Day 27...

... or "Another Cheesey Night"...

We had another TV ball-game evening, so I was begged for pizza. Now, homemade, good-for-you, without- a-ton-of-cheese- and-meat-toppings pizza just does not fly around here. So as a compromise, we had Papa Murphy's so I could modify it at home. Their new advertising campaign says, "We can do that!" And it was true. They honored all of my special requests without even a sigh of impatience. Thank you!

We ordered all the meats "on the side" then placed them only on Zak's portion. Of course, I would have preferred to leave them off completely, but this was our attempt at co-existence.

Day 26

Yeah, I know I haven't been very faithful about blogging this week. I have, however been true to my pledge! I was just not in a big cooking mood recently, so there was not much to show here. Most nights, I noshed on leftovers, steamed frozen veggies or peanut butter and crackers.

One night, Zak came over to watch a ball game with me, so we whipped up some simple nachos. Like I said, not much to see.

Three Weeks!

Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Sausage and Sliced Pears

I've been on a pumpkin kick lately. Very autumnal! These are from a recipe in my collection that I veganized and topped with real maple syrup. The Sausage Patty is from GardenBurger. I can't say much about it...it didn't have much flavor and the texture wasn't very pleasing. So, we'll try another brand next time.

Pumpkin Spice Waffles
(easily doubled)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 T molasses
• 3/4 cup soymilk
• 2 Egg-Replacer eggs

Blend dry ingredients together. Blend wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Stir wet and dry together until combined. Following manufacturer's directions for your waffle iron, cook until browned. Serve with maple syrup or your choice of topping (jam, nuts, etc.). Hint: Make extra and freeze for toaster waffles on busy mornings.

Day 20

Dinner Out! Tonight was a celebration of two birthdays...my son's and my brother's. We met at Macaroni Grill where we consumed mass quantities of wonderful food, had excellent service provided by Heather and finished with birthday cake and a serenade by Austin. Everything was terrific! And if you have never heard Happy Birthday sung in Italian by an opera student, you haven't lived!! We all had a great time and came away stuffed...with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!!

Happy Birthday, Zak and Dan!!!

BTW...I opted for the Mushroom Ravioli. It is delicious! The over-stuffed (read HUGE) raviolis are tender and full of several kinds of mushrooms and cheese. The sauce was a Marsala-cream filled with even more mushrooms and broiled onion. MMMMMMMMM! I'm so sorry I left the camera at home. You'll just have to go and try it yourself!

Well, okay...here's a snap of next-day leftovers...not nearly as pretty as the night before!

Day 19

Dinner was leftovers. But to add to it, I whipped up some Pumpkin Muffins! They were wonderful. My Vegan Yarn Swap 2 pal, Janice, provided me with the recipe. (It's a PPK recipe.) I substituted pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top for the chopped walnuts mixed in. Delicious!

Janice's Pumpkin Muffins

• 1-3/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1-1/4 cups sugar (I used vegan beet sugar)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin (I used canned)
• 1/2 cup soy milk (I used Silk Creamer)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (*see variation)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin tins (or use paper liners). Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry and combine. Mix in walnuts. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Variations:

1. Omit walnuts. Sprinkle approximately 1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) over the tops of the muffins. Bake as directed.
2. Spread batter into greased 9"X13" baking pan instead of muffin tins. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When cool, cut into bars.
   

Day 18

Dinner Loaf, Garlic Roasted Potatoes
and "Greens with Envy"

I'm still experimenting with the dinner loaf. I grew up eating meatloaf once a week. So I've been working with the seasonings to get a veggie version of a childhood comfort food. (It's also a great leftovers lunch for the next day.) The potatoes were very easy and very tasty. They roasted in the oven right next to the dinner loaf. The green veggies have become a favorite. They are available at Trader Joe's.

Day 17

Dinner Out...Chipotle's Veggie Bowl. Yum!
(...a terrible photo of a very good meal...)

Ingredients: Lime-Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, Tomato Salsa, Corn-Jalepeno Salsa, a sprinkle of Cheese, Guacamole and Lettuce!

Day 16

Not a good day. Thankfully, I already had some Homemade Veggie Chili in the freezer. Served with some crackers and a bit of Chipotle White Cheddar and that's dinner! Nice and easy!

Day 15

Barbecued Caramelized Onions and Seitan
with Corn and Cracked Pepper Salad

I really liked this recipe and will use it again and again! I will enjoy it even more next time as a sandwich on a crusty wholegrain roll. It can also be made up in advance and frozen for a heat and eat dinner.


Barbecued Caramelized Onions and Seitan

• One large sweet onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• One package chicken-like seitan, drained (save broth in a soup later)
• 1/2 cup (approximately) vegetarian barbecue sauce

Swirl olive oil in large frying pan. Cook sliced onions in oil over medium heat until browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally. While onions are cooking, slice seitan into strips. Add seitan to cooked onions and saute lightly. Mix in barbecue sauce. Continue to stir and cook until heated through.

Two Weeks!!

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I took the pledge. I really assumed I would be going through withdrawal and have weird side effects from a major diet change. Just the opposite! It has been a very easy transition and I'm feeling great. My meals leave me satisfied but not over-stuffed and heavy. It looks now like it will become a permanent change! Yay!!

Baked Beans and Cornbread with Chopped Salad and Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Baked Beans were a modification of an old recipe. They turned out fine, but a bit too sweet for me nowadays. The Cornbread was a big flop...a recipe I will not use again. It was too dense and had little flavor. The Chopped Salad was yummy, and probably saved the meal.

Day 13

Sorry, no photo tonight...
We had a fast-food dinner of
Chickenless Nuggets and French Fries
They're still sitting like a rock in my stomach.
Thankfully, I had a big salad at lunch!

Day 12

Reruns tonight!