Fresh Air

We got outside yesterday, went to the coast with some good friends, moved our legs, filled our lungs with fresh air and were reminded how lucky we are to be alive and to be together!

There is nothing better in this life then exploring our great world with the ones you love.

Salvation Mountain

During our road trip out to Arizona for Thanksgiving this year we stopped at Salvation Mountain in Niland California. It was a very interesting and intriguing place, the artist Leonard Knight was a friendly, warm and gracious man and lives such a simple life. His life story is very interesting and has really captured Lonnys interest.
Check out these links and if you are ever in the area, go check it out! It's worth it!

http://www.salvationmountain.us/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urGRPKZ9yRA

Salvation Mountain Niland Ca.

Lonny with Leonard Knight

Addisyn and Leonard Knight

Thanksgiving in Arizona!

We spent Thanksgiving in Arizona with Lonnys family! It was the first time in 3 years that we were able to go. It was a long drive but well worth the laughter and memories!

Neigborhood Halloween Fun

So the other night our doorbell rings and Lonny opens it to find a bag of treats on our doorstep and a note....We had just been Booed!

I had seen signs on other peoples doors, but had no idea what they were for and my friends who had signs weren't saying a word!

After you have been Booed you must then go boo 2 of your neighbors to keep it going! How much fun is it to doorbell ditch your neighbors and leave treats and gifts at their door! Addy had a blast!

I have no clue who started this in our neighboorhood but it's so much fun!

Here is what we gave to our neighbors.....

Happy Halloween!!!

Trick or Treat!

It's that time of year again…the air is growing cooler, leaves are turning and the days are getting longer. I must say fall is my favorite time of year. I love wearing comfy clothes, seeing my breath when I walk outside and filling my home with the warm smell of fall soups and sweet breads. Along with all of this every street window is full of spooky ghosts and creepy spider webs, reminding us that Halloween is just around the corner. I think Halloween is a cool holiday, how much fun is it that we get to dress up in any costume that our minds can imagine. I always loved trick or treating as a kid and as I got older throwing Halloween parties was my favorite. Now that we have Addy and are trying to be more conscious about the world around us and that we are putting into our bodies, the thought of filling the neighborhood kids bags full of teeth rotting candy, most of which aren’t vegan, didn’t seem to jell with the way we are living.

Everything seems so much more complicated now and the last thing I want to do is alienate my children and make them feel like they are living in a weird house with weird hippy parents that don’t let them do anything. I want them to fit in with society, have friends and feel normal but I also want them to know that you can still do that while thinking of the health of your body, the health of others and the health of our planet.

So I have taken ideas from what I have seen others do and this year here is my plan….

We are not handing out candy anymore instead we are handing out little toys. Yes I could have gotten boxes of raisins of pretzels but I wanted to also make it fun. I know raisins and pretzels are fun but remember what it was like as a kid and you go to the house what’s only handing out raisins…yea a little disappointing, and you end up just throwing them away. So I went to target and to my surprise they had alternatives to handing out candy! Here is that I got….

Play-Doh, pencils, erasers, bubbles and mini card games

We are still going to take Addy trick or treating and we aren’t going to stress about what candy is or isn’t Vegan. She can enjoy a piece or two that night and then the next day she can pick out any 5 pieces to keep, Vegan or not, again we are not going to stress. Later that night the “Halloween Candy Fairy” is going to come and take her candy and give it to a child who could not go trick or treating and in its place she is going to leave Addy a nice gift. I know a woman who did this with her children and it worked out really well, so we are going to try it. I checked with Addys dentist to see if they are doing any sort of redemption, so much money per pound of candy turned in, but they are not so the candy fairy it is.

In my ideal world I hand out something cool like books or small puzzle boxes or something educational, but let’s face it that all costs money and right now we are in a neighborhood FULL of children and it’s just not in the budget. One day when we are rich and famous! :)

Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

Family Time

Searching for the perfect pumpkin.....

Found it! Now lets go show Daddy!

I'm loving the cool brisk fall days!
Happy Halloween!

Taco Salad

Lonny’s grandfather grew up eating this when he was a kid, his wife Tammy continued the tradition with their family and Lonny’s mom continued it with her boys. The first time Lonny made it for me I thought he was crazy, Frito chips crushed? Ketchup?? One it’s mixed up it looks like a place of mess….but after the first bit I was hooked!! We are thrilled that it tastes just as yummy vegan style so that we can keep the tradition going with our family. Thank you Braithwaites!

Braithwaite Taco Salad -Vegan Style

(T-Salad as the boys call it)

One bag of Frito Chips or the store brand corn scoop chips
Large can of refried vegetarian beans
Taco seasoning in the packets or make your own
One block of Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar cheese shredded
One bag of Boca Meatless Crumbles
Onion
Garlic
Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Vegan sour cream (optional)
Ketchup


Heat the beans in a pot on the stove, add the shredded vegan cheese and cook on low until the cheese is all melty. Turn down the heat and keep warm.

Sautee the Boca crumbles, garlic, onion and taco seasonings or whatever spices you want to use in a little olive oil.

Cut up lettuce, tomatoes and avocado and that ever else you want to all to the toppings and set aside.

Take a few handfuls of chips and crush them in your hands and put them in a pile of you plate, then all the beans and Boca crumbles. Add all of you toppings and top it off with a generous squeeze of ketchup along with your sour cream of taco sauce if using.

Mix together and enjoy the T-Salad goodness!

Vegan Ballet Slippers

Addisyn just started ballet class so we searched the web and found the perfect vegan ballet shoes for her! Check them out!

Cynthia King

Vegan ballet slippers

http://cynthiakingdance.com/vegan-ballet-slippers/

Pizza Pizza Pizza!

I am a huge pizza fan and would seriously eat it day and night if I could!!

We have it once a week or so and there are never left overs!

Sometimes I make my own dough and sometimes I get the pre-made stuff from Trader Joes.

I always make my own sauce, I think it tastes better. It's super easy, a few tablespoons of olive oil and a couple minced garlic cloves, saute until bubbling and then add a can of crushed tomatoes and what ever seasonings you like. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 min.  

We use Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella "cheese".  I add the cheese closer to the top of the pizza with the main part of the toppings underneath it. The trick to get it to melt good is to blast it with the broiler for a few minutes after it's done cooking.

  Here are some of our favorites!

Tofukey Italian Sausage, Black Olives, Mushrooms

Roasted Veggies and Potatoes, Topped with Fresh Basil

(Season and roast what ever veggies you want in the oven at about 350 for 30-40 min. Cook pizza separately, add sauce and veggies right before serving)

Boca Meatless Crumbles, Black Olives, Mushrooms and Vegan Cheese

Red Onion, Black Olives, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Artichoke Hearts and Vegan Cheese

ENJOY!

The Great Outdoors

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place and really try to take advantage of it.

At the pier near San Carlos Beach.

Forest of Nisene Marks

McWay Falls

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

The Bixby Creek Bridge on Highway 1

Sara's Wild Rice Salad

My wonderful friend Sara found this recipe online last summer. Since then it has been a weekly staple in our household. We have made this with plain long grain brown rice, a wild rice and brown rice blend and just wild rice. I think that it tastes the best with just wild rice and doesn’t seem to be as sticky or mushy as it is with the brown rice. Eat up!!!

Sara’s Wild Rice Salad

1 ½ uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15 oz) chick peas
1 can (15 oz) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup dried cranberries
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Fill a large saucepan with 4 ½ cups of water. Add rice and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, yet still a bit chewy. Drain any excess liquid. Rinse rice under cold water and drain well.

Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Add chickpeas, beans, walnuts, green onions and dried cranberries to rice and toss to combine.


To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, cumin, curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and minced garlic. Gradually add the olive oil and whisk until blended. Gradually pour dressing over rice mixture. Gently toss and continue to add dressing until all ingredients are lightly coated.


Season salad with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. The salad can be made ahead of serving time and refrigerated.

Makes 6 large main dish servings.

Vegan Lasagna

I made Vegan Lasagna for the first time tonight and oh my goodness it was incredible! I got the recipe from a free Whole Foods app on the iPhone, it’s delicious it tastes just like “the real thing”!

Vegan Lasagna

From Whole Foods iPhone App

Cooking spray
1 (14 oz) package of firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (I used more)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 (25 oz) jars of vegan marinara sauce
3 bell peppers any colors, cored, seeded and chopped
12 no-boil dried lasagna noodles


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish

Wrap tofu in paper towels (or clean dish towels) and gently press out as much water as possible.
Transfer tofu to a large mixing bowl and add yeast, garlic, salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Set tofu mixture aside.

Put marinara sauce in a medium pot and bring to a simmer, add chopped peppers and continue to simmer for about 10 min.

Spoon enough marinara into bottom of baking dish to cover the bottom, and arrange 4 noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the tofu mixture over the top of the noodles then spoon more sauce over the tofu. Repeat the process 2 more times, ending with the sauce.

Cover with foil and bake until noodles are tender, 45-60 min. Set aside and let rest for 10 min before serving.


ENJOY!!!

FUEL

http://thefuelfilm.com/

Lonny and I watched this documentary the other day and like so many great documentaries about our changing planet it was yet another eye opener for us. Yes we know there is a problem with our fuel dependency but let’s face it, it’s so much easier to stay in denial and just go with the flow.


After watching this movie and educating ourselves we are no longer OK with going with the flow, instead we want to be part of the change and hope that you will to!

Welcome to our Garden!

I am thrilled that we have the space to finally plant a garden!! Lonny put together two planter boxes and without doing any research I just went to town planting. Because I did no research about what grows well in our area I may end up with some introducing plants but that’s fine, I am learning as I go and I am having a great time! Hopefully by spring I will have a greener thumb and we will be over grown with veggies by next summer! Addisyn helped me put everything into the ground and is having a great time watching everything grow!


So far we have planted Tomatoes, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Beans, Pumpkins, Orange Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Oregano, Lavender, Lettuce and some flowers.

The beans started pushing through the dirt yesterday and this morning I was amazed to see how much they have grown!

So far so good! Updates to come!

 

A boarder of wildflowers along the garage

Beans and Pumpkins

Tomatoes and Parsley

Lettuce

Our New Life

We are finally settled in our new home in Monterey. We are taking every advantage we can to explore this beautiful part of the world, getting acquainted with the town, finding good restaurants, farmers markets, local museums and parks and all that is in between.


We have ventured out for a few hikes and are finding our selves addicted, the smell of the cool salt air, the sound of the seals and gulls and the sheer joy on Addisyn’s face as she discovers what’s just around the bend.

Here are some pictures from our recent adventures.

Pt Lobos State Reserve

Pinnacles National Monument

Ft Ord Dunes State Park