desserts!!!

I decided to use up the rest of my peaches from our tree and make a peach cobbler. It was delicious!!! It still doesn't compare to my grandmothers. Growing up my grandmother used to make peach cobbler and sometimes she added apricots to it, ahhhhhhhhh, so good!

Here is the birthday cake I made for my mother-in-law last month. She just sent me over the photo, I forgot my camera so I had to use hers. The cake was a vanilla cake, flecked with lemon zest, the filling was a lemon custard with some blackberries and topped with lemon buttercream and mixed berries. The blackberries were from our vine.

Happy Veganiversary!!!! Summer vegetable soup, and gluten free pasta with zucchini gratin

Happy 2 year veganiversary to my son! It was my 3 year veganiversary this summer but I forgot to post. Oh well now I have.

When we first moved to this area last year my son wanted to pet a cow. (There are many cow ranchs in the area with cows roaming all over the hills.) So almost every evening for a month or so we would drive to this one area and stop to visit the cows and talk to them, trying to lure them close enough to pet. This particular cow up above, my son not only got a chance to pet his head but the next day when we came back, he remembered my son.

The story is, we pull up the next evening and there is a group of cows by the fence. My son gets out and starts talking to the cows, grabs some grass and puts it through, trying to get one of them to get close while looking for the one he got close to the previous day. Well we were there for a while and you know they all have their personalities, one usually is the brave one and the others watch to see what he does, and some are very shy and run away but look back to see what's going on. It's really rather cute and enjoyable to watch. Anyways, so one cow is slowly getting closer to my son then next thing you know, we hear something, we look to our left and their is a cow running down the hill, through the other cows and comes up to my son. It was the same cow my son was able to pet from the previous day! It was an amazing sight to see. You had to be there. I hope you enjoyed this little story about an animal whom many view as food, but to us are very gentle, curious, and they each have a personality just like us.

Same cow another day!

I think I posted about using my zucchini's up in recipes, well here are another 2 that I used them in. This is just a nice summer soup with fresh corn, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, carrots and onion in a vegetable broth. Really nice for a cooler summer evening.

This is a DeBoles, rice, quinoa and amaranth pasta with a basil pesto sauce. On top I made the Pesto Zucchini Gratin from Karina's Gluten Free Goddess blog. The only addition was I made a small amount of a cheezy like sauce and drizzled some before baking it. My husband loved the gratin on a baguette.

Zucchini bundt cake

Zucchini's, zucchini's, zucchini's!!! What to do with a bounty of zucchini's? I know many of you out there are in the same boat. First you share them with friends and family and then you try to use them in every meal you make. Then there's dessert, zucchini cake or bread. YUM!!! I used
the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. This cake is super moist! I've made it now a couple of times and it makes two loaves or in this case 2 mini bundt cakes. Of course I did make some changes. The recipe calls for 1C. oil, so in a liquid measuring cup I added 1/3c.oil and filled the rest with applesauce. For the sugar instead of 2 cups, I added 1C. sugar and 1/2C. brown sugar and then added an extra 1/3C. more zucchini to the batter. You can also use half wheat and half white flour. I just restocked on my nut supply so there aren't any in here, I guess that will be in my next batch! Now I'm looking into making a gluten-free zucchini recipe

Grilled Blackened Tofu Sandwich

Last night I wasn't in the mood for cooking dinner and my pantry and fridge. are running low on food items, so not too many options. I decided on a sandwich with baked fries and a salad. I thinly sliced up a block of the extra firm tofu that is vacuum sealed, no water. The marinade I used for the tofu slices is the Blackened Tempeh recipe from The Real Food Daily Cookbook .

I love love love this recipe, I just cut down on the oil and cayenne that is used and I use maple for the sweetener. Let this marinade for a couple of hours, the longer the better. Then I grilled up the tofu, yellow bell peppers, onion and some zucchini's, since I'm overflowing on the zucchini's right now in my garden I use them any chance I get. hee hee. Once grilled layer up on toasted bread and enjoy!

Mumbo Jumbo lunch & Merlin Kitty B-day!!!

So it's been sometime since my last post. It's just been so busy with family and friends visiting and us visiting family. I can't believe school will be starting at the end of August. Wow summer goes by so quickly. Anyways, here is my lunch that I threw together. Wild rice, garbanzo, kale, and tomato that I lightly sauteed with some Bragg's liquid amino's and garlic. Then I threw some avocado and sliced almonds. This was just so earthy and good tasting. I love that wholesome taste and it makes me feel so good!

My kitty Merlin turned 14 this month!!! He is such a good cat, we call him our cat-dog because he comes when you call him and he is so good with dogs. Not that he really plays with dogs but he won't run when they are around, he just could care less about those who are beneath him. hee hee. Anyways Happy Birthday Merlin!

Thai Noodle Salad

When it's sizzlin' outside and you want something light and tasty for dinner, this is

it. It is one of my favorite summertime meals. No joke, I can't stop eating this stuff when I make it. No turning on the oven, no standing over a hot barbecue while the sun is beating down on your back, the only thing you need to do is boil some water to cook the rice noodles and saute up some thin slices of tofu(what you add to the tofu after you saute it on the stove makes it taste so yummy) . That's the only cooking you will do! Everything else is fresh and raw out of the fridge or garden. This recipe is called Paul's Thai Noodle Salad from the cookbook Extraveganza . You don't have to add the peanuts, that's optional. My son told me to make this dish for the Teacher's Appreciation Day luncheon a couple of years ago and everyone asked me for the recipe. That's how good this is! You must get the book and try this recipe.

Oats, oats and oats! Breakfast and gluten free cookies!

My son loves oatmeal, especially steel cut oats, which is my favorite as well. This has been our breakfast for the last couple of days. Trader Joes Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats, sliced bananas, walnuts, maple syrup and soy milk. It still takes a good 15min. to cook although the directions say 7 min or so.

Gluten free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 C. sorghum flour

1/4 C. brown rice flour

1/4 C. buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp. xanthum gum

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 C. gluten-free oats (or regular if not gluten intolerant)

1/3 C. coconut oil, melted or you can probably use any other oil

3 T. applesauce

1/4 C. organic sugar

1/4 C. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a med. bowl mix together flours, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oats. Set aside.

In another medium bowl whisk together, coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, maple, and vanilla.

Once thoroughly mixed, add in the flour mixture. Stir to combine then add the walnuts and chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookies sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until slightly brown.

Makes approx. 18-20 cookies.

Enjoy!