OLE! Mexican Food Night!!!

1st pic = sweating down 3 different types bell peppers, onions, jalapenos and corn
2nd pic = spanish rice with black beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, ground cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika and the mixture from #1
3rd pic = TVP with stewed tomatoes, green chili peppers and flavored with ground cumin, garlic, chili powder and paprika.

Serve with hard taco shells and a side dish or all wrapped up in a soft tortilla! You choose!  Fresh lettuce, tomato and avocado work really well with this!

Homemade veggie burgers, rolls and fries!

Burgers...4 cups 1 inch cubed winter squash, finely chopped leeks, onions, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, 1 small bell pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup oats and 3 Tablespoons oil, chili powder and black pepper to taste.  Puree all ingredients except for bread crumbs and oats in blender.  Make patties, dust with flour and fry in light oil until crisp and cooked through.

Rolls...  scroll through to find my bread recipe and make them! LOL!

Fries... if you can't figure that out, you shouldn't be cooking! ;)

This meal took me less than an hour to make and that counts the time for the bread to raise!  There is no reason for people to not eat healthy!

Make the bread ahead of time and freeze it if need be!  The veggie burger "meat" can be made in advance also! Make the patties and freeze them when you have time! Easy Peasy!

Keep it here for more recipes and fun in the future!

Don't forget to smile at a stranger! :)

To help a neighbor

Today there was a gentle knock at our door.  When I opened it, there stood our neighbor looking confused and forlorn.  I greeted her with a smile and said hello.  She burst out with, "I don't know what to do with all of this fresh produce! HELP!"  So I did.

I spent a couple of hours at her place helping her to chop, grate, blanch, puree and freeze most of her produce.  We had a grand time chatting and getting to know one another.  She talked of her children and their accomplishments and how proud she was of all three of them. She loved showing me all of their pictures along with pictures of her grandchildren.  It was wonderful!  We made plans to do it again next week.

When we were finished I returned home and began my daily tasks.  Again, there was a knock on the door and upon opening it I saw the same neighbor with four grocery bags in her hands.  "Here, these are for you." She handed me the bags as she thanked me for my help, smiled and walked away.  It was so nice of her to share this produce with us and was even nicer to see her smile. :)

Tonight, so far, I have made dinner with the bottoms of the four squash. I stuffed them with a mix of rice pilaf, sauteed onions, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, 1 bell pepper and 1 egg plant.  They smell delicious!  I also cut up the remainder of the squash and prepared and froze it!  Four quarts in all!  I am preparing the seeds (that I did not keep to dry and plant next year) to roast them as one would roast pumpkin seeds this evening.  The rest of the produce was put away because I am sure that we will use it within the next couple of weeks.

We need to start doing more of this.  Sharing our time, our knowledge, our laughter and stories and... our produce! :)  I had an amazingly incredible day and am looking forward to next week when we work on the tomatoes and the rest of the peppers! :)

I did not set out today to "earn" anything. I simply wanted to help out a stressed out neighbor.  The rewards were plentiful and I thank her for her contribution to our freezer! <3


Don't forget to smile at a stranger... it's how I met this neighbor! <3

some more homemade goodness

Just thought I would share a pic of one of the many things I make.  These are fun and easy to make! I don't know how to read a pattern so I just make my own.  I wouldn't even know how to begin to explain how I do it either.  I guess that just goes to show that anyone can figure out what they want to do if they want it enough.  I use the instructional videos on youtube A LOT to figure things out.  :)

Time for a bit of selfish promotion I guess.  If interested in the things I create, here's the link to my Facebook page... http://www.facebook.com/OfYesteryear

Hope to see you there!

Don't forget to smile at a stranger! :)

Pumpkin, pumpkin and more pumpkin!

Ever had one of those days when everything just goes right?  I had one today! :)

First of all, I finally got some decent sleep!  RLS kicked my ass until around 5 this morning but I was able to sleep until almost 11!  YAY!

Secondly, my favorite football team, the San Francisco 49ers won!!!  They not only won... they STOMPED the Bills!  Woo Hoo! :)

Next, I spent a couple of hours processing a nice size pumpkin and made pumpkin soup, pumpkin bars, pumpkin/potato hash and froze 3 1/2 quarts of pumpkin for future use!

