Tough Stuff..sometimes you have to look close to tame the beast

So far I have enjoyed blogging about mostly the good stuff in life. The fun I have being a parent and a chef for families.Well with the good there always there is some not so good. Most everything that needs work on in our world is something that I have lost control of. Like laundry, that runs a-muck in my house. The things that are weighing the heaviest on my mind now are the lessons I have screwed up for our oldest and youngest children. Now don't get me wrong trouble is equally distributed amongst all our kids. While they are great performers when that preferable carrot is dangling, they get lost on the minutia of life, so do I. This is why my laundry runs amuck and what it takes for me to tame the evil beast. Well that is the lesson I need to work on for my family. Doing what needs to be done not always what we want to do.

Where it all began

Let me start with the little one. This one  problem can really be hung on me. My kids have joked me about spoiling the Biz. Well, all I can say is that it has not been my intention. It is just sometimes easier, oops there is that word, to give in then to fight. With number five I have done just that, given in, paved the way for stubborn procrastination. I have been working hard on getting her to clean her room, with out parental intervention for over 2 weeks. It is a mess and I know she is capable of cleaning it because if I dangled the right carrot she would get it done. Well I have run out of carrots for her. What has been done differently recently? Yes I started working after my 15 years of stay at home Mom-ing but I only work 2 days a week. Can you really call that work? There was a reminder from the other kids..I remember now. Sundays were clean the house days. We would clean the common rooms based  on our chore chart and bedrooms were left for the occupant. Well when the kids are still in single digits that can take a while. I recall Greyson taking about 7 hours, locked in his room to clean it. Now he was not cleaning for 7 hours he was fiddling, reading playing..then like thirty minutes of cleaning to be done with his room. The principle was that she had to stay there and stick with it until it was done. I have let that go for a time. Biz would start on her room and then be distracted by something in the house and move on, never finishing here task. The beast came back, I found her within. Up she went to here room and I followed, locked that door from the outside and said get to it!!! Kids will always push your buttons when they can. So did the Biz. She asked me to help her clean, complained of numerous aches and injuries, she needed food and water. Really she was only up there for an hour or so. She was not treated cruelly or with malevolent intent. All things considered, it took two weeks to get her going, in the end she did a great job. From this day forward I know with out a doubt she can clean her room. Thank goodness we haven't turned her lock back to the inside. I think I will continue to harbor the inner beast.

 She did it.

That pesky oldest child has a terrible habit of robbing Peter to pay Paul. He is not very inclined to take care of his basic needs, like cooking for himself. Not even make a sandwich. It takes to much time away from twitter and facebook to prepare food for himself. Now I do know that he sometimes, when home eats what I feed him and at school he has the dinning hall. Those are freebies in his life. Really we are a bonus. Still his temptation to go out for wings (and whatever else) with friends or grab a smoothie and a wrap after a long work out are his go to habit. Now it is not exactly fair to say he is a total slacker here. This summer he did manage to save for a car..took him everyday of his break from school. He did make some concessions in his life to do this. Truthfully if he had actually cut the fat he would have been ahead of the game. He is learning, I hope.



 Learning to weigh our options



I can take some responsibility here too. for a long time I was always the mom that took Tad and whichever conglomeration he had gathered, swim car pool, teens who needed a ride, tag-a-longs,and would get smoothies, milkshakes or Slurpee's. I can take credit for my kids storming 7-11 on July 11th every year.We would drive from store to store to see how many free Slurpee we could get. Grabbing food or snacks on the go came sort of naturally. It was not something he (or we) gave thought too. My well was deeper then his. When I foot the bill it is a little easier absorbed then when he tries to "save" for college expenses and a car over one summer. When you look at the debit card deductions from his checking account and add it all up it can be a sizable amount. The lesson I have tried to impart to Tad is that you have to pay for the needs first and foremost. The wants in life come second and fun must come LAST.

These are life disciplines for all my kids; put in the hard work in up front. That may be learning saving for the needs first or how to keep you personal space in order and clean. As a parent sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. When things begin to thin out we need to take the time and re-enforce these lessons or undo our lapses as parents.  I will reward my kids with little things at home, like their favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate chip cookies, try them on your family. I just need to be sure in 9 years that they can all handle themselves outside of our home. They will be visitors in Costa Rica when I retire.

Homemade Cookies for a Crew;

4 sticks of sweet cream butter
3/4 peanut butter, crunchy is best
11/2 cups sugar
11/2 cups brown sugar
1T vanilla extract
4 eggs
5-51/2 cups Flour ( I use equal parts cake flour and all purpose flour)
2 t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1t salt
17 ounces cups chocolate chips(1-11 ounce semi-sweet and 60nces milk chocolate)

Bake at 325.  Here are my favorite cookie tips; Bake long and low for a softer cookie. I also mix my flour to help the softness and chewier factor. Never can get enough vanilla. If you are hard core chewy Cookie person, sub half the butter for 1 Crisco stick.

1) Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2) Add vanilla and eggs and beat until incorporated
3)Mix  together all dry ingredients; flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4) Mix in the dry ingredients into butter and eggs in 2 parts. ( if still loose and shiny add the additional 1/2c flour)
5) Stir in the chocolate chips.
6) Allow dough to rest for 1 hour in refrigerator.
7)Portion and bake for 18-20 minutes. Yield 72- 2' cookies
1T vanila

Swaqq Sweaters, Tinsel on the tree and the return of the Prodigal son.

Challenges, I like a good challenge. Most anyone does. It tests my organizational skills, my stamina and sanity. This week of the Holiday season (really more like two weeks) I am stretched. I have lots of work to do, actual work. Not just the kind were I am taking care of the people that live under my roof. Those people under my roof brings me around to the title; tacky sweaters are a thing this year and happened to be the theme of the holiday flash mob. Thank goodness Tad returned a day early surprising me. I needed all the help I could get for this soiree.There would be, as always, a few stragglers that I love hanging on through the next morning. Trying to fill every available minute  on the last weekend before Christmas we also planned our family tree trimming and the twins birthday.


Believe me the next morning there was no time wasted, I ever so gently, with hot and fresh now Krispy Kreme donuts, woke my slumbering guest and put them to work. It was time for the turn around for party number two. Do I need to check my sanity or what, right?The kids dragged themselves out of their sleeping spaces and wolfed down 2 dozen warm donuts and a gallon of OJ, in a matter of minutes. I was busy in the kitchen making the biggest pot of chili  possible in my Strega Nona pot. I had to have something to feed people that I expected to decorate my tree. I changed a few things up this year to accommodate the late arrival, or what I thought was going to be the late arrival of my eldest son from college. I always have the tree party  on a weekend night and it goes until the wee hours. Seeing as though I gave the only open weekend night to teens with swagger, Sunday afternoon was our time. Man did it throw my kids for a loop. Personally, I had no trouble enjoying my Old Vine Zin, never do.There is no better wine to imbibe with my chili, made with Pork tenderloin, lots of chili's & cilantro and 3 kinds of beans. Here is how I do it:

Magic Pot of Chili

Ingredients;

 1/4c  olive oil

3 medium onions, finely diced

5 ribs of celery,diced

4 cloves Garlic chopped

1 diced Bell pepper

6 ounces diced green chili's( divided into 2)

1 large bunch of fresh Cilantro chopped

3 pounds Pork tenderloin, diced 

1 pound Ground pork (can use beef or chicken here too)

15 oz Black beans, drained

15oz Dark Kidney beans, drained

15oz Pinto beans

28oz diced tomato

#10 of Angelia Mia tomato

seasoning:(Mix this together in a small dish)

1T Chili powder ( dark red Mexican)

2 t smoked paprika

2t ground cumin

1T sea salt

1/2t Cayenne pepper

1t black pepper

1- Preheat an extra large stock pot; add olive oil, garlic, onions and celery. Begin sweating over medium high heat

2-Once the vegetables begin to soften add the diced pork tenderloin and season liberally.Add first half of the chili's and 2 T chopped cilantro

3- Continue sweating the meat and vegetables until meat no longer looks raw, 10 minutes.

4-Add diced tomatoes and ground pork, add more seasonings. Stir frequently to break up the ground meat.

5-Add all drained beans  stir into above mixture , re-season

6-Add Angela Mia tomatoes and 2T cilantro.Add remaining seasoning. Now the chili will be thick enough for a spoon to stand straight up. Cover and let simmer over medium heat for several hours. Stir every time you pass by.Serve the chili with grated cheddar and Monterrey jack, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Before I start on that family tradition let me tell the story of  the fun that was had on Saturday night. As you all may have gathered my twins were born near Christmas. For kids it feels like a curse to have a birthday near Christmas. I am not much for the birthday party and the giving of frivolous gifts in obscene amounts. For the twins they like to gather and host friends on any occasion; The Swag sweater party (aka Tacky Sweater) was a revamp of the birthday party. This was the 15th year, not the big Sweet, or in some cases Studly, 16th party that is next year. Here in lies the reason for the party, an excuse to uh, party with out the giving of frivolous gifts. I granted permission and allowed the guest list of 85 in trade for Sarah's slave labor to prepare for our family shindig. Good trade on my part right. As you have already read I even got a few extra hands in the clean up and prep for the tree trimming. So am I brilliant or what? Crazy, is more like it.

After all the mandatory weekend to-do , track practice, dinner date with BFF's, sleeping over were out of the way Sarah was mine.  She had requested a simple party with out much but some Christmas cookies and a Tacky sweater cake. Ha, should have known that was too easy. I was all over the cake. I had already done tons of baking for the week and had tons more to come so my girl was the baker. I was up at 5:30 making cookie doughs for her to bake off. Well she and the Biz found there Christmas footie PJ's and dressed up in them and rolled out all the dough making tons of yummy cookies. There were the best rolled sugar cookies in the world( recipe you can find here) and Peanut Butter blossoms with Hershey kisses.

