Two-Fer

Last Sunday was Father's Day and also our 13-year wedding anniversary. Lucky #13!

We enjoyed a patio beer at ABGB, then I made some chili. I will forever and always use the Appetite for Reduction chili recipe, it is the ultimate chili. I sub lentils for the beans.

I also baked some sweet potato tater tots and made some cheezy sauce (also from Appetite for Reduction) so that we could assemble...drumroll...chili cheese tots! OK, I thought this was an appropriately manly Father's Day meal, but I was also super excited about it myself. I had never had chili cheese tots before. They were pretty darn good.

After stuffing ourselves, we spent the evening at an inflatable play center, letting the kids run out their energy while we chilled at a table.

Chili Time of Year

This morning Olivia and I checked out storytime at the new Whole Foods. They handed out fruit bars and drink boxes, and did crafts afterward, so Olivia gave the whole experience a thumbs up.

After picking up a Red Rabbit Bakery vegan glazed donut and Blue Monkey coconut water, as well as Olivia's free piece of fruit, we moseyed outside and Olivia played on the little playground for a bit.

Tonight I made a big pot of lentil veggie chili. It is October; there should be a pot of chili on the stove. Even if it is still 85 degrees out.

Tony loves cornbread with his chili, so I made the Appetite for Reduction scallion cornbread.

There's supposed to be a cold front coming tonight, so let's hope this chili serves as a good luck charm and we see some actual autumn weather soon!

Roller Skating

Today I took Jackson and Olivia roller skating for the first time. Here they are, all blurry in their excitement to get out on the floor.

Tentative first steps.

Confession time: I don't know how to roller skate! And I'm kind of afraid I would break an ankle if I try to learn now (I'm not the most graceful mama in the world.)  So I stayed in my street shoes and held Olivia's hand as we made our way around the rink.

She didn't need much hand-holding. This girl is fearless.

It was raining when we left the skating center, so a nice big pot of veggie chili sounded perfect for dinner.

Appetite for Awesome Food

After the "holiday indulgence" (i.e. constantly stuffing food in my face) of November and December, January is a time to scale it down a bit. But, I refuse to exist on iceberg lettuce and yogurt. Here a couple of this week's dinners, both from Appetite for Reduction.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili. This is my new go-to chili recipe. The flavor is spot-on and I love that it contains way more vegetables than your standard chili. Hello, corn, carrots, green pepper and zucchini! Get in my tummy now. As I'm allergic to black beans, I substituted chickpeas. The Fresh Corn & Scallion Cornbread was a perfect accompaniment.

Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower & Spinach. Again, amazing flavor. Making your own sauce instead of using store-bought makes all the difference, and it takes only a few seconds to stir garlic and spices into a can of crushed tomatoes.

 

The spinach goes in raw, absorbs the sauce while the lasagna cooks, and turns all velvety and yum.

Blackberries are certainly light and healthy, as well as being cheap this time of year. Which makes a certain little girl very happy!

National Chili Day

Apparently today is National Chili Day. Here is a batch I made with French lentils, topped with oyster crackers and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar. I always enjoy a good bowl of veggie chili. Do you have a favorite chili recipe?

Super Bowl & Urban Vegan Tester #15

Happy Monday, amigos y amigas. Did you watch the Super Bowl last night? I don't really follow football, but somehow I always end up watching the Super Bowl.  There's always the $3 million dollar commercials to keep me entertained...What did those of you not from Michigan think of the Eminem Chrysler ad? It made me proud of my hometown! What was your favorite commercial? Were you cheering for a certain team to win? Did you even watch the game?

Of course the Super Bowl means beer...or in Tony's case, homemade picklebacks...

And, perhaps most importantly, the Super Bowl means food. My contributions this year included: Shamefully Simple Chickpea Chili, an Urban Vegan tester recipe that is so easy and fast, yet tastes like it has been cooking for a couple of hours. Salsa verde gives it quite a kick.

I also fixed some vegan Rotel queso...

And guac...

I feel silly posting a guac recipe because it's so basic and everyone has their own taste, but here is mine.

Super Bowl...of Guacamole
2 avocados
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
Mash together in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Today I'm just trying to get the energy to face the week. Tony is working a lot of overtime which means long days for me and the kiddos. And of course we're supposed to get more snow tonight!

Hope YOU have a great week, see you tomorrow!

Time for Chili

I love a warm, comforting bowl of chili, even in the summertime. But I am allergic to beans. How can I love chili, then? Here is the answer! (This recipe is adapted from the 3 Bean Veggie Chili recipe in Cooking With the Dead, an adorable little hippie cookbook that I bought in high school when I was first learning to cook.)

Lentil TVP Chili (serves 6-8)
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, uncooked
1 cup TVP, uncooked
6 cups vegetable broth
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir to break up the tomato paste. Turn the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until it looks like it's getting a little dry.

At this point, add 4 cups water and give it another good stir. This is a good time to taste your chili and add additional spices, to your liking. Let it simmer for another 30 minutes or more, and serve.



What to do with leftover chili? How about some chili mac & cheese fries! I wish I could take credit for this awesomely trashy concoction, but it was the special a few days ago at my source for veggie hot dogs, Soul Dog. Their veggie chili contains beans, which makes it off-limits to me. So I had to make my own version of this ultimate comfort food. All that's needed is your favorite mac & cheese recipe (I like The 30 Minute Vegan’s), and some oven fries. Layer it with leftover chili and dig in!