I baked 2 loaves of bread and 8 garlic/basil rolls.  My boyfriend made a seitan loaf and we had it in sandwiches tonight on the homemade rolls with the hash on the side!  It was absolutely delicious!  And, there are plenty of leftovers for his lunch for the rest of the week!  Oh yeah, we do it right in this house!

So, here's how you make the hash...

Sweat down an entire small onion and 3 garlic cloves, add 4 large diced potatoes and saute on low heat until almost done.  Then, add 2 cups diced pumpkin and stir well and allow to saute until it is tender.  Season to taste (I used basil, fresh shredded ginger, freshly ground black pepper corn and a bit of fresh thyme.)

Oh, and the next time you make iced tea, try putting a few fresh basil leaves in it while you steep it!  It's INCREDIBLE! And, so good for you!

Well, that's all for tonight folks!  Going to watch a movie! I am wiped out after cleaning up the mess from today! Good night kids! Don't forget to smile at a stranger! <3

Vegan Tofu/Veggie Pot Pie

It's that time of year! Yep! Autumn is upon us in just a couple of days so I thought I would share one of my favorite Fall recipes with you! Enjoy! <3

Vegan Tofu and Vegetable Pot Pie
Serves 2

Crust:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Vegan Margarine
Ice water

Filling:
8 ounces firm tofu
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 potato, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F.

The secret to this crust is chilling the ingredients and tools. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and chill in the freezer while you are preparing the filling. Also place a pastry blender or fork in the freezer.

Filling:

Cut tofu into 1/3-inch dice and press between clean kitchen towels or paper towels to rid of excess water.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook tofu until golden on all sides. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent.

Add potato to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until tender.

Add flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to the skillet and stir into the vegetables.

Add vegetable broth and stir until combined.

Add tofu, peas, sage, and thyme and stir until combined.

Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Crust:

Take the supplies out of the freezer.

Using a pastry blender or fork, cut margarine and flour together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Then, using your hands, quickly rub the mixture together so that the margarine is absorbed into the flour.

Gradually drizzle ice water into the bowl, mixing with the pastry blender or fork until the dough just comes together. 1 - 3 Tblspns

Divide the dough in half and quickly shape the dough into balls and flatten into disks. Place on a floured surface a roll out to 1/8 inch thick.

Assemble and Bake

Place a dough round into bottom of pie plate and tuck the sides under to form a thicker crust around the edge. Fill with tofu/veggie mix and add top dough round. Press to seal around the edges of the dishes and crimp with a fork. Cut a slit in the middle.

Bake in the oven until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

My bread recipe

I've used so many bread recipes and couldn't fine one that I liked so, I figured one out! :)  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS:

1 package active dry yeast
1 package quick yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (about 100-110 degrees... just over luke warm)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tblspn vegetable oil
1 tspn salt
7 cups flour of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

Turn on some of your favorite music! It's important! Trust me! :)

Put both packs of yeast and sugar in bowl, add water and stir with wooden spoon until dissolved.

Add 2 of the 7 cups of flour, salt and oil and stir.

Allow to sit for 4 minutes.

Add remaining 5 cups of flour and mix with hands.  This is the fun part.  Turn dough out onto clean surface and kneed for 7 minutes.  It doesn't matter if you can't mix in all the flour to start with... it'll get mixed in! :)

Place dough into oiled bowl and turn once so it is lightly coated.  Cover with damp towel and allow to rise for about an hour.  Punch down, form loaves, rolls or whatever.  I usually make two small loaves of bread and a pan of 8 rolls.  Cover pans with damp towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes before baking.  Rolls take about 25 minutes and a loaf of bread about 30.  Should be golden brown and sound hollow when you tap on it.

I also use this same dough for cinnamon rolls and bread!  Just pat it out, add your cinnamon and brown sugar, roll it up and cut it into rolls or leave it as a loaf of bread!  I've also added garlic powder and basil sprinkles to the tops of the plain rolls... It is so versatile!  Have fun with it! Don't be scared! :)

Sharing some homemade goodness!

Here are some simple recipes I use to make household items...

Laundry soap

1 gallon water
2 bars fav soap (I use the cheap stuff)
1 cup baking soda
1- 1 gallon plastic or glass container (Here's a good place to recycle)

Boil water on stove.  While boiling, finely shred or chop soap.  Add to boiling water and stir until dissolved.  Let cool and slowly add baking soda. It is so important that you allow it to cool and slowly add the baking soda or it will foam up everywhere! Trust me, I learned from experience! ;)  Place in container and use 1/2 cup per load. You'll need to shake it up as you use it because it tends to get a bit clumpy.

