Pensacola and Birthday Pie

We spent a few days last week in Perdido Key, Florida (which is part of Pensacola). We were going to drive halfway, then stop at a hotel because our 4 year old is becoming worse at sitting in the car for long periods. However, something came over Ryan, and he kept on going through the night. I don't know how he did it, but I'm glad he did because it gave us a whole extra half, at least, of a day to enjoy (and my kids soundly slept all night).

We arrived on the beach around 7 a.m. This was way too early for us to check into our condo. And we thought it was too early to call the other 13 members of my family in their condo. We just parked and walked along the beach until it was late enough to call. It was really beautiful on the beach that early.

So, yes, we enjoyed our time relaxing and playing the rest of the week in the condo, at the beach, and by the pool.

We had packed plenty of food, but we didn't end up making any big meals but one on our last night. We mostly ate nut butter, hummus, or baked tofu sandwiches. I ate a lot of tacos...because I love tacos. My toppings were a little random, though...avocado, canned Eden Foods beans, Daiya, tomatoes, Hail Merry sunflower seeds, salsa, romaine until I ran out, and (my dad's garden) chopped cucumbers, which were a pretty good substitute for lettuce.

My vegan sister Tracy went with us into Pensacola one night to try out End of the Line Cafe. I was a little disappointed briefly because I had thought the online menu looked good and fun (sandwiches!) - but we found out they only serve one choice for dinner. I mean, one look at this, and what is there to complain about? I can't remember exactly what was served - greens, quinoa, mushrooms, salad, some type of bread...it was all tasty and looked fancier than the small, laid-back, un-fancy establishment would have suggested. This was also preceded by a course of flavorful potato-kale soup.

And followed up with this chocolate cupcake. I also ordered a couple of chocolate coconut truffles for the kids, hoping to ease my 6 year old's pain at having to be served cooked greens and mushrooms, etc. (My 11 year old bottomless pit finished off all of his courses, most of our desserts, and his brother and sister's shared plate.)

My son and sister also ordered pieces of chocolate mousse pie. The bite I took was delicious.

On the way home, we stopped at Ever'man Natural Foods to stock up on some essentials for the rest of the week and the drive home. I spent entirely too long because it's hard for me to jet in and out of a health food store. I have to search each aisle to see if there are any products I didn't know about.

Our "big condo meal" (compliments of my mom and Tracy, etc.) occurred Friday night...for my BIRTHDAY! Salad with chia croutons and Annie's Organic Goddess Dressing, rolls, spaghetti, and sister-created stuffed shells. Those were the the most flavorful things I've eaten in a long time. She mixed the tofu with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Daiya, fresh garlic, and other spices. So good.

I made my own birthday pies (because I wanted to, not because no one else offered). I was just craving something very specific. I brought Wholly Wholesome pie crusts with us in the cooler. This one is chocolate mousse made with tofu, melted chocolate chips, vanilla, and a little organic sugar. I had this idea (and couldn't stop thinking about it until I did it!) to crush up several Justin's chocolate peanut butter cups on top. (My one wish is that their peanut butter in these cups was creamier - but I'm not complaining because I love those things. The weird thing is that a couple of times I've had one of their pb cups melt in the heat, then when it hardens back up, the peanut butter is VERY soft and creamy. I almost prefer to let them melt now!)

I loved it. Chocolate pie is probably my favorite dessert ever.

I also made a strawberry topped option. Also very yummy, if I do say so myself. I had a slice of each.

My leftover pie survived being smashed into the soft cooler on the ride home. I had a piece for breakfast the morning after we returned. I figured I needed to share because I hadn't yet gotten a picture with the whipped cream added.

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It was a nice treat after the day we'd had before. Our four cars hadn't left at the same time but were all headed in the same direction back to Arkansas and Missouri. The tire blew on the SUV my sister Cary was driving, with her husband and two kids. Their car flipped SEVERAL times from their lanes of traffic, ACROSS the big grassy median, then across the 2 lanes of oncoming traffic, and they ended up right-side up on the shoulder over there. My sister and brother-in-law were very sore with minor (if you call scratched eyeballs, concussions, scalped heads minor) yet painful injuries - but other than that, they are miraculously fine. (My sweet, precious 2 year old and 3 year old nephew and niece weren't injured.)