Rolled Sugar Cookie dough: Yield 48 large cookies

12 ounces butter, soften
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2t vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2t baking powder
1 t salt
1- Cream soft butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
2- Add eggs one at a time and add vanilla
3- mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
4- add dry ingredients to butter and egg mixture in 3 parts
5- remove from mixing bowl and wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
6- after chilling roll out a portion cut in your favorite shapes. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Until the edges brown.
7-  Sprinkle these cookies with decorative sugar or ice with colorful frosting.

There is always a daily trip to  Target during the Holiday season, today it was  to create the Tacky-Swag sweater prize..Yes there were prizes, one for girls and one for the boys. The kids that wore the Swaggy sweaters went all out. The winner for the boys had lighted snow hills and 3-D snowmen. The girls made the Hannah Montana and Oliver sweaters. It was great. The kids had a blast dancing and singing laughing and eating. Just because we could, my partner in crime for the night, Karen Logan and I had the contestants strut their stuff. The boys were such comedians they kind of out shone the girls. Still it was fun and hysterical to watch. Next year, when we do have the studly & sweet 16 to contend with, we will most likely resurrect the Swag sweater party. I can feel the momentum building, this year light up sweaters and next year synchronized lights and music!

Every year around the twins birthday, we invite all our friends, neighbors and family over. I put a naked Christmas tree in front of them and in the end its PERFECT.Sunday was the 18th and time to finally get our tree up. It may seem crazy to those who put their tree up right after Thanksgiving but really it is not. The likelihood that our tree will come down before the end of January is slim to none. You see we just get our enjoyment on the other end of things. Shortly after 8:30 in the morning I had a house filled with sleep deprived teens picking up trash and vacuuming up the remains of the sweater party. The chili was on to cook and my house was ready for my friends and their families. Beer was in the cooler and there was plenty of wine. Jon even mopped the kitchen floor for me. I could tell the holiday was going to be a good one. When Jon's sisters walked in I was assured my tree would be flawlessly decorated. It actually made me giddy to think that the impeccable taste and attention to detail for Christmas decorating was being mentored to my youngest, Isabelle or the Biz. I may never have to decorate my tree, sigh-a good sigh.

As I often express here I love to fill my house with people, noise and food. For the afternoon soiree we all bring a little something to share.My longest friendship is with Koggie(I say longest not oldest because we are sensitive about our age, ha)every time she walks through my door it is though she is Pavlov's dog.Can you think of any higher praise?The gathering is all about relaxing,catching up and

enjoying the spirit of the season.It is a tradition to celebrate my twins birthday on this day.Our friends and neighbors have come to expect it.There are adults, kids, bonfires and tree trimming. It is a marker of the season,Christmas is right around the corner. Its our tradition as a family and for our hood.

When do you stop being a Mom and start being friends...or am I just weird?

Laughter reverberates through my brain, I am the Mother of five. Four of these kids are teenagers.Sometimes I am the one generating that noise, other times it comes from all around me.The fact that I have five kids is often the first thing out of my mouth if it is a chance meeting or you just happen to be the clerk at the check out. I really believe  I was meant to be a boy Mom. Males never rattle me, set me off, or infuriate me. My daughters really do rattle me, push those buttons and generally give me gray hair. When looking ahead to this time a few years back, it came to me that in just a year or so I would have two 15 year old, one 17, one 19. Oh yeah, don't forget the nine year old..(What was I thinking!!) This revelation made me ask, will this job of Mom get easier??Will all this teen angst turn into friendship? In the eyes of our children are we always an authority figure, I use this term very loosely.

The last few years with my oldest daughter Sarah have tried my patience. She rarely agrees with me without a long and usually loud discussion. Loud discussions where a part of how I was raised; it never meant that you held anger or animosity toward whoever you were raising the octaves towards. It was more that if you could get louder then the other then maybe you could take this round. It must be in Sarah's genes, we also discuss things just like this, loud and sometimes with tears. The last three years have been Mom years for sure. I almost did not make it out of Middle school with all my marbles.

When Sarah was little I remember watching Mean Girls and thinking how funny it was. It felt different when my girl was the one that mean girls chose to pick on. This was our first big blow up were the old wise Mom swooping in was not at all appreciated. At the end of 6th grade Sarah was dealing with, in retrospect, some friends trying to knock Sarah down a peg or two by throwing around grown words meant to hurt. Seriously who would not have wanted to? Sarah stepped into Lynnhaven Middle School athletic, smart and gregarious. Her pride in her school and enjoyment of her budding teen age years was infectious. She stepped on the track at LMS for her first meet and threw down a gauntlet that is still generating a new wave of competition. All this and a deep sense of loyalty and independence made Mom obsolete. So you shift into guide mode and hope that what you are saying is being heard. It is during this shift that your relationship changes.

