The Great Debate: Babymoon

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babymoon : A last vacation taken by expectant parents before a baby is born.

Ever since we found out we were expecting I have had a babymoon on the brain and I have been searching and searching for the perfect trip.   The trip must fit into our limited budget since our normal fun/travel budget is much smaller with a baby on the way and it must be somewhere relaxing.  Usually when we travel we are always on the go, running around to here and there, this time we want to just sit and relax. The other factor that we have to consider is the fact that I only have a small window of opportunity to fly and unfortunately that is February to mid-March, the most expensive time to fly south from Vermont (of course).

Ideally our babymoon would be spent somewhere like this:

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Sunny, warm and on the beach with a virgin mojito in my hand.  Instead we probably will have to go with Option B:

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Still on the ocean but only 4 hours driving from home and about 40 degrees colder (I don’t think we’ll be lounging on the beach.)

Either way I know we will have an amazing time together.

Did you go on a babymoon? Where did you go? 

{Recipe} Creamy “Sausage” Gravy

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 4oz (1/2 package) tempeh, grated
  • 8oz mushrooms, quarter and pulsed in a food processor 5-6 times
  • 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  •  1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp dried crushed fennel
  • 1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • Water
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup vegetable broth + 1 tbsp cornstarch, whisked together
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy creamer

Directions:

1. In a small skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add in the onion saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to caramelize. Transfer the onion to a large mixing bowl.

2. To the mixing bowl, add the grated tempeh, mushrooms, wheat gluten, parsley, spices, salt and pepper; stir to combine. With a wooden spoon stir in the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and 4 tablespoons of

water. Stir until the mixture begins to come together as a dough; if the mixture seems dry add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil oil over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage mixture into the pan and cook until browned. Stir in the vegetable broth mixture and non-dairy creamer and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the gravy over your favorite savory baked good.

Weekend Wrap Up: Things Get Corny

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The highlight of the weekend was purchasing and installing our new washer and dryer. We finally decided that since we never go to the laundromat and end up with piles of laundry as well as the fact that we have a baby on the way which means even more laundry that we should finally suck it up and buy our own washer and dryer. So all of Saturday afternoon was spent making polenta lasagna and watching Storage Wars while Neil and my pa installed the washer and dryer.

Sunday Neil and I spent the day relaxing around the house and cooking up a big pot of Chipotle Coconut Corn Chowder. In the mix: frozen sweet corn, chopped green chiles, onion, carrots, garlic, paprika, chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, coconut milk, vegetable broth and chickpeas.

Neil used his new bread book to bake up a tasty loaf of whole wheat bread.

Monday came along and my stomach was feeling a little off from all of the gluten I had Friday-Sunday. So I ended up taking a sick day to relax and feel better. I enjoyed lots of water and some left over chowder.

And started reading the new Fit Pregnancy.

Yesterday afternoon I started to feel better and just in time because the UPS guy came knocking at my door to deliver a package from Cornucopia Popcorn, a variety of vegan popcorns.

I couldn’t resist diving right in and of course went for the most colorful option the Cornfetti, a mix of all our colorful candied fruit flavors including Cherry, Strawberry, Orange, Banana, Grape, Blue Raspberry, Green Apple and Watermelon.

It was super tasty. I had a few small handfuls and shortly went back to the box to try a few pieces from all of the other flavors.

Dinner time came around and my stomach was starting to feel a little off again so I decided to make Neil a big bowl of quinoa with tempeh and veggies and myself a nice big fruit plate.

Cara Cara Orange, Grapes and Banana with Almond Butter

{Pregnancy Update} 14 Weeks

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I had planned on writing this post a few days ago but now here I am at 14w4d and I’m finally posting here on the new blog. I also had said that I would have my first bump photo but well the weekend got away from me and I didn’t have Neil take one so expect one at at 15 week update.

How I’m Changing

I am starting to finally look more pregnant.  I have mini bump and I’m looking forward to the day when I have a big noticeable bump.

How I’m Feeling

I am feeling really good, but pretty tired out in the evenings and I have been going to be at 7:30p-8:30p and getting up at 4:30a most mornings.  I am going to attempt to get myself into a better routine because early wake ups just aren’t working for me. I am also going to increase my workouts to 3-4 times per week and hopefully attend pre-natal yoga once per week starting this week or next.

 

What I’m Eating

This week I have eaten lots of salads, bean dishes and too much coconut milk ice cream.  Saturday I made a polenta lasagna which was delicious but I ended up with ridiculous indigestion which doesn’t seem to want to go away.
Random Facts of The Week:
  • Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds (I think).
  • Workouts:  um none this week. Fail.
  • Baby Items Purchased: 10 for $10 onesies.
  • Gender Suspicions:  Still leaning towards a boy.
  • Cravings: beans and creamy foods.