We were all just SICK as we tried to get to the ER to see them as soon as we could. I wrote more about the wreck, including pictures, on my family blog. We ended up getting home around 2:30 a.m. Pretty terrible end to such a fun week, but I can't say it ruined it because we have great memories. Obviously we all WISH (no one more than them obviously) it had never happened, but it's almost like you gain an extra amount of happiness because of the successful results. It is one of those times in life when you are reminded to just SOAK IT IN and appreciate and really value the time we have with ourselves and people we love. Because your tire can blow (literally or metaphorically) just like that.

Our Recent Vegan Essentials

So long without a post! I always miss my veggie friends when I'm offline. I have so many pictures of food, I hardly know where to begin...

This was the last order we had placed with Vegan Essentials several months ago. There's nothing like a big box of vegan food delivered to our door to get us excited!

We ordered a lot of candybars. But if you want to get your fair share in a family of five, you have to make sure there's plenty to go around. And I had really wanted to try all of the new types. We also like to get as much as we can when we're paying for 2 day shipping.

I was excited about trying all of these bars because as tasty as the Go Max Go candy bars (which are sold at our Whole Foods) are, the ingredients are too un-organic for my preference (corn syrup, soy protein, etc.). The ingredients for all of these are much better, I think.

First up in the Eli's Earth Bars line ($2.49): the Dream Big Bar. Yum! (But small!) The ingredients: Organic dairy-free “milk” chocolate (organic rice milk, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa paste, organic non-GMO soy lecithin, organic vanilla), organic peanuts, organic rice syrup, sea salt.

This was the Dark Angell Organic Candy Bar. It was definitely good, and I would order one again. I might have preferred the Eli bars, but this one is good for a dark chocolate taste. The ingredients: Organic and fair-trade dark chocolate (organic and fair trade chocolate, organic and fair trade vegan sugar, organic and fair trade cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, organic natural vanilla), organic tapioca syrup, organic oats, organic almonds, organic Dutch cocoa powder, sea salt, organic almond extract.

Another one of Eli's Earth Bars, the Treasure Bar. So good! The ingredients: Organic dairy-free “milk” chocolate (organic rice milk, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa paste, organic non-GMO soy lecithin, organic vanilla), organic evaporated cane juice, organic peanuts, organic rice syrup, organic palm oil, organic rice milk, sea salt.

I don't have a picture of the coconut flavor. I'm not a huge coconut-in-candy bars fan. I ordered a couple of those because I thought my son would like them.

We Can't Say It's Cheese Spreads by Wayfare Foods. I liked the taste of this. My oldest kid who likes most things also liked it. My 4 and 6 year olds did not. Between the two of us, though, we didn't end up quite finishing the tub before it had to be tossed. I should have planned my meals toward it better because I'm not a big snacker. I probably wouldn't order it again for that reason and because I like the cheese dips I made from scratch just as well. But if you don't have time to cook from scratch, try it out. The reviews on Vegan Essentials recommend the Hickory Cheddar flavor.

Cheddar ingredients: Non-GMO Whole grain oatmeal (water, oats), vegetable oil blend (may contain the following: safflower, olive, and coconut oil), sesame, pimentos (pimentos, water, citric acid), nutritional yeast, sea salt, calcium carbonate, onion powder, evaporated cane juice.

Eco-Planet Cheddar Organic Crackers ingredients: Organic wheat flour, organic sunflower oil, and / or organic safflower oil, and or organic canola oil, organic palm oil, salt, organic flavor (non-dairy), leavening (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate), autolyzed yeast extract, paprika, natural vegan flavor, organic onion powder, annatto powder, organic red pepper, papain (enzyme).

These aren't really something I want my kids to snack upon on a regular basis (autolyzed yeast extract, etc.). HOWEVER. Those of you who are around kids might understand that Goldfish Crackers are constantly being thrust into my little one's hands. It's unreal. It's like people think the only things kids can eat are Goldfish and Dum Dum suckers because I can't begin to believe all of the situations and places that hand those things out. Get creative, people! One of my pet peeves in life: handing out food to my kid without my permission or during times when food shouldn't even be a factor, and I wasn't prepared! It's THE snack handed out to my kids at homeschool co-op snack time. And although my daughter would pass it up for her alternate snack, my 6 year old would not, unless he has another "cheesy-type" food substitute. So I had to stock up on these for the rest of the school year.

