Election Day!

After this month long experiment, it was time for the family to cast its votes. To meat or not to meat? That is the question.

I'm very proud of the family, all things considered. Washington could take a page out of the Caldwell playbook. There were no deals being made in smoky rooms. There was no- you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours conversations levied.

It was a simple, albeit somewhat somber vote.
As I cleared the plates from the Spinach Pie dinner, I said the fated words, "Well, it's the last day of the month. Let's everyone put our heads down on the table and raise our hands if we want to stay veggie."

Joseph (a no-nonsense man) said, "Oh come on. We all know you're going to vote veggie, so is I. Alex?

Alex got up from the table and walked down stairs saying "Veggie".
Poor Liam.
Defeated by a majority vote said, "NO!"
"Oh come on, Pal," I said "You can eat meat, still. I'm just not gonna cook it. And plus you love my food. Tostadas? Homemade Pizza? Chili?"

"Okay," he said. It's just not fair.
"Well, life isn't always fair." I said. "But think of how blessed you are to choose your food each day. 3 meals! AND snacks and things to drink and MEAT at school and friends houses and restaurants..."

"The meat at school moves on your plate," he said.
"Liam..." said Joseph.
"You're right," said Liam with a big blue eyed *sigh*

I am absolutely certain that this is the best choice for our family and I'll share some of the reasons WHY in the next blog.

Dinner Day 28: Spinich Feta Pie

As a (mostly) Arabic Mama, this dinner was a yummy taste of home for me. It's really a lot easier than most folks think.
All you need is an onion, a box of frozen spinach, a package of feta cheese and some filo dough.

Now-working with filo can be tedious and time consuming, but the way I do it (which btw my mother would STRONGLY object to) is to use cooking spray rather than melted butter between the layers.

If I were making baklava or another owey-goowey delight-I'd bust out the butter, but today is not that day. Today is a spray day and it works just fine, thank you very much. ;)

This meal took about 25 minutes from the time I hit the kitchen to the time it was on the table and I felt like a rock star.

The Consensus:
Alex: Oh, I love this, Mom. Please please make it all the time.
Liam: Good.
Joseph: Man, I'm so glad I married an Arab woman.
Me: Yes, Joseph. Yes, Alex. Yes, Liam. Yes, LORD!

The Cost:
$7 for a family of four.
$1.75/person

Dinner Day 27: Spaghetti with "Meat Sauce"

I realized that I was nearing the end of the month and had not yet pulled out one the veg. staples in my recipe box-good old fashion spaghetti.
Now everyone's mama taught them to make this meal. It's usually meat, sauce and spaghetti noodles. Same here, only instead of ground beef, I used a veggie substitute called "Light Living" meat crumbles. This stuff is great and the dish is the perfect place to hide the fake meat. The sauce soaks right in and you cannot tell the difference- promise.

The "meat" is FULL of protein (12 grams/serving) with NO fat or carbs. The only downside is the price. It's about $4/box. So, as far as the cost is concerned-you break even with it's "dissected" counterpart.

Everyone chowed this down and it took almost no time to make, which help me on a work day.
I served it with garlic bread and a side salad.

The Consensus:
Alex: Love this dish.
Liam: It was GREAT!
Joseph: This is good, honey.
Me: Happy family, happy mom. (especially since I totally cheated and used sauce from a jar)

The Cost:
$5.50 for a family of four.
$1.40/person

ABSOLUTE, OUGHT TO DO IT ONCE A WEEK, WIN-NER!

Dinner Day 26: OH, NO SHE DIDN'T (yes she did)-Goulash

My family's on a budget like everyone else’s.
No one said it was always gonna be pretty.
Buckle Up, Baby.

What exactly Goulash it IS, is based 100% on what she has left over in the fridge.
It IS exactly left-overs disguised as a new meal and cleverly hidden in melted cheese.

Things have been crazy busy this week. Our basement flooded and other treats. :)

I've not really been able to "bust out the puff pastry" lately.

Look-it was dinner time and I had to make something.

We had left over chili, mac and cheese and Indian curried cauliflower with rice.
So Mama mixed it up and slapped some cheese on that mess.

It tasted like something that started with the sound "Goo" but it was nutritious, warm, free and on the table at dinner time.
No one even gave it the honor of being eaten at the table, however. It was a t.v. dinner. alas.
It was, however, a blessing from our father in heaven to have food to eat and that, my friend is that.

Was it a hit?
No.
Will I do it again?
You better believe it.

Dinner Day 25: Mom's Famous Veggie Chili

My family has always loved my chili. I'm confident in it. In fact, in years past-I've even gone as far as to organize a Chili Cook-Off on my block. We are a chili lovin' family. My tried and true, good home cookin' chili is a turkey chili and I must confess I've been sort of mourning the loss of this go-to recipe.
But-the Lord did not give me a spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE, and STRONG MIND and in this case AWESOME VEG CHILI!

I used the same spices I normally use:
Cumin
Red Pepper
Chili Powder
Curry (my secret ingredient)
Onion
Garlic

Instead of the meat, I used a ton of canned beans.
Black beans
Garbanzos
Great Northern
Kidney beans
and
A two cans of diced tomatoes

Fresh Cilantro and Diced avocado to garnish.

It's so quick and so easy and SO YUM-MY! I served it on a bed of Mac and Cheese.
But...did it pass the family's test? Did they love it like they LOVE "mom's chili"?

yes
they
certainly
DID!

The Consensus:
Alex: It smells so good. Man! I love your chili, mom.
Alex's friend: Have seconds and said "Who know vegetarian food could be so good?"
Liam: Ummmm....
Joseph: Good...
Me: Hurray. Cheer! and YUMMMM....

The cost:
$6.50 for five people (with left-overs for lunch tomorrow)
Less than $1.30/person

WIN!

Dinner Day 24:Indian Stewed Cauliflower and Garbonzos

I had a lot of cauliflower in the fridge.
It was on sale