For a time I did feel obsolete. Like an observer on the sidelines. Only allowed into action when there was a need for money, a ride, food, or laundry. That's what you do, you give with out the take. If things are falling apart you inject any wisdom you can and stand back. For so many this a HUGE problem. We spend the elementary school years fostering friendships, arranging play dates, supporting the team. When that time comes to step back we don't know how. So we fight for our right to be the Mom. Be that Mom we think the world wants us to be; disapproving, judgemental(boy I have been called this one!). We are still trying to make all the right moves, get the best position for our daughters. Are these the moves we where meant to make? Is what we want our child to become part of natural development? When we insist that our word be the last word are we robbing our relationship to be right?

Navigating your parent child relationship is not really taught. It is born of your experiences. Those experiences with your own parents. From my experience I was totally perplexed; I was rotten beyond belief. Sarah in comparison is Mother Theresa. I have been told I was spoiled, I believe it. She never expects anything and is happy with what she has. Making things work is an art form for her. Rebellious, to my parents perspective but disruptive by today's standards. I lived in a house that had restrictive expectations that challenged my rebellion. The values that lie at Sarah's core are strong , stubborn and constantly call me into accountability.  It gives me great pleasure to watch her grow into this amazing young woman. Still at the very base of her potential she is climbing to new heights.The friendships I made were any that helped me to break out of the mold. Sarah is a fierce and loyal friend. Standing up to trouble with the same passion she finds in her joy. She keeps her friends close.

Sarah is like the Lucy, from Peanuts, hanging her Psychiatrist sign out to advise her friends. It hard to tell if the deep practical and honest tips she gives her friends are a result of nature or nurture. From the sidelines it doesn't really matter. She is giving and stands behind those that need her. As I have carried on in past blogs Sarah is the nucleus behind our flash mobs. She will casually tell me a friends is coming over that needs to get away and that will turn into 4 girls before the sun rises. It is comical to walk through the house on the weekends and see teenagers crashed on every available horizontal surface. Parents fear not, we keep the boys and girls on different levels. David is the enforcer and no one gets by Dave. (Not even his Mom) Have memories of a busy household when I was a preteen with teenage sisters. Most of those memories I was the kids getting out of her house to another oasis.So having the,boisterous friends of my girl around is a blessing I am thankful for.I would have it no other way.

It is my belief that the world would be a better place if you maintained the playful personality that we have as a young adults. Sarah, Hannah, Riley, Eden and all of those friends that have figured out that I am Margaret not Mom anymore, help me to nurture the child inside. Now don't get the wrong idea, I am not and never will be living vicariously through any of my children. That goes quadruple for Sarah. Sarah and her girls, and I would be remiss if I did not mention the boys in her life, make me laugh. It is the laughter of their enjoyment of life. It is laughter because I am so lucky that I have this daughter and her friends to entertain me. The relationship has become almost void of angst. Knowing my place and stepping to the side has not been the easy road for either of us. There is hope that I have fostered a deep mutual respect and loyal friendship.

She is her own person. Things I love she may love but in a totally different way. I have a great love for photography but it comes from hiding behind the lens. Sarah loves the art of it and the technology she can use to manipulate it. It drives her crazy if I say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so I wont. :) Sarah is on the doorstep of her 15th birthday. She is almost half way through freshman year. She has her eye planted on the future. She is plowing ahead grabbing her opportunities as a leader , an athlete and a woman. The drive is within her, not me. The pride is hers, not mine. The joy and tears we share together like friends. Mom, I will always be. Handling my daughter is in my past. It is the sidelines for me from here out.

The men in my life are all my friends, yes David that means you too. I feed them, make sure they get plenty of exercise, feed them again and give them clean boxers. It is a much simpler relationship. I know I have set a mark for other women in their lives to reach. Fortunately for my boys it is not a pedestal. So in five years we will back here and I hope my formula for a Mother daughter relationship works again.

Thanks will be given..the First flashmob

Its been a little more then 11 months since the beginning of this blog journey. In January when it began there was an uncertain direction, just the need to get it out of my head. Sharing experiences, putting it out there is a risk. There is still enjoyment in the process. Sharing recipes and things I have learned in my kitchen  is rewarding. Writing about my family and friends with humor is real life. This is becoming my legacy for this brood of children I call my family. That goes for the ones I gave birth to as well as the ones that I mother.

Today the madness of the of the holiday season began.I could not be happier.Everyone is under one roof.When school let out today the kids began gathering.It felt like it was summer or flash mob Fridays all over again.For each of my own children here tonight I have an additional two or three that I did not give birth to. The laughter and the noise is good for my soul.Even though I have one that is still in elementary school, the remainder of my children only have a few years when they will gather here as their home base. Tad is slightly more then 2 years till he flies the coop.With this being the site for the college kids reunion I have thrown together a giant pan of spinach, artichoke and mushroom lasagna. It made me smile when Ryan, all 6'6", came in my kitchen looking for my cooking that he missed.( although he had dinner at home). I served him healthy portion.  I will share the recipe at the bottom.

