My Plant-Based Family

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

Dairy Free

The Birthday Weekend

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birthday boy and cake

This last weekend one of my son’s turned 4 years old. There have been a lot of birthday’s lately. We have celebrated all 4 of us in the last two months. Additionally, one of our sons that lives in Michigan with his mom just had a birthday and turned 14.

Without Frosting
Without Frosting

For the actual celebration we went out for pizza then came home for birthday cake. We have a local pizza place that makes gluten-free pizza so even my 2 year old can have pizza too. My 4 year old ate 3 big pieces of pizza and wanted more but we told him to save it for the next day.

With Store Bought FrostingIt was a Birthday afterall
With Store Bought Frosting
It was a Birthday after all

There was a lot of discussion on Facebook about the Gluten-Free and Vegan Chocolate Cake. I’ll be sharing the recipe next week. I think it is a keeper. I sent the recipe out to several testers but I’m still waiting for their feedback.

bday present

My son got to pick out his present from us but was very happy to open a present from his Grandpa. My son LOVES his presents!

river

We had a lot of fun on Saturday too. We went out to the river, the weather was warm, and we all had a great time. My husband regularly takes the boys out there for a picnic but this was the first time they brought me.

river

river

river

river

river

river

river,

At one point we heard a thundering noise, I noticed the other families were looking behind us. All of the sudden two horses came running down the embankment and crossed the river. The horses were very close, I ran over the boys but they weren’t fazed, apparently wild horses showing up isn’t a big deal to them.

river

The boys went back out to the river on Sunday too. It is their new favorite place. Pretty soon the crowds will take over so I’m glad they have been able to enjoy it.

 

Mac & Cheese, Gluten-Free and Vegan

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Mac & Cheese

I’ve been wanting to make a gluten-free, dairy-free Mac & Cheese that is actually healthy. Now that I have I’m already thinking of other ideas to spice it up. I plan to serve this at my next Healthy Craving group. If you aren’t concerned with gluten you can use regular whole wheat pasta.

Mac & Cheese (Gluten-free and Vegan)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups gluten-free noodles (uncooked)
  • 2 cups raw cauliflower (diced into small pieces)
  • 1 recipe Faux Cheese Sauce
  • Cooked potatoes, peeled (I used two small red potatoes peeled) plus water

Do

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Cauliflower can be steamed separately or cooked with the noodles.
  3. Prepare Faux Cheese Sauce
  4. Mash potatoes, adding water until a smooth texture is reached.
  5. Pour noodles and cauliflower into an 8×8 casserole dish.
  6. Add potatoes to the prepared cheese sauce and whisk well.
  7. Pour cheese sauce into noodles and gently stir until noodles are well coated.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve

This looks like very involved dish but it really isn’t that hard. The most difficult part for me is paying attention to the cheese sauce that needs to be whisked continuously. I served this alone but it could easily be a side dish.

While we enjoyed this if you are still hooked on regular ol’ dairy filled mac and cheese you may not be ready for this. It definitely tastes like nutritional yeast. My two-year old loved it. He had 3 servings! I’ve never been a big mac and cheese fan but I liked it too. I wouldn’t try to pull a switcheroo on my teenagers but if you are raising plant-based kids give this a try, they may just find a new favorite.

And now for a few pictures…

mac and cheese

mac and cheese

This kid was really trying to take over my photo shoot. He is pretty hard to resist!

Do you miss Mac & Cheese or have you found an acceptable version since changing your diet?

Meal Plan Monday: The Week of Experimentation

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This week I’ll be experimenting with a lot of new recipe ideas. I hope I didn’t get your hopes up and make you think I was talking about scuba diving, rappelling, or wind surfing. I have done all of those things, but not recently. My idea of a good time is far less adventuresome these days.

Parfaits

Meal Plan

Breakfast is still oatmeal. No, I’m not tired of it yet; I change it up daily. It is the best way for me to get my omega 3s in early. If I don’t I usually don’t get them. Plus my boys love oatmeal and cheer when I made it. Some mornings I may have toast with almond butter and apple slices.

Lunch is usually leftovers but we are a little bare in that department right now. I’ll make extra for dinner this week so we acquire some. I also plan to have veggie stuffed pitas for me and almond butter sandwiches for my boys. Bean and grain bowls are easy to throw together too.

Snack will be fruit, parfaits, or smoothies. I haven’t been eating near enough fruit lately so I want to focus on intentionally eating more.

Dinner will be new recipes. This weekend I created a delicious plant-based lasagna that I’ll post soon. Monday I made an incredible soup with brown rice, black beans, green chilis, and cilantro. My husband didn’t get any because he had a dinner to attend, I was supposed to go but I was sick and so was my babysitter. Double Whammy! I’ll be making a much larger pot of it again tomorrow and hopefully I’ll get some better pictures. I took a few on my phone and posted them to Facebook but it was too dark and I was too hungry to spend any more time on it. I plan to take a swing at a Baked Mac and No Cheese. I have a specific vision in mind for this so I’m really hoping it turns out well. I will probably cook one other big meal but I don’t know what it is yet. I have some black-eyed peas soaking so it may involve them but I’ll also make more beans this week.

spaghetti squash
My First Attempt at Spaghetti Squash

I did some experimenting last week too. I made spaghetti squash for the first time. It was ok but I had forgotten why I stopped making spaghetti. It is too messy for a two-year old! I’ll stick to small noodles for a while. I also made a chocolate swirl banana bread that was pretty good but I was going for more of a coffee cake. I plan to tweak it more before I share it with the world. Lastly, I made my first tofu scramble. I know, I don’t use tofu. You’re right I don’t but I do like to try new things and I had some left from making Somer’s Ranch Dressing. My boys loved the scramble. I didn’t eat it because I had just had dental work and opted for Potato Soup. I don’t think the scramble will make it into our regular rotation but it may make an appearance every once in a while.

lasagna
Lasagna Side View Before Baking

So you like to try new things, either in the kitchen or in everyday life?