Fabric refresher (Febreze)

3 parts water
1 part liquid fabric softener (cheap stuff and always buy from a company that doesn't do animal testing!)

mix ingredients, put into spray bottle, mist fabrics and allow to dry! :)

Facial cleanser/softener

3 parts baking soda
1 part lemon juice

mix to paste a bit thinner than toothpaste, put on freshly washed face, allow to dry and rinse!  Bet you're surprised by how well it works! :)

Hair Conditioning Rinse

brew mint tea, allow to cool to touch, pour over freshly washed hair and allow hair to dry.  DONE!

More to come when I have time! Enjoy! <3

Vegan "crab" cakes!

Ingredients

• 2 c grated zucchini
• salt
• 1 c bread crumbs or panko
• 1 tsp ground bay leaves
• ¼ tsp celery seed
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp paprika
• dash red pepper flakes
• ¼ c silken tofu
• 1½ Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp potato starch
• ¼ c fresh parsley, chopped
• oil for frying

Directions:

1. Place grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and spices.
3. In a small bowl, beat together tofu, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, starch, and parsley.
4. Scoop zucchini out of the colander and, with your hands, squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can.
5. Combine drained zucchini, bread crumb mixture and wet mixture and mix well. The batter will be dry, but you should be able to gather a ball of it in your hand without it falling apart.
6. Divide the batter into eight equal parts; shape into balls and flatten slightly into thick discs.
7. Heat a generous quarter inch of neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
8. When oil is hot, fry cakes in batches of four for a couple of minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
9. Serve hot, with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce and tartar sauce.

Notes

For cocktail sauce, stir together:
½ c ketchup
2 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp lemon juice
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

For vegan tartar sauce, stir together:
½ c vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Vegan fudge brownies

Vegan Brownies made fresh today!

Sift together

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or unbleached flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

In a seperate bowl stir together

3/4 cup brewed coffee or tea

3/4 cup soy milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

blend dry and wet ingredients together

Add

1/2 cup chocolate or carob chips

1/2 cup walnuts

put in greased 9x9 inch pan

bake 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Glaze:

on stove top melt together 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter and a 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

I used jasmine pearl tea for today's batch and water instead of soy milk and almonds instead of walnuts. Did not add chocolate chips or use the glaze and they still turned out so yummy! Hope you enjoy! <3

Incredible Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes & Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cupcake pan or use paper cupcake pan liners.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons water or soy milk

Directions:

Blend all ingredients until creamy.  May add a bit more confectioners sugar for a stiffer frosting. 

Spread on cooled cupcakes and enjoy! :)

Best ever vegan sugar cookies!

Sugar cookies

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup margarine subsitute softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tblsp egg replacer plus 3 tblsp water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

I dip the tops of the cookies in sugar and cinnamon before baking. If you would like to use cookie cutters, just refrigerate the dough a couple of hours before you roll them out on a surface dusted with confectioners sugar! SO YUMMY! <3

It's the thought

Today's true homemakers realize and respect the meaning of the words sustainability and frugality. We do not need house keepers, nannies or the top of the line anything. We live in the warmth and comfort of the homes we create for and with our loved ones.

Sustainability is our nature and frugality our mantra. We grow gardens, mend clothing, repair what is broken and create what we can.

We seldom heat our meals in the microwave or toasters. Instead, we take great pride in the preparation and the details of the meals we prepare and through that we take pride in ourselves. "Fast food" are not words often found in our vocabulary.

Today's society has become a throw away one. Our landfills have replaced natural habitats and our over flowing with our "must haves".

What happened to giving of ourselves? Why do we feel the need to buy expensive gifts to express our feelings? Do you not remember your younger years and how good it felt to present your mom with a fist full of dandelions from the yard? We need to return to those days of innocence.

Bake cookies for a neighbor and share them while exchanging stories over a cup of tea. Pick a bouquet of wild flowers for the center of your family's table. Make a homemade card for a sick friend. "It's the thought" has been a lost idea for far too long and it's up to us to return it to it's rightful place.

As you carry on with your day, do something to make someone else smile and then watch the chain reaction begin. Remember, your smile is the prettiest things you can wear and share. ♥