The fall has been fast paced and hectic.Today I enjoyed laughing and joking with the kids.It helped me get through the grocery store with all the other crazy people on the eve of giving thanks. I hope it is not an omen  that the fire alarm went off moments after I entered the store.There are chores to be done tonight in preparation for tomorrow; brine bird, pie crusts,yeast rolls and I get to do all of it among the laughter and catching up with the kids it has been my privilege to watch grow into young adults. There will be a recounting of all the work, joy, sadness and madness of their lives.

The original flash mob is all here; Shannon, Maddie, Ryan, Tyler, and Matt, my own, Tad and David. It was the Olympic trials that had them gather here that first summer. Later it would be movies or dinner, just being together  in our house.Tonight as they watch a movie and catch up, I remember when they couldn't drive themselves to the house .Will this group of amazing, talented people really be out in the real world in a little over 2 years?That is less time then I have known them. Why do I not feel old? A great way to begin the holiday season; being thankful for the time that each of these kids has welcomed me in their lives.

Spinach, Artichoke and Mushroom Lasagna

2 medium onions finely diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
fresh basil (Trader Joe's has fresh Basil puree in the freezer)
2T olive oil
1 30 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 30 ounce can of crushed plum tomatoes
15 ounces of tomato sauce
1T sugar

1 cup sliced Cremini mushrooms
3 cloves crushed
2T olive oil
1 cup Marinated artichokes, chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach

4 cups Whole milk ricotta
2 eggs
S&P
1 1/2 cups grated Asiago

6 cups shredded mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, Romano
24 no-boil Lasagna Noodles ( I use Barilla)

1. Begin with the Red sauce; add first four ingredients to a dutch oven and cook over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
2. When the onions are soft add the dice tomatoes and allow the moisture to release, about 5 minutes. it should be bubbling.
3. Add Crushed tomatoes and stir. allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Check flavor for acidity and add sugar if needed.
4. Before building the lasagna add the tomato sauce.
5. In a saute pan heat olive oil and  crushed garlic 
6. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until soft
7. Add chopped artichoke.
8. Add Spinach 1 cup at a time and saute until all is wilted. set aside and cool
9. Mix the ricotta, eggs, s&p and Asiago and blend to a spreading consistency
10. Begin the layering process by spraying a 10x15 pan then layer 6 noodles to fully cover the bottom.spread the red sauce to completely cover the noodles.
11. Spread the ricotta mixture in 4 1/2c sections, spread
12. Sprinkle with3/4c shredded Italian cheese.
13. Repeat noodles, red sauce and ricotta. On top spread the cooled Spinach mixture
14. add a layer of of noodles and repeat step 11. and 12.
15. Finally add the last layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
16. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. uncover brown for 5 additional minutes.

The Joy I found in feeding Vegans..What I do every Monday

Monday is my "work"day. I call it work for my employers benefit and a little bit to justify my existence.I am a private chef for a lovely family in Norfolk.The family prefers a vegan diet. If they came to your house and you were serving Steak Au Poivre they would push it around the plate and maybe feed your dog or cat rather then ask you to accommodate them.Work is not a good description for many reasons, a list of which I will share with you now.
1. First and foremost it is my great fortune to have a job that serves two purposes in my life; Therapy, cooking and  baking  is for my mental health, it also helps me to stretch my intellectual muscles, could you make a vegan lasagna?
2.Every week it is a visit with the best of my almost grown children's toddler years..Bella and Zachary are so delightful.
3. On Sunday part of my morning is spent planning and shopping for the menu. What is fresh and good?
4. I have experimented with different ethnic cuisines that my family would turn up their noses at.
5. The reward that my skills as a cook, maybe chef, can be applied to such a different lifestyle and bring others joy.

I have been feeding my vegan family now for 26 weeks give or take a week. There have been some great surprises, astonishing failures, and most important happiness. I have blazed through a lot of the learning curve for a beginner vegan. I would say I think I have become an intermediate vegan cook; its kind of like a temporary fairy. For those out there discovering vegan eating for the first time I think I can help. This post will have some of  the favorites for my family as well as a Autumn  twist on Lasagna. Within  these recipes you will learn as I have how to make some very useful alternatives for things like ricotta or the base for a basic cheese sauce. One ingredient that was new to me , that is essential now is Nutritional yeast..every good vegan should know this one.When you finish here the evidence should be plain that with a little education you can expand a vegan diet to be much more than hummus, salads and prefabricated food at Trader Joe's :)
Lets begin with the Basic Cashew Cheese

To replace the protein and fat that please many in cows milk you need to have a alternate source for just those things. So vegans use raw nuts, in different combination with soy,rice or almond milk, vegetable broth and even soft silken tofu. Never forget the Nutritional yeast. Above is the trusty food processor filled with raw cashews and raw almonds, skins on. Before  I put the raw nuts in the processor I have found that soaking them for 30 minutes in really warm water then draining them helps them to blend into a smoother consistency. Step 1. process soaked nut in food processor.

