Homemade Crackers

1 1/4c. (YUCK) all purpose flour - i'll try whole wheat flour next time!
1tbsp. salt
3tbsp. vegetable shortening (i like earth balance)
~3oz. soymilk
dried dill, curry powder, dried basil, Simply Organic Grind to a Salt, maybe cinnamon!

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first two ingredients. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor, cut in the shortening. Add milk starting with 2 ounces using the remainder if necessary.
You want a stiff dough that forms a ball but is not sticky or wet. ALMOST like pie dough.
Roll out to about 1/8" (or thinner-as thin as you can get!) on a lightly floured surface. Transfer dough to an oiled baking sheet. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with salt and/or spices. I dabbed/brushed beet juice onto a few of them for color.
Bake approximately 10-12 minutes till golden and crunchy.

Silken Tofu Smoothie

Nasoya recently came out with a new product. Flavored Silken Tofu. I had a $1.25 off coupon, so I decided to try it. Plus the kids can always use more protein. This morning we whipped up the most delicious smoothies! In my opinion, granola is a unlikely, but fabulous addition to all smoothies. Try it, You'll like it!

1/2 container of Nasoya Silken Vanilla
1/2c. Calcium fortified Orange Juice
1c. Frozen Blueberries
1/2c. Granola
1c. Unsweetened Vanilla Hempmilk

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Pumpkin Pancakes

We eat a lot of pancakes in our house. At least twice a week! Which is why I'm always experimenting with new flavors and new ways to hide healthy ingredients in them.
I'm on my Fall kick. Once September comes, I crave all the cliche "Fall" things, like Chai and pumpkin flavored ANYTHING and warm hearty soups. So I decided to try Pumpkin Pancakes the other day.
Anyway, I took my Basic Pancake Recipe and added some spices and pumpkin puree to it. I still need to experiemnt with the amount of puree. Last time I added 1cup to the recipe and they didn't cook thoroughly.


1 1/4c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
1tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2c. Soymilk
2tbsp. safflower oil
1 1/2tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2tsp. maple extract
1/2c. pumpkin puree


In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, maple syrup, and extracts. Then add the puree.
Preheat a non-stick skillet or spray with cooking oil.
Combine wet and dry ingredients until most of the lumps are gone.
Pour batter (about 1/4cup at a time) onto skillet, and cook on one side until bubbles form (about 2 minutes). Flip and repeat.





Y helping me cook



M and I sharing breakfast

Basic Vegetable Stock

This recipe is from, British Cook Annabel Karmel's book "Top 100 Baby Purees". She is an excellent source for homemade baby purees. Her website also offers a bunch of fun toddler recipes too, but unfortunately are not vegan. Here is her recipe for Basic Vegetable Stock. I've been using this for my kids for 2 years now. I even use it for my husband and I, but add salt.

Basic Vegetable Stock

1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 large carrots
a large leek
1 stalk celery
1tbsp olive oil
3 1/2c. water
fresh parsley, oregano, and bay leaf
peppercorn

Roughly chop all the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook over low heat for 5 minutes to soften in the oil without browning.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add seasoning and peppercorns. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Leave to cool for about 2 hours. Strain through a sieve. Squeeze the remaining juices out of the vegetables by pushing them down with a potato masher.
Leave to cool.

Easy Alphabet Soup

It's amazing what a shape can do for kids. Y will only eat pasta that is in what he considers, a desirable shape. Meaning, he only eats pasta that is in "alphabet" or "nugget" form. I find it funny, but don't mind accommodating him.

3c. vegetable stock
1/2c. (I use Garden of Eden) Alphabet Pasta
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 carrot, peeled and minced
1/2c. fresh or frozen green beans
1 potato, cut into very small chunks

Add all ingredients to a stock pot, and cook for 1 hour.

Puzzle Toast

This is an easy, fun snack. Just take your favorite bread, ( I recommend using Ezekiel Bread whenever possible) and use a cookie cutter shape of your choice, and yippie! It becomes a puzzle! Food your kids are allowed to play with. :) The boys don't really like their sandwiches made on Ezekiel Bread, but they don't mind their toast. So, a favorite snack for us, is Food For Life Baking Co. Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, toasted. In my opinion, this bread is magic. It contains 6 sprouted grains and legumes, that when combined form a complete protein. This protein closely resembles those found in dairy and eggs! So, to answer the annoying question "oh, you're vegan? where do you get your protein?" Ezekiel Bread!!!!

Spinach Puree

Steam 1 1/2c. baby spinach for 30-40 seconds, or cook in a skillet with 1tbsp waster for 90 seconds.
In a food processor, blend with 1 garlic clove until smooth and creamy (about 2 min).

I use this under pizza sauce. Nobody ever knows, and its a healthy dose of iron, and calcium.

Basic Pancake Recipe

1 1/4c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
1 1/2c. Soymilk or Hempmilk
2tbsp. safflower oil
1 1/2tbsp maple syrup
1tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry until combined.
Cook on medium heat and flip pancakes when bubbles form on the surface.
Serve immediately, or freeze for later consumption. If freezing, place sheet of parchment paper between each pancake and store in zip-tight freezer bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Pasta and 'Nuggets'

I wrote about this in my family blog months ago. In my personal opinion, pasta has the nutritional value of a roll of toilet paper. But, occasionally pasta is necessary to use as a vehicle for vegetables and other healthy, delicious sauces. Anyway, the "pasta shape" of choice in our house (among the children) is "nuggets". Maybe it's because Y gets excited when I say "nuggets", because he thinks he's getting a fried 'chicken' product. But it works. He eats it every time! Here is an easy, yet healthy, pasta and butter recipe.

2Tbsp Cauliflower Puree
1/3c. nugget shaped pasta, cooked
1/2Tbsp Vegan Butter

Mix it together and serve while repeating "nuggets! nuggets! nuggets!"

Pizza Sauce

1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes or 1 1/4c. fresh diced tomatoes with ~3/4c. liquid (tomato juice, water)
1/4c. tomato paste
2-4 garlic cloves
2tsp. red wine vinegar
1tsp. chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2tsp. dried oregano
1/2tsp. salt
1/8tsp. pepper
dash of cayenne pepper (opt)

(on lazy days, I use Peppinos sauce)

Put all ingredients in a food processor, until smooth. Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Nibble Tray

We are big fans of the Dr. Sears Family. If Sears were a religion, I'd be an active member. I've been reading The Successful Child , and Dr. Sears makes an excellent observation:
A child's demeanor often parallels her eating patterns. Parents often notice that a toddler's behavior deteriorates toward the end of the morning or mid-afternoon. Notice the connection? Behavior is at its worst the longer they go without food. Grazing minimizes blood-sugar swings and lessens the resulting undesirable behavior.
During the day, I make up a nibble tray for Y to pick at. I use a bright blue ice cube tray and fill it with bite-size portions of colorful and nutritious foods.
Some of his favorites are Tofurkey Roll-ups, Apple Slices, Carrot Sticks, Raisins, Raw nuts, and crackers.

Try it, You'll like it.

Try it, You'll like it is inspired (in part) by the Nickelodeon show Yo Gabba Gabba. I enjoy cooking, and I'm constantly trying to get my two boys to try new foods. We cook without using animals products, because animals are our friends.