The Veggie-Full Kitchen

It's kind of a tradition in my family to make some sort of treat on Sunday afternoons.  Dr. J is a dentist by weekday and expert treat maker on the weekends.  Kind of like a food lover's superman.  I did however give him this Sunday off.  I just had to get another pumpkin recipe in...  and these little cookies did the trick!  This recipe makes a lot of cookies which is great so you can freeze extras in bags for school lunches or for convenient on the go snacks. Ingredients 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup white flour 1 cup old fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup pumpkin puree (I used the canned pumpkin puree) 1/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar 1/2 cup coconut oil 1 cup finely chopped pecans Directions 1.  Combine the sugars, oil, soy yogurt, vanilla and pumpkin...

Popcorn is one of my favorite foods.  It's in my DNA to like popcorn.  As a kid, every Sunday night my mom would pop some homemade popcorn on the stove and my whole family would gather around the TV to watch the latest episode of Star Trek.  There is nothing better than a warm, salty bowl of this fluffy white stuff...  I could do without the Star Trek, though. It's so easy to make, and you can switch it up for a little variation.  Here are just two ways that I like to make it: Homemade Olive Oil & Sea Salt Popcorn Ingredients 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1/4 cup olive oil Sea Salt Directions 1.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. 2.  Once hot, add in the popcorn and cover. 3.  Occasionally shake the pot to keep the kernels at the bottom. 4.  Once the popping slows to about once every few seconds, remove from heat. 5.  Pour into a large bowl, salt to taste and mix. Homemade Kettle Corn Ingredients 1/2 cup popcorn kern...

This past weekend we took a day trip to an apple/pear orchard.  We met up with our best buds over at the Little House Of Veggies to pick some of nature's bounty.  It was so much fun!  I think it is so important for us city folk to be able to show our children where their food comes from.  And there is something to be said about letting loose and getting your hands a little dirty.  My 3 year old took it to the extreme, though.  He had dirt everywhere... even his mouth.  He looked like he just walked off the Pirates of the Caribbean set.  Anyway, it was a great time... dirt included! I wanted to make something with our apples and pears that the kids could help me make.  We came up with this perfect afternoon snack.  It is easy, simple, and delicious! Fresh Picked Apple And Pear Salsa Ingredients 1 pear, finely chopped 1 apple, finely chopped 1 nectarine, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon f...

Dr. J's family owns a pistachio farm in central California.  And it seems like there is a never ending supply in our cupboards... especially around the holidays.  The bummer is, I'm actually allergic to them.  When I was about 4 years old, after opening all our presents on Christmas Day, my mom and dad found me red faced with my hands in the pistachio nuts.  Now, my face wasn't red because I was caught, I was actually having an allergic reaction.  I stayed away from pistachio's altogether until  Dr. J and I were on our honeymoon and we ordered a dessert that had them in it.  I actually didn't have an allergic reaction to them, and it's a good thing because a trip to the ER is the last thing you want to be doing on your honeymoon!  I still don't eat them often or in large quantities, but once in a while, who could resist having them!  So, my 'once in a while' was in the form of a pistachio sugar cookie.... and what a great 'once in a while' th...

It was a sad day indeed, for me, when I found out that marshmallows weren't vegan or even vegetarian friendly.  You would never know, tasting them in all their sweet fluffy deliciousness.  Needless to say, I was in mourning for weeks.  Then, one day not too long ago, I noticed they carried gelatin free/vegan marshmallows at my local health food store.  I was so excited, I began plotting how I could use them... and after much planning and trial and error, I came up with these gooey, sticky, chocolatey, bars full of marshmallow goodness... and just in time for us to celebrate National S'mores Day yesterday!  Of course, holiday or not, we will definitely be enjoying these all year round... Ingredients 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup white flour 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon molasses 1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks 2 tablespoons water 1 10 oz bag of vegan marshmallows ...

I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's dried fruit bars.  I'm not a huge fan of paying fifty cents a piece for them.  I decided over the weekend I'd use up the nectarines in my fridge in an attempt to create something similar.  My 2 year old and I loved them.  Dr. J thought they were a little 'toothy' for his liking. I like them that way, so I am happy to eat them all up.  I put a bag of them in my purse so I would have a healthy snack, on hand, if I got hungry throughout my day... which is fairly often for this nursing mama! Ingredients 4 nectarines, pits removed and chopped (I left the skin on for the extra fiber and nutrients) 1/8 cup orange juice Directions 1.  Heat oven to 140 degrees F.  If you have a convection or dehydrate option on your oven, use it.  If not, it will still work on bake, it just might take a little longer to dry out. 2.  Puree nectarines and orange juice in a food processor or blender. 3.  Cover a cookie sheet with ra...

Today was Princess M's 1st day of kindergarten (excuse me while I wipe away a tear... kinda bitter-sweet), and I have been preparing for it in many ways... particularly in regard to her lunches.  I want her to eat a healthy lunch, but not have her feeling deprived when she sees the other kids whip out Twinkies and Cheetos.  On Monday, I had my mom watch my two youngest while I took her shopping.  We went to 3 stores in search of her favorite lunchbox worthy foods.  I bought her Trader Joe's Dried Fruit Bars, Trader Joe's Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies, fresh strawberries, edamame, Trader Joe's Organic Popcorn With Olive Oil (our favorite!), peaches (Princess M's favorite fruit), salsa, tortilla chips and a few other things.  As far as her sandwich goes, this was a little tricky.  She is so picky, I've been troubleshooting some of my ideas with her over the past few weeks.  This cucumber sandwich was #1 on the list.  I'm a little shocked, as she only ...