Here it is the super special magical dust , or simply nutritional yeast. Step 2. add to ground nuts ( the measurements for the ingredients will be listed below)

The consistency that you need for this can been altered by the addition of liquid. For a thick ricotta like paste it would need about 1/2 cup of broth or vegan milk. to make a cheese sauce you will add up to 3 cups of soy milk. 

Above I have described the base for a home made vegan cheese. You can change the taste by adding things like garlic, cayenne, pesto, silken tofu. It is a great spring board for creating recipes closer to a traditional diet.

Vegan Cashew Cheese
1 pound  Raw cashews ( I soak mine in warm water then drain)
1/2 pound Raw Almonds
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/2 cup liquid (vegetable broth or vegan milk)



Old Stand by  ( Bella's request)

Pot Pie

If the filling is wrapped in flaky crust no one cares really what is inside, right? Well my secret to lots of pies is the crust. I vary things for my family by sometimes using different flours, different spices or fats. Vegan eating is not fat free. Basic is best and experimentation is encouraged.

Pie Crust
3 cups flour
1T  Sea Salt
1 cup + 1 T Shortening
1/2 c water (ICE cold)

In a large mixing bowl add the flour and salt (you can do a mix of flours, wheat, corn meal but unbleached All purpose should make up 2/3 ) Cut the vegetable shortening into  medium chunks onto the flour. Hands are the best tool for cutting the fat into the flour. I pick the flour and shortening up in my hand and rub it together so that it wraps itself around every grain of flour. The powered light flour mixture will then look like
course sand. It calls for ice cold water; this is to quickly firm the fat so that it will do its job to make the flaky layers of your crust. I actually put the measuring cup in the freezer while I am preparing the flour..
Make a well  in the center of the flour and add most of the water, 2/3 of a 1/2 cup! Reserve the other for
pulling the dough together. Once you have added the first of the water toss it through your flour with a fork. It should resemble a shaggy mass.The remaining water is sprinkled over the mass and used to smooth it into a disc. Wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Potpie Filling

6 -8 Yukon gold creamer potatoes
3 carrots peeled and sliced
1 medium onion diced
1 T Olive oil
1 package Mix vegetables or Soycatash
2 cups vegetable stock
1lb. Extra firm Tofu diced
1/4 cup flour
6 sprigs Thyme ( 1 t dry)
1/2 bunch Italian Parsley, chopped
S&P to taste  
1 t Turmeric (optional,)


In a large saute pan or dutch oven sweat your onions, carrots and potatoes, olive oil , 3 sprigs of Thyme and parsley until onions are soft. Add packaged vegetables and remaining thyme, season with salt and pepper. Add diced tofu and cook 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with Flour and fold together .
Allow to cook for a bit then add vegetable stock and simmer until thick. Remove thyme stems. Check seasoning.

Liberally flour a counter or board and divide pie dough in two. Roll out a circle that is approximately 2 inches large then your pie plate. There is plenty of dough here to achieve this at 1/ 8 inch thickness.
Add filling to pie plate. Roll out second circles just as before, fold in half  then place over filling. Now fold upwards the with both crusts and pinch , repeat around the edge of  the entire pie. In the center Cut a vent hole or holes.

This is what it should look like after filling.

Here is what you get once you have added the top crust, pinched your sides and cut a vent.
Then bake in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes.

The finished product taste nom-nom!

For most this might be all you need for a vegan lesson but I can not stop here. When was the last time you served Swiss Chard in your house? It does not count as a garnish on a platter. You have to cook it and eat.

Here is a Fall Lasagna that is far from Italian.

Swiss Chard and Pumpkin Lasagna

1-32 ounce can Pumpkin (about 3 cups of packed pureed pumpkin)

1 cup Soy creamer

1/2 t ground nutmeg

s & p

1 recipe basic Cashew Cheese

1/2 pound silken tofu

3 -4 cloves of fresh garlic

1/2 cup soy creamer

1large Bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed and torn

1 large onion julienned

2 garlic cloves minced

2T olive oil

12 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles( boiled for 5 minutes)

Clean and tear the Swiss Chard. Slice and mince onions and garlic. Heat saute pan and begin heating olive oil, add garlic and onions. cook on medium high heat until onion is soft. Add Swiss Chard and turn until it just begins to wilt. Season with S&P. Set aside. Lay three noodles on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Begin layering the the noodles first with Pumpkin Sauce, then Swiss Chard and finish the layer with Cashew Cheese. Repeat with the remainder of ingredients. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 oven. This can also be topped with Diaya Vegan cheese shreds but is delightful with out it too.

