Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.
Don’t change the channel, this is the right place. Welcome to the new look for My Plant-Based Family. I’m looking to change things up a bit and make this place a little more user-friendly.
I’ll still be here with Meal Plans, recipes, and a few of my favorite tips for plant-based living.
We really enjoyed last week’s Soup Week. It was probably the most delicious week we have had in a while.
We didn’t do our normal weekly grocery trip this weekend, I’m sure we will have to go at some point this week but my hope is it use up odds and ends to save a little money and avoid another shopping trip. We will have to run out for more fruit. We are down to two bunches of bananas, a dozen apples, and 2 oranges along with a few other splurge items. That wont last long around here.
Breakfast will be a little different this week. We normally have oatmeal most days but we are almost out so I’ll be mixing it up a bit. We will probably have pancakes, baked sweet potatoes, Breakfast Quinoa, and maybe even cereal.
Lunch will be leftovers most days. My kids like almond butter sandwiches a lot, I usually serve them with sliced apples. I’ve been craving salads since the last Healthy Cravings so I may have a few gargantuan Italian salads. I may even make a pot of soup too to use up the veggies I don’t really like eating plain, like celery.
Snack is usually fruit. Apples, bananas, and oranges are typically available but right now I also have a lovely pineapple and blueberries. We may have smoothies too because I have a big bag of kale.
Dinner may be a little tougher without making a trip to the store. I love breakfast for dinner. Last week I made Breakfast Tacos for a potluck and everyone loved them. I’ve been daydreaming about those tacos ever since. I’d love to do a Chickpea-Quinoa Stir Fry too, maybe even add a little of that pineapple. I’m in the beginning stages of coming up with a sautéed mushroom and lentil dish, I’m still trying to decided what I want to serve it over, maybe potatoes or rice but I’d really like a more interesting (and GF) option. If I really get creative we may have homemade GF pizza. I haven’t made gluten-free pizza before but I’d like to give it a try soon. I have a medium-sized pot of beans soaking now so I’ll be making something with those as well.
If these new recipes turn out I’ll be sharing them, if not…well just forget I mentioned it.
What are you eating this week? I like trying new things and mixing and matching different ingredients I think (hope) will taste good together. During the day I’m content with eating the same thing most days but in the evening I want variety. What about you?
A week or so ago I started a new Facebook group called Plant-Based Christians. I have received a lot of email from people who are both Christians and plant-based and they were looking for resources and support. I really didn’t know of a group or forum that shared both interest so I decided to start a group on Facebook.
While most of my post are focused on plant-based eating, my life is driven by my faith. I can’t compartmentalize my faith; it may or may not be evident by my writing. I try (and fail) to be an ambassador of Christ and an ambassador of healthy living.
If you are a Christian and looking for a little plant-based support check out our group Plant-Based Christians.
There are a lot of other groups out there without religious affiliations. I’m a member of two of the Happy Herbivore groups, Herbie Parents and Gluten-free Herbies, and The Veganauts. Everything in the Happy Herbivore groups are under the Happy Herbivore umbrella so it is low-fat (no oil) and no animal products. The Veganaut group is more inclusive and open to those who are not quite committed to a plant-based lifestyle but still looking for support.
Do you know of another group that is supportive? Leave a comment below telling us about it.
I almost forgot to share all of the deliciousness that happened at the last Healthy Cravings.
I admit that I was a little nervous, I didn’t know if everyone would like their favorite Italian comfort foods adapted into healthy plant-based versions. I didn’t want to create recipes that were merely “less toxic” than the originals, I wanted them to be truly nourishing. I’ve shared most of the recipes previously and I have a few more I’ll share in the coming weeks.
I want to mention that almost everything was gluten-free. I have several gluten-free ladies who typically attend but if gluten isn’t an issue for you whole grain noodles could easily be substituted. Also I forgot to take pictures of everything before we ate but I got a few leftover shots.
We started the evening with Bruschetta. Half was served on toasted French Baguette and the other half on gluten-free crackers.
Next was soup and salad. This is my new favorite salad by the way! I used a variety of lettuces and greens, pepperoncini’s , olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and red onion. I don’t even need a dressing with this, but I served a homemade oil-free dressing that everyone loved. Can you believe I can’t find the recipe? It’s true, I remember what’s in it but not the amounts so I’ll make it again today and post it soon.
I served Minestrone Soup that was glorious, it may have been the favorite of the evening. I’ve always gotten good reviews from it. I bought new Italian seasoning and I have to say it has a bit more “kick” than my previous seasoning. I may have used less had I known it’s potency.
Before
After
Everyone LOVED the Lasagna! One friend wasn’t able to attend that night but has since made it for her family and they really enjoyed it. Initially she was skeptical and is a self-proclaimed snob when it comes to Italian food but she was pleasantly surprised and plans to add it to her meal rotation.
This isn’t your typical Mac & Faux Cheese. Yes it is still carbalicious but I’m not afraid of carbs. It has potatoes and cauliflower that add veggies and creaminess without the dairy or oil you would typically get in Mac & Cheese. I added a little too much potato the night of Healthy Cravings and it really muted the cheesiness of the nutritional yeast, I should have added more but I didn’t. The reviewers didn’t love this dish as much as the lasagna. My 2 year old couldn’t get enough. Most of the attenders are still eating dairy and haven’t completely transitioned to a plant-based diet. As I warn in the recipe this is better for dairy-free people. If you are used to eating dairy or boxed Mac & Cheese this will not tantalize your taste buds the same way. If you are plant-based I think you will like it, feel free to dress it up or add other vegetables.
I didn’t serve this with peas or mushrooms at Healthy Cravings but you get the idea.
We also had Happy Herbivore’s Fettuccine Alfredo. I have made this numerous times and it has always been fantastic. Until the night of Healthy Cravings. I couldn’t find the kind of tofu I normally use so I tried a different brand and it was a bust. I’m sure it scared everyone away from vegan alfredo. We don’t normally use tofu or soy, maybe a few times a year but this alfredo is (usually) worth it. Maybe that is a good lesson, you can’t let one bad experience scare you away from something.
We finished off the evening by enjoying coffee and dessert. I have to thank my Dad for giving me a Keurig for Christmas, everyone loved the coffee, especially trying the So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer in original and French Vanilla. They also loved the gluten-free Biscotti I made. It wasn’t as crisp as traditional biscotti but the flavor was great. I plan to give it another go and share the recipe soon.
Now you can imagine you were here with us! Next months food theme is Breakfast! I’ll also pay a little more attention to breakfast on the blog for the month of March.
