My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

Holly Yzquierdo

Meal Plan Monday: No Nonsense in November

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I really enjoyed October’s Vegan Month of Food, a.k.a Vegan MoFo but I admit I got a bit burned out. I wasn’t eating as well as I should to feel great. There were many days that time with my family took a back seat so I could continue blogging and fulfill my commitment of 20 posts last month. I finally came to my senses and realized time with my family was way more important than pounding out another recipe.

The Virtual Vegan Potluck was another fun event. I brought Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. They were a virtual hit; I also took them to several events where they were adored! To check out other recipes visit Vegan Bloggers Unite and make your way through appetizers, beverages, breads, salads, sides, soups, main dishes and finally desserts.

During the month’s of November and December I hope to stay family focused. I also want to focus on nourishing our bodies, not just filling them up. This takes planning; it will not happen without effort. I will still be blogging and sharing recipes so I don’t think you’ll have time to miss me. I also have my last Healthy Cravings of the year this week.

No Nonsense Meal Plan

Breakfast will be oatmeal, breakfast quinoa, toast with nut butter and fruit and cereal on busy days. We also have leftover whole wheat and gluten-free pancakes.

Lunch is usually leftovers or a nice soup. Sometimes I’ll make a quick pasta for my kids or an easy almond butter sandwich.

Snacks are usually fruit or sometimes a parfait with chia “sprinkles” and walnuts. My little guys love these parfait’s. They also love green smoothies and will remain completely silent until they have consumed the whole thing… marvelous!

Dinner requires a bit more effort. I’m also prepping for Healthy Cravings so I’ll be cooking all week for that. I’m hoping to incorporate the same ingredients to make it a bit easier on me and my budget. This week I’m planning to make a Vegan Shepard’s Pie, attempt a new Mexican inspired casserole (hopefully a 1 dish meal), maybe a veggie soup and of course a full Thanksgiving Spread for Thursday’s Healthy Cravings. You can follow me on Pinterest to see what other idea’s I’m kicking around.

If you are like me and continually on a quest for more recipes (or at lease recipe inspiration) make sure you check out the Virtual Vegan Potluck you can even vote for your favorite recipe for each course by sending a message to Annie. You don’t even have to vote for me (unless you really want too) but please vote. Check out those details here.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

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Welcome to My Plant-Based Family! Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you are enjoying the Virtual Vegan Potluck. If you stopped by my page and aren’t quite sure what I’m talking about you are in for a treat. Over 100 bloggers are each “bringing” a dish to the potluck today. Just follow the links at the end of this post or click here to start at the beginning.

We have been eating a plant-based diet for 1 year. Last spring we found out my youngest son’s skin issues were the result of gluten. Thankfully he doesn’t have to miss out on delicious baked goods. I’m happy to report that this recipe is kid tested and approved! Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you, this recipe is easily made with pantry staples. If you don’t need to eat gluten-free but really want a delicious pumpkin filled treat check out the Pumpkin Bread or these Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Vegan)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
  • 1/2 cup Potato Starch
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 ripe banana (I defrosted a frozen banana)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 15 oz can of pumpkin or 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup rice milk
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Do

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F and prepare your muffin pan, I use non-stick cooking spray (the only time I ever use oil).
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl, except optional chocolate chips.
  3. Mix all wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until mixed well.
  5. If using chocolate chips, add now.
  6. Scoop batter into muffin tins until almost full.
  7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. If making mini muffins bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Serve

These muffins are delicious and quite possibly the most delicious gluten-free muffin I’ve ever tasted.  They are perfect for a snack, but could also be eaten for breakfast or if you add chocolate chips a decadent dessert. Most of the gluten-free baking I’ve done doesn’t taste so great the next day but these pass the two-day test with flying colors. I’m taking them to a baby shower this weekend, if I can keep by kids from eating them all.

If you are looking for more gluten-free muffin recipes check out these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins or Gluten-Free Apple Muffins.

Please continue through the potluck, after all you don’t want to miss a single dish do you?

Nutty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

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Sometimes I get stuck in a breakfast rut. As the seasons change I find myself craving new flavors and textures. Oatmeal is the perfect vehicle to test out my newest ideas whether I add fresh fruit and berries or dried fruit with seed and nuts.

This morning my thoughts drifted back to my childhood and the single serving packets of Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal I remember eating. I’m sure that oatmeal was better than the Count Chocula I ate regularly, but they were both full of sugar and devoid of nutrients.

Nutty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (An Unrecipe)

Ingredients (amounts will vary depending on your number of servings)

  • Rolled Oats
  • water
  • 1-2 apples, diced
  • cinnamon
  • sweetener (I used maple syrup)
  • walnuts (optional)
  • ground flax (optional)
  • almond slivers (optional)

Do

  1. Bring water and diced apples to boil. Two cups of water for every 1 cup of oats is a general rule.
  2. Add oats and stir regularly.
  3. Once oatmeal is done, add cinnamon and sweetener of your choice.

Serve

I like wait until the oatmeal is put in bowls to add the optional add-ins. Add a side of fruit to round out the meal is always a good idea. 🙂 My kids loved this by the way and I’m willing to bet yours will too. You can also try this with quinoa or brown rice to mix things up a bit.