Now combine the pumpkin puree and the creamer and season with nutmeg and S&P to taste.

The noodles layered with pumpkin sauce.

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Onions

Cashew Cheese before the silken tofu is added

A complete layer of Autumn Lasagna

 So I will wrap up this post with a recipe for cinnamon raisin bread that I make quite often on Monday. It is actually the first thing I will do when I get there, so that it has plenty of time to rise.Bella loves to watch and loves to roll the dough around in her little hands and chew on it too.The most favorite part is when I take the risen dough from a big bubble and squash it and punch it.She is really tickled by that. I make sure that I make a special loaf and mark it with a B just for Bella and me. this week she had the tummy flu and it was not wise to have this bread. I removed the temptation and made one giant loaf and braided it.

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Bran bread

Ingredients:

Yeast jump start

1 ½ T Active Dry Yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 t  Sugar

2 cups hot water (noticeably hot to your skin)

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 T sea salt

½ cup canola oil

Dry Ingredients:

4 ½-5 cups King Arthur AP flour (this is were we begin,  will use up to 2-3 cups additional flour)
2t ground cinnamon

¾ cup High Quality Oat Bran (found with hot cereals)

2 T Vital Wheat Gluten
1 cup Raisins

Prepare yeast Jump start..add sugar then Yeast to ¼ cup warm water, set aside. In a LARGE mixing bowl add Hot water, sugar, canola oil and stir. Then add your raisins and stir again. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir with a whisk or fork to combine. The yeast mixture should be moist and have begun to bubble. Add yeast to the water mixture. Then scoop the dry ingredients onto the top of the wet mixture and yeast. Stir and combine so that all flour is moist but not completely mixed in. Now add up to 2 cups more AP flour sprinkling it all over the wet mixture. Stir and be sure to push the dough along the sides of the bowl to gather flour into the dough ball. If it remains sticky add flour in ½ cup increments until it forms a ball. Now begin kneading the dough, turning the bowl ¼ of a turn each time. This will continue for 5-7 minutes, if dough is sticky sprinkle small  amounts of flour until it is smooth.

This is what I do on Monday. Do you blame me for loving it? It is the best "job" ever.

The new season is approaching..

It was September 25, the fall Equinox had passed. The Autumn  arrived. A favorite time of the year occurs at the beginning of any seasons. I love the first days of fall, really all of fall. Indian summer days, pumpkins and squash, apples and the leaves. It could be that I was a fall baby, born in October and a Scorpio with all that implies. Sweater weather is not quite here but its coming. Snuggling in a hoodie and not sweating. There is a commercial tie to Halloween and Thanksgiving but there is so much more to enjoy in the fall  that I can ignore those things until the holiday dates get closer.Being outdoors in this weather just brings a smile to my face. Everyone is well acclimated in their the fall sports now; Sarah is running, Greyson is playing soccer, and David is trying to catch every last wave he can with out a wetsuit. Tad has even taken up
urging ( rowing) at school. The men's beer league is Monday and Wednesday for Jon. The beach is deserted and gorgeous. There is so much to do and so much to love about right now.

This past Sunday afternoon I took some time with a few of my favorite girls, Sarah and Katie the Nut. The girls wanted new profile pictures  and actually wanted me to take the pictures at this "photo shoot". Fall is that time of year I start taking every opportunity to snap some pictures of my kids. So when the time comes for a Christmas card shot I may already have that chore done. I love the outdoors now and spending that hour on the beach taking pictures was relaxing and fun for me. It would have been even more fabulous had my Canon battery not died  on my 7th frame. Thank you Steve Job's for my nifty iPhone..the pictures were great and I felt in the spirit. I went home and made a comfort food dinner for my family; homemade Mac and Cheese, Roasted Pork and Soy succotash. I can't forget the brownies. The out doors in the fall, sweat shirt on with my shorts. Beautiful skies. Smiles.

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My beautiful subjects<3

With the drop in temperature and the humidity that make the beach so amazingly pleasant also stirs my desire  to bake;bread, scones,cakes.To make big pots of scrumptious soups stew. Experimentation with the beautiful fall bounty is a must So far this year I have made Apple Blondie's,(from orchard picked apples) German apple cake with a plethora of cinnamon. I even  tutored my friend Suzi on the making of pumpkin scones to wow her family. Finally, a rich and warming Pumpkin, Kale and Black bean stew.This is the recipe I want to delight you with. It was made with a fresh Sugar pumpkin and leaves of curly Kale and packed in the protein and fiber with the Black beans. So with out further ado here is my recipe:

Pumpkin, Kale and Black Bean Stew ( vegan too)

1- 2-3 pound Sugar Pumpkin-peeled and diced

1 bunch of Kale ( look for lots of smaller leaves)-large stems removed and torn in bite sizes

6 Yukon creamer potatoes-diced

3 split carrots sliced ( half circles)

4 cloves garlic -minced

2 sweet onions -diced

1 cup cooked Black Beans

1 can petite diced tomatoes

4 cups Hearty Vegetable broth

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme

1 bunch Italian parsley - chopped

1 t Cajun seasoning

A hearty vegetable Broth is every bit as yummy as a Chicken broth in this stew.

