the stove. And depending on appetites, it serves about 6. I like that this recipe pulls a lot of staple items together in a fresh new way. Gingerroot is just about the only thing I don't usually have on hand when zucchini is in season.

This is super flavorful and filling for the adults in our household. It is best served to the kids with a little bit of careful arrangement on my part. As long as no sauce infects the beloved plain rice they will happily partake of the carrots, zucchini, garbanzo beans, and raisins with all their blended flavors included.

I'm loving all the recipes being posted over at Enviromom, check out a whole bunch of new ones every Friday. I hope you enjoy the Moroccan Stew.

What you need:
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchini
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 in. piece peeled fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cans (14oz each) vegetable broth (or equivalent broth made from bouillon)
1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups hot cooked couscous or rice
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Toasted slivered almonds (optional)



What you do:
1. Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then slice into thin slices. Set aside.
Chop onion. Peel gingerroot and finely chop.

2. Heat oil in large (4 qt) skillet over medium until hot. Add onion, gingerroot, pressed garlic, curry powder and cinnamon. Cook and stir 3 minutes.

3. Stir in flour. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, carrots and zucchini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in raisins. Remove from heat. Serve with couscous or rice. Sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Book Review: White Picket Fences

Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

White Picket Fences is a raw, emotional, and spellbinding book full of tangible characters and realistic family relationships. The story is told through the viewpoint of a different character in each chapter. In doing this the author is able to delve deep into the experiences and emotions of a number of main players in the story instead of just one.

This book is a story about family. It is about the past and how it affects the present. It is about pain and whether or not it is best to allow pain and trauma to remain hidden or reveal it to the light. It is about the relationships between parents and their children. It is a story of love between a man and a woman. And it is a story about friendship and trust.

There are many secrets in the story. Some secrets are fresh while others remain from generations past. Some of these secrets will be revealed and wrestled with in the opening chapters and others remain buried until the final pages. It is a captivating story that holds your attention cover to cover.

Click here to find out more about this book.

Camera Strap Cover

I often drool over all the fun camera straps on Etsy. They are so cute and unecessary that I feel I must have one. However, they are also expensive and as I mentioned, unecessary. It also doesn't help that my husband would probably be less than thrilled to be using a camera with a highly decorative strap. Even if I went with something contemporary and non-feminine I'm just not sure what he would think about that.

Enter the camera strap cover. The downside is that you have to unhook one side of the strap to get it on and off which is kind of inconvenient. The plus side is that it was cheap and easy to make myself. Actually it was free, because I found everything I used in my scrap pile. And if we're going somewhere and my husband really doesn't want to be seen using such a bright and fun camera strap he can just slip it off. It's also a nice bright way of finding where I've left the camera in the pile of electronics that tends to amass on our desk.

***Now I just need to learn to take better pictures.***

Meatless Supper Club Meal #6 - SW Sweet Potato Chickpea Casserole

There are tons of reasons to love this recipe. First of all it's super quick to put it together. It takes a while to bake (a little over an hour) but only about 10 minutes of active work by you! Aside from a sweet potato I usually have all the other ingredients in the cupboards, so it doesn't require extra grocery store excursions. Plus it is super easy to double or triple the recipe and it freezes really well. I always at least make a double batch and save one dish for the following week.

It's pretty simple to adjust the spices based on the taste of your family. The little mouths in our family tend to prefer things not so spicy so we rarely add the red peppers and if we do we just add a tiny bit. Of course you could always go the other way and add some extra zing as well. The chickpeas are my kids favorite element to this dish so we sometimes add an extra handful.

This dish has always gotten a big thumbs up from parents and kiddos alike. It has even been requested by friends, vegetarians and meat lovers. It's a nice alternative dish when you are looking for a Southwest flavor.

Check out the Meatless Supper Club over at Enviromom for more delicious meal ideas.



Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 jar salsa
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 1/2 cups crushed yellow corn tortilla chips
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup cheese, grated (any variety of cheddar will do)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients; reserve a small handful of cheese. Spread into a shallow casserole dish. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, stir, and top with remaining cheese. Bake another 20 minutes or so, until the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. (Watch carefully, as the top will get crispy fairly quick, and you may need to stir occasionally to prevent burning.)

If desired, sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro right before serving.

Book Review: Limelight

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it's too late to change.

This book is both hilarious and full of heartache. Throughout the book there are stories that give you a glimpse into the highs and lows of the characters pasts. There are also plenty of opportunities to observe the ups and downs of their lives in the present and snapshots of what their future might hold.

The main character Claudette is absolutely entertaining and mesmerizing. As the characters begin to unfold in the story you begin to attach to them, to root for their success and to feel their emotions. There are both successes and failures throughout the book that you begin to feel a part of as you begin to know and understand the characters.

There is much to learn from Claudette in this story no matter what your age. Her questions, the things she must learn about, and the preconceived notions that she must find a way to put aside are lessons that all people can relate to no matter what stage of life you are in.

If you are interested in this book visit this site to find out more.