Audrey's Pleasure Royal Cheeze Veggie Bar snacks. I LOVED these. I think 3/5 of my family liked them.

Royal Cheez ingredients: Macadamia, cashews, bell peppers, lemon, spices, sea salt. If I was better about using my dehydrator, I'd try to make something like these babies all of the time.

Of course, we had to throw in some of Justin's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I had gotten really excited when my Whole Foods got an order of them in, but it's lookin' like that was a one-time deal. I keep forgetting to find the ordering guy and ask him to restock. I know they sold out the time they had them, and I know this because I bought most of them.

When I was in highschool, one of my favorite places to spend my time was the Battlefield Mall (in Springfield, Missouri). Whenever I got a hold of an extra $20, I'd head to the mall. It would get me a new shirt with enough money left over to purchase an unmentionable product at an unmentionable frozen yogurt establishment. (This was when I was a vegetarian, not quite vegan.) What I ordered looked something like the above. So I couldn't help from make it for my son when he asked for icecream one day.

Organic Chikin Fillets by Viana ingredients: Tofu (organic soybeans, water), water, organic wheat protein, organic sunflower oil, organic almonds, sea salt, yeast extract, organic rice flour, organic cane sugar, organic palm oil, organic maltodextrin, organic turmeric (added for color), organic locust bean gum, organic spices.

This is one way I enjoyed those. Tomato, lettuce, and warmed tomato sauce with melted Daiya.

Gone Nuts! White Chocolate Cashews, Almonds & Cacao Nibs - ingredients: Organic raw cashews, organic agave, sprouted almonds (organic and/or transitional), organic coconut, organic cacao nibs, organic cacao butter, Himalayan crystal salt, organic vanilla, organic mesquite pod powder.

Raw and sprouted, these are one of the things I was trying to help fatten up my oldest son. They were good.

Overall, our order was a success, and plenty of vegan treat-induced smiles ensued.

School Lunches Galore

Most of an Alternative Baking Company Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Ella's Kitchen Organic Fruit pouch, baby carrots, strawberries, and macadamia nuts. As far as the sandwich goes...can't remember what was in that one. I'm guessing hummus, avocado, and lettuce.

Mini-bean burrito, carrots, bell pepper slices, strawberries, and sweet potato chunks with sprinkled hemp seeds. Plus, a Cocoa Pistachio Whole Food Meal Bar. My kid is thin, and I like adding these meal replacement bars to his meal - or giving them to him at home for a snack. If I ever pack too much food, he will eat it on the drive home.

This lunch was the day after Valentine's Day so a pink heart cookie was added to his nut butter crackers, baby carrots, strawberries, macademia & Brazil nuts, grapes, and a Vruit Box.

Sandwich with hummus, hemp seed, lettuce, and mustard, Blueberry Lemon Muffin, So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt, carrots, Brazil nuts, and a little bit of leftover bean salad.

Romaine with vegan caesar dressing and hemp seeds, apples, mixed nuts, toasted frozen waffles, and So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt.

Pasta with beans, quinoa & broccoli meatballs, Brazil nuts & walnuts, carrots, Late July Mini Organic PB Crackers, pineapple cup, and caesar salad.

Nut butter & fruit spread on French Meadow Bakery Hemp Bread...this isn't his favorite type of sandwich, but he does like when I cut it into strips so he can dip it in his yogurt. Hail Merry soaked/dehydrated/seasoned pecans, strawberries, carrots, bell peppers, and grape tomatoes.

Amy's Bean & Rice Burrito, avocado chunks, carrots, bell pepper slices, and grape tomatoes, and half of a Hail Merry Chocolate Miracle Tart.

Garlic bread, Just Veggies (freeze-dried peas, corn, carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes), pineapple cup, Yummy Earth organic sucker, Barbara's Bakery Snackimals, marinated/pan-fried tofu, and tomatoes.

Pasta with homemade cheese sauce & hempseeds, lentils, kiwi fruit, olives, and half of a Hail Merry Chocolate Miracle Tart.

*These lunches all belonged to my 10 year old who fortunately will eat almost any vegan food in the world. And a few of you asked: he was homeschooled for 4 years and attends public school this year. My other two are homeschooled and attend a homeschool co-op twice a week, where they occasionally bring their lunches, too.