On a side note, Vegan Month of Food, Vegan MoFo is still under way. I am a few post behind but I’m cutting my self some slack because I’ve been super busy. I had hoped to catch up over the weekend but made the executive decision that my sanity is more important than catching up. 🙂

 

Chocolate Mousse…How I Love Thee

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When I first posted this recipe for Chocolate Mousse it just happened to be on Food Waste Friday and it was right before Valentine’s Day. It really deserved its own post but I tried to do two things at once and always kind of regretted it. With the holidays right around the corner I thought it was only fair to give this delectable recipe it’s very own post. 🙂

avocado Chocolate Mousse

Let me tell you, everyone who has ever tried this has LOVED it! Even people who aren’t normally chocolate lovers LOVE this.

Before you attempt to prepare it make sure your avocados are nice and soft.

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe avocados
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup agave (you could maple syrup or date paste instead)
  • pinch of salt
  • a few drops of vanilla

Do

  1. Open avocados and empty them (minus the pit) into a blender/mixer/food processor.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add half of the cocoa powder and half of the agave along with the salt and vanilla.
  4. Blend until well mixed, taste and add more cocoa powder and agave until it is the flavor you like. You will not taste the avocado.
  5. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve

This could be served with almost any fruit, strawberries make a wonderful accompaniment. I’ve even frosted cupcakes too. I could eat it with a spoon but I’m wild like that. You will not believe something this creamy is dairy-free. For a frozen treat, freeze it by the spoonful (on a plastic spoon). You can also freeze it in a small bowl or cup, just let it defrost for a few minutes before enjoying.

This has a really long shelf life (when refrigerated) probably due to all of the sugar. I have done experiments but it’s safe to say it usually lasts well over a week. If it’s frozen I’d use it within a month. It seems to work best for me when I use my food processor but I have used my Magic Bullet with good results, it just takes longer.

Eating Well

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Last weekend I hopped in the car and drove 1 1/2 hours north through the mountains and arrived in a considerably cooler Payson, AZ for a women’s retreat. I don’t know about you but anytime I travel I get a little nervous about what I’m going to eat.

A few months before the retreat the organizer sent an email asking if anyone had any dietary requirements. I did my best to explain mine but told them I could bring my own food so they wouldn’t have to worry about it. I admit I was a bit nervous at that point. As the weeks went on I’d get emails asking if I could eat this or that. They even sent me a copy of the regular menu and asked about adapting it. I didn’t know it at the time but one of my friends who is also plant-based (and gluten-free) had a meeting to discuss our menu.

The food was awesome. I couldn’t finish my meal regularly because there was so much good food for me to eat. Those who follow me on Facebook got a sneak peek at what I was eating.

Dessert was so good that I never got a picture because those amazing little truffles just kind of hopped in my mouth and into my tummy. I didn’t take my camera so I was doing my best to try to take pictures with my phone. Most of the time I’d start eating then remember to take a picture. Oh well.

When I arrived there was an amazing vegan chili waiting for me. It tasted a lot like my chili. That made me happy! 🙂 We were off to a good start.

The next morning I had brown rice with peanut butter, raisins, maple syrup, and I think almonds. Lunch was a deluxe salad bar with everything you can imagine plus an incredible vegan pear vinaigrette (pictured at the top). Dinner that evening was gluten-free pasta and broccoli.

The last morning there was oatmeal but it was almost gone when I went to breakfast. I didn’t want them to have to cook more but then I heard the words “special granola” they had made it just for the vegans and gluten-free ladies. It was delicious! I want the recipe! They also made us special smoothies that we could barely finish. We were so full from everything else but they tastes so good. I didn’t get any pictures this last day but I have a lot of great memories.

I really enjoyed the non-food elements of the retreat also. I met a bunch of incredible and inspiring women who I feel incredibly blessed to know. There was insightful teaching and activities and dynamic worship times. When I arrived on Friday I only knew a few of the women there and when I left on Sunday I wished I had more time to nurture those new friendships. It was really hard for me to leave my family to get away for a weekend but I’m so glad I did. I only wish I could attend an event like that with my husband.

I was definitely challenged to make Jesus preeminent in my life, to rest and rest in Him. To trust God, exercise faith in Him, and strive to live a life of obedience.

Have you ever gone somewhere and been so well taken care of?

October Healthy Cravings Recap

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Last week I had a great time at my Healthy Cravings group. I kept it much simpler than in September but it worked out well.

I made Chili and Taco Soup. My friend Cara brought over her Vitamix demonstrated making a soup for everyone.

is always a crowd pleaser so I made a batch with chocolate chips and a loaf without. I also made the Pumpkin Cupcakes I shared yesterday. I frosted some with Chocolate Mousse and they disappeared! I always send leftovers home with the ladies who attend. One of the ladies told me when she woke up the next morning all of the banana bread and pumpkin cupcakes she took home were gone and no one would admit to eating them! She also mentioned that her husband really like the Taco Soup.

November’s Healthy Cravings is on the 8th!