Here are the diced ingredients ready for the sweating step. When making a stew or soup you should add  onions, garlic, celery, carrots (aka as mirepoix) to a small amount of oil or butter and begin the sweating process. This is the perfect time to add fresh herbs; Thyme , Bay leaves. These will infuse the vegetables as  they cook. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth. It should just be visible through the vegetables. cover and allow the carrots to soften, about 10 minutes. Then add the cubed pumpkin, cover again and simmer10 minutes.

Check your seasoning; S&P and Cajun seasoning.Add additional 1/2 cup broth, Italian parsley,diced tomatoes, and Black beans then simmer for 20 minutes. Now blanch the Kale leaves in a pot of boiling water so they are tender, drain and set aside. Mix in kale leaves and simmer 10 minutes then serve with a hearty multi grain bread. This stew would also be lovely served in baked acorn squash halves and garnished with brown rice.

** This recipe is Vegan but can morph very easily by adding andouille sausage slices and replacing the

vegetable broth with chick or beef stock.**

My hopes are that you will enjoy your Autumn as I am enjoying mine. Spending time doing things you love with those you love. I hear we are in for an early winter...I love baking when it is snowing ;)



Roasted Garlic, Vidallia Onion and Roma Tomato sauce

It has been a hot summer. Driving around in the sweat box family suburban has been miserable. Every time I think I can no longer take the heat and humidity a little thunder storm rolls through and cools it down. While this weather does not seem to be fit for man or beast, the tomatoes are YUM.The warm sun and rain has made a perfectly thick and delicious Roma. I love to make sauces with these lovely plum tomatoes. It does not  have to be 35 pounds of Roma tomatoes canned for the year. Nope, I like to chop them and cook a half dozen or so down for a scrumptious basil and tomato sauce over angel hair until the buggers are gone for the season. This summer has been about what I can do with the resources available to me on the local farms here in Virginia Beach. I am always searching for what I can put up in my pantry next. In June I left my name and number at my favorite produce stand and told them to call when they had enough Roma's for me to can. I got the call not to long ago. If you do not know the really "good canners" want the tomatoes to go from vine to pot with out being refrigerated.

With the no refrigeration rule in mind I did not take much time to gather anything but Roma's and Garlic from Stoney's Produce. To get the sauce made fast the ingredients had to be in the pantry.There were, big flat vidallais onions( did you know the flatter the onion the sweeter it is). First step was to roast my garlic and my onions. Then heat a large pot of water to a boil to blanch the tomato skins off.

I capped the vidallias and the bulb of garlic. Added 1/4 cup olive oil placed them in a 350 degree oven.

You will need to have an ice bath to cool the tomatoes you remove from the boiling water.

Then wash the tomatoes and be sure any field debris washed from the skins. ( I had a few Heirlooms from sisters garden that I added to the Roma mix) After washing these beauties I cut out the core and any bruised or less then desirable parts.

The cored or capped tomatoes a dropped in the hot water for 30-45 seconds, you will see the skins crack.

The tomatoes in the ice bath before peeling.



The skins will be cracked and ready for you to easily peel the tomato flesh.

I was not looking forward to the skinning of the tomato. This goes back to my days in restaurant kitchens when we would do 25 pounds of tomato peeling and dicing at a time. Well my 71/2 pounds of tomatoes went fast. Thank goodness for small favors.

After the onions and garlic are roasted and cooled use the oil in the roasting pan to create a onion and garlic paste in a food processor. Clear the paste  a large stock pot. Then I repeat this with the peeled tomatoes.
Then add the tomatoes to the paste.

Here is the sweet marriage of tomato and onion-garlic paste.

This is a simple sauce that can be used to build a meat sauce, filling for lasagna or even added to soup or stew. I keep the seasoning simple. Black pepper, kosher salt and sugar. now cook the mixture until it no longer looks like thins soup. 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours. The flavor is gained from reducing the liquid. Stir ofter to prevent the bottom from caramelizing and scorching..not at all good for your flavor.



Process you jars in hot almost boiling water You should remove one jar at a time and fill with hot sauce.

once all jars are filled seal with hot lids and return to hot water and bring to a boil. Tomato Sauce should

boil in can for 30 minutes. The remove to a wire rack and allow to cool.

SUMMER ROMA TOMATO SAUCE:

Ingredients;

7to 8 pounds of Ripe red Roma tomatoes (DO NOT REFRIGERATE BEFORE CANNING)

2 large Vidallia onions

1 large bulb Garlic

1/4cup  Olive Oil

2T sugar

2t kosher salt

1 1/2 t black fine ground pepper

large bowl of ice

large canning pot

large stock pot