Recent Celebrations: Easter and the Royal Wedding

If I may back up a little bit...

Easter

Easter baskets were a little scanty this year because I forgot to order things online in time (and there were so many great-looking treats I wanted to get myself the kids). But I was okay with that because I feel like we've had quite a few celebrations lately - and I wanted to use these Peter Rabbit pails I'd bought once and put away; they were the perfect size for the amount of stuff I had. They each got a Where the Wild Things Are sticker scene set from the $1 bins at Target, a candy bar, a Lake Champlain dark chocolate square (*ambiguous sugar), Divine dark chocolate eggs (*ambiguous sugar), and some Surf Sweets gummy bears. (We also re-use green paper shreds for our Easter baskets.)

We paint wooden, ceramic, or paper mache eggs every year for Easter.

For breakfast, we had yogurt (sprinkled with flax) in egg cups,

fruit in the shape of a cross,

and Bitt of Raw's gluten-free Carrot Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese.

my little sweeties, after church

(Sweetie #3 had a black eye.)

Royal Wedding Party

I became fanatically excited about the Royal Wedding. (Sorry to those who are terribly sick of the coverage. Don't read any further!) I think I watched every possible "secrets behind the royal family" and "how Will & Kate met" show possible. We planned a fun little event (just me and the kids) for Friday morning. We dressed up - my 10 year old would only don a knight's cape for a brief period...

but my 6 year old (who is surprisingly quite fond of fashion and dressing up) went all out.

And we girls were very serious about choosing our outfits and headwear.

(I'm wearing a formal from my sister's highschool days.)

The Spread

(on my daughter's little table set up in my bedroom)

How cute are they all? I don't really have an opinion about the monarchy in general (and it's not my tax money; sorry, Penny!), but I do love a good celebration. And they seem pretty nice and down to earth. I was obsessed with finding out what her dress would look like - it was perfect! And strangely, I cried. The kids asked me WHY I was crying and to please stop.

"It should have been ME!"

Scones

I was really proud of my scones (because I don't know if I've ever made them before and didn't know what they would be like). I can't point you in the direction of a recipe because I kind of combined two. I made part of them with fresh strawberries and used Just Cherries for the other half. I will make these again because they were a hit in this house.

English Muffins

The English Muffins were also a hit. I made them cinnamon toast style, using Food For Life Gluten-Free, Multi-Seed Muffins and toasting them in the oven with Earth Balance, cinnamon, and a little sugar.

I printed off the Royal Bunting to hang around part of the table. I found this at Make Merry!. Since the kids aren't big tea drinkers, we mixed in a little apple juice with the tea.

For some reason, I was absolutely enamored with my Will & Kate plates. I got the idea from a party planner on Regis & Kelly. :) I happened to have a pack of Chinet hard plastic plates, leftover from an event. All you have to do is print off a picture, cut it to size and put it between two plates. I told Ryan I loved my Will & Kate plates so much, it's going to be hard to go back to eating off regular plates.

I'm going to wash and save these plates and use this idea for future events. And try to hide it in future blogging photos that I may or may not still be eating off Will & Kate.

This was the perfect time to try out Bitt of Raw's Raw Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake. I topped it with the love birds' wedding topper from my wedding, hee hee. Her cheesecake looks a "bitt" different than mine (better, of course), but I was pleased.

I thought this was really, really good. I made it the day before and gave it plenty of time to chill. I loved the texture and consistency, and it is my favorite raw cheesecake I've made so far (as well as one of my favorite cheesecakes period). I also love how the cranberries give it such a strong color.

I was in a hurry while making it so I did not make the crust raw and homemade (but I will next time!). I just crumbled up an Arrowhead Mills Organic Graham Cracker Crust into the bottom of the pan. (This would have been better if I'd melted in a little oil or Earth Balance to make it stick together, but I was trying to watch my calories.)

We reconvened back to Party Central for lunch (and more royal wedding coverage!). This time, it was baby carrots, apple slices, Tofurky deli slices, avocado slices, and cucumber sandwiches.

My little Brits had to eat their sandwiches on wheat bread with crusts and not too terribly fancy. Since I'm trying to avoid soy protein isolate now as much as possible (which isn't 100% easy but getting easier), I made homemade cream cheese for the first time.

Pip, pip cheerio!