If you haven't ever had a scotcharoo, well, let me just say, they are yummy.  These treats do have a few downsides.  First, whenever I make them, I end up eating half the pan myself.  Second, because they are so sweet and I consume so many of them, my mouth hurts for a day or two after eating the last one.  This can't be good... and with all the corn syrup and refined sugar the original recipe calls for, they certainly aren't good for you. So, here is my attempt to make them better for you.  I used a lot less sugar than the recipe calls for, and I substituted blue agave nectar for the corn syrup.  Also, I used organic whole grain puffed rice instead of 'Rice Krispies' or similar cereals.  Now, because of these changes, the texture is not exactly the same... but the flavor profiles are.  Dr. J and the kiddos loved them, and I won't feel so bad about eating half the pan myself... Peanut Butter Puffed Rice Ingredients 5 cups organic whole grain r...

After I had my first child, my mom came to stay with my husband and I to help out for a week.  She cooked and cleaned and held my new baby while I slept or showered.  She gave me advice with breastfeeding and caring for this new little life, of which I had no experience.  It is one of my favorite memories.  During that visit she expressed how important it was to of get good nutrition in order to keep my milk supply up.  Before she left, she wanted to make sure I had enough good food that was readily available to snack on.  She made me about 4 dozen banana nut cookies to keep in my freezer so I could pull a few out as I needed them.  Ever since, I have made it tradition to make some banana nut cookies to have in my freezer to snack on when I have a new baby.  Last April, when I had baby #3, I even took some with me to the hospital and my hubby and I could snack on them.  In my recipe, not only do they taste good, but they are good for you. ...

The first time I ever tried edamame was at a friend's house, when I was a teenager.  My dad and one of my sisters are allergic to soy, so we never ate any soy growing up.  Boy, am I glad I'm not allergic to it!  (Sorry, Sis.)  It's just such a great snack.  Not only does it taste good, but it's really good for you.  Soybeans are rich in carbs, protein, fiber and omega 3's.  I still think that just boiling the soybeans in salt is the best and easiest way to eat them... but I did want to get a little creative with this healthy snack food, so I made this hummus-like dip.  It turned out great and added a little variety to our snacking. Ingredients 2 tablespoons minced red onion 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup raw cashews 1 cup edamame, cooked as directed on package, cooled and removed from pods Directions I could tell you tha...

My hubby loves granola.  While he was in dental school, he left our apartment every day before 5:00am and didn't return until late in the evening.  Because of his schedule, he found it hard to eat normal meals, and because we were living on such a tight budget, he rarely bought food at school.  This is where granola saved him.  He could easily take it with him and it gave him protein from the nuts and carbohydrates from the oats which helped to get him through the day.  Because he ate it so much, we had to mix it up.  Sometimes he even would make his own granola bars.  Usually he liked some form of chocolate in his granola, but I wanted to branch out a little with this recipe.  He does have a soft spot for dried pineapple, so I added that to satisfy his sweet tooth.  This is easy to make and the added bonus is it makes your house smell phenomenal for hours! Ingredients 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup raw almonds 1 cup raw cashews 1 cup shaved ...

One day when I was in a hurry, I managed to purchase a $12.00 jar of peanut butter.  I didn't realize it until I was checking out, and of course at that point my kids were losing it, so I just bought it anyway.  It was 'natural' and 'organic', which I know, can raise the price...but the taste wasn't anything to write home about.  Ever since this experience I have been meaning to try to make my own nut butter, in attempts to make it the best quality, best tasting and less expensive nut butter.  Mission accomplished!  My 5 year old picky eater practically licked out the remaining cashew butter in the food processor when I let her try it. I decided to use coconut oil in this recipe... mostly because I am in love with coconut oil at the moment.  Not only do I adore the taste of coconuts, but I've been researching all the amazing benefits of using coconut oil.  Read more about it here . Ingredients 2 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews 1 tablespoon blue agav...

Unfortunately, I am not one of those women who manage to make it through a pregnancy without experiencing morning sickness.  In fact, it hits me pretty hard, and trust me I tried everything and anything in attempts to lessen the nausea.  Nothing was the cure-all.  However, once I was past the worst of it, I did try to incorporate ginger into my diet.  It just seemed to settle my tummy.  Throughout my most recent pregnancy I made these ginger cookies a lot.  They are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside and the ginger flavor really stands out.  So, if you are pregnant, or you just like ginger, give these cookies a try! Ingredients 2 1/4 cups whole grain pastry flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup vegan margarine 1 cup turbinado sugar 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce 1 tablespoon water 1/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup turbinado suga...

I think it's safe to say I'm on a muffin kick.  These were a hit with Picky Eater #1(my 5 year old).  Of course I just told her they were chocolate chip muffins.  I feel so sneaky that I got her to eat her carrots without her even knowing it... and before lunch! Ingredients 1 cup fresh carrot juice 3/4 cup almond milk 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup walnut pieces 1 cup vegan chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions 1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  2.  In a bowl, combine carrot juice, almond milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, sugar, and ground flax seed meal. 3.  In a separate bowl combine whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 4.  Slowly add dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. 5.  Spray a muff...

Ten years ago, the thought of mixing fresh mint with fruit would not have appealed to me.  Today, this minty fruit salad is one of my favorites.  It is such a refreshing treat on a summer day, and I love that it isn't a fruit salad that anyone would expect. Ingredients 1 pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes 3 mangos, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup Flaked coconut (I like to use the sweetened coconut.  It is just the right amount of sweetness to go with the tartness of the pineapple and mango) 1 6 oz container PLAIN So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (If you get another type of Plain 'Yogurt', you may want to add some pure maple syrup or honey to sweeten it.  The cultured coconut milk is already a little sweet) 4 mint leaves Directions 1.  In a large bowl, mix pineapple and mango. 2.  Mince the mint leaves. 3.  Top the fruit with coconut flakes and mint. 4.  Drizzle the Cultured Coconut Milk over the top.