Super Bowl

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I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about the Super Bowl lately but honestly I have no idea who is playing. I do know that it is today and many of you have planned your food already. If you are a bit of a procrastinator you can still show up with great food.

Here are a few of my top picks…

The Best Chili EverThe Chili is completely customizable to suit your spice tolerance. I’ve even had some of the most committed meat eaters sing it’s praise to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus. Make it quickly by using canned beans, canned diced tomatoes, and peppers.Grilled Portobello Burgers and Vegan Potato Salad

If you’d rather have a burger try a Bean Burger or a Portobello Burger. Most grocery stores have something suitable in the freezer section; read the ingredients in because their could be something scary lurking. Potato salad or sweet potato wedges would make a great side dish.

NachosNachos are by far one of the best party foods. Try it with precooked quinoa (it comes in little pouches near the rice) seasoned with taco seasoning, canned refried Beans, then whip up some Faux Cheese Sauce.

Even if you don’t go that far you can still pick up some chips, salsa, and guacamole; yes it is easy but it’s also good.

Strawberry ParfaitOf course you will also need dessert. Try Making a large parfait, it’s easier than making individual cups. A large container of yogurt (I like coconut milk yogurt), fresh berries, and store-bought granola comes together in a few minutes. It makes an impressive presentation in a large clear bowl and you can even add dark chocolate chips for an unexpected indulgence.

large fruit bowlDon’t underestimate the power of a large bowl of fresh fruit. It is beautiful and tasty, more impressive than the customary veggie tray. Mix peanut butter and melted chocolate together (maybe a little maple syrup if needed) to make a delicious fruit dip; label the dip for anyone with peanut allergies.

What are your suggestions for last-minute Super Bowl Food?

Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan Banana Bread

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GF V banana bread 3Yes you read that right. This banana bread is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan. It was moist and delicious. There is only a tiny sliver left and I made it this morning. I did send a good portion of it home with a gluten-free sugar-free pal. I will be making this again.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Refined Sugar Free and Vegan)

Ingredients

  • 1 c sorghum flour
  • 1/2 c brown rice flour
  • 1/4 c potato starch
  • 1/4 c tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 c date paste
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 really ripe bananas, smashed
  • 1/2 c rice milk
  • 1/2 cup optional nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray pan lightly.
  2. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add all of the wet ingredients to a medium mixing bowl.
  4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. (You could stir in the optional nuts or chocolate chips here)
  5. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes.
  6. Insert toothpick to test for doneness.

Serve

This is best eaten same day although it can be frozen for another time. I served this with coffee. It isn’t “dessert” sweet although the chocolate chips may take it up a notch.

GF V Banana Bread 1

Meal Plan Monday

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Garden Salad

Believe it or not I haven’t been doing near enough cooking. To remedy that I plan to do more cooking this week. I’ve already made a BIG pot of beans today. There are so versatile when I need a quick meal. I know they will keep us from hitting the drive-thru.

Meal Plan

Breakfast will be oatmeal most days. I’m really trying to avoid the expense (and nutritional void) of store-bought cereal but I want to mix up a big batch of granola and maybe even some granola bars for those on-the-go mornings. I have busy mornings planned for almost everyday this week so having something I can grab as we run out the door will be a big help.

Lunch will probably be sandwiches as we rush in from those busy mornings. I can get creative with those but my boys don’t really require much creativity. I use gluten-free bread for my youngest and whole grain wheat for me and my almost 4 year old. Peanut butter, almond butter are regulars but I like to use different kind of fruit instead of jelly. We also use apple butter. When I’m in the mood for something different I’ll have a veggie sandwich with hummus. My husband takes leftovers to work most days.

Snack will probably be fruit. I bought blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, and bananas for a good price. I may make smoothies with spinach and some combination of fruit.

Dinner will be a little more labor intensive but my evenings are mostly free this week. Potato Soup will be my soup of choice after I go to the dentist. We plan to make a bunch of bean burritos one evening. Most of the burritos will be frozen for future meals. I have some tomatoes waiting to be made into pico de gallo and avocados waiting to accompany the burritos. Speaking of burritos, this Breakfast Stir Fry makes a filling meal, especially when served in a tortilla. I may also make some Mexican Rice to go along with any leftover beans. Lasagna (GF and vegan) will make an appearance late in the week along with a really colorful salad. If I need any other dinners I’ll make soup, possibly Enchilada Soup.

I’m meeting with a few people this week to help them with their meal plans. I prefer an unstructured meal plan that I can change based on the days events or groceries on hand. I know many people like a more structured meal plan with each meal scheduled. Which style do you prefer and why?