{Recipe} TVP Tex-Mex Polenta

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 Your entire family will love this recipe! It also reheats really well which makes it perfect for any weeknight meal so you have yummy leftovers for lunch.

Polenta

  • 1 cup corn grits polenta
  • 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast
  • 1t salt
  •  3 cups of water

Bring the water to a boil and stir in the corn grits polenta, nutritional yeast, and salt. Turn down to low and continue to stir until the polenta has thickened.

Tex-Mex TVP

  • 1.5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup TVP
  • 1/2 large onion, minced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1t ground cumin
  • 1T nutritional yeast
  • 1t paprika
  • 1/2t garlic salt
  • 1t chili powder
  • 1/2T oil

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and stir in the TVP; turn down and simmer for 5- 7 minutes. Saute the onions and garlic in oil over medium-high heat until translucent. Add in the cumin, paprika, chili powder and salt and stir to evenly coat the onions and garlic. Pour in the TVP; it should be soft and expanded some- there should be a little left over vegetable broth. Stir the TVP and onion mixture together and add the salsa and nutritional yeast.

Assemble

Take 1/4 of the polenta and put it on a plate, top with 1/4 of the TVP mixture and then 1/4 of an avocado. ENJOY! Other suggestions: add your favorite hot sauce, fresh diced tomatoes, pickled jalapenos or cilantro to add even more flavor to this dish.

 

Interested in following my pregnancy updates? Please visit Running With Tongs Baby.

{Recipe} Avocado Tofu Benny

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One of my favorite breakfast to get out as a vegetarian was the California Benedict at Sneakers in Winooski, VT. Since becoming vegan I have tried to recreate the dish to be as similar as possible and I finally made something tasty and very similar. This is wonderful for any meal but I love to serve at brunch and both veggies and omnivores have been known to love this dish.

 For the marinated tofu:

  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  •  1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  •  6-8 ounces extra firm tofu, sliced into 4 triangles (1/2 block)

Marinate the tofu:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the vegetable broth and red wine vinegar. Whisk in the chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder, thyme and nutritional yeast, if using.
  2. Place the tofu slices in the broth mixture and marinate for about 30 minutes.

For the Hollandaise sauce:

  • 1 cup soy, rice or almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons dairy free margarine substitute
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • a pinch salt
  • a pinch black pepper
  • a pinch cayenne pepper

To make the Hollandaise sauce*:

  1. In a medium bowl mix together the milk, lemon juice, margarine, cornstarch, vegetable broth and nutritional yeast, if using. Season the milk lemon mixture with pinches of salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
  2. Place the milk lemon mixture in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the Hollandaise has thickened to preference, whisking occasionally to ensure a smooth sauce. Remove the Hollandaise sauce from heat until plating the Avocado Tofu Benedict

To complete the Avocado Tofu Benedict:

  •  a spritz olive oil or cooking spray
  • 1 avocado, thin sliced
  •  2 cups arugula, divided
  •  4 whole wheat English muffins, toasted and lightly buttered with vegan margarine
  •  hot sauce, to taste, optional

To complete the Avocado Tofu Benedict:

  1. Prepare a skillet with a light coating of olive oil or cooking spray. After the tofu triangles are done marinating, place the skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the tofu triangles to the skillet and cook for 5-7minutes, or until the tofu begins to brown. Flip the tofu triangles with a spatula and cook 5-7 minutes on the other side or until both sides have browned.
  3. Top each side of the toasted English muffins with 1/2 cup of the arugula and 2 slices of avocado.
  4. Top the avocado with 1 piece of tofu and a drizzle of the Hollandaise sauce* per side. Complete the dish with a few drops of hot sauce, if using, and enjoy.

* If a significant period of time has passed between making the Hollandaise sauce and plating the Avocado Tofu Benedict, warm the sauce on the stove over low heat before serving. You may need to add a bit more milk to thin the sauce during reheating.

{Recipe} Italian Seasoned White Beans

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My absolute favorite bean is the cannelini bean because they are so soft and creamy. They are wonderful in soups, pasta dishes, as a dip, in a stew or mashed up. Last night I made a bunch of slow cooker white beans* and then cooked them up with veggies and seasonings.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cooked or canned cannelini beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon vegan margarine (optional)
Directions:
  1. In a medium heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; stir in the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 7-10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the white wine and Italian seasoning and cook for 5-8 minutes.
  3. Stir in the beans, salt, pepper and broth and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
  4. Taste for seasonings, add margarine if desired  and then serve with your favorite veggies, over rice or with a nice slice of crusty bread.

*To make slow cooker white beans or any slow cooker beans soak beans over night then drain and rinse.  Place in a slow cooker pot and cover with water an inch above the beans. Cover the beans and turn to low and cook for 6-9 hours.  I usually put mine on in the morning before work and cook on low until I’m ready to use them for dinner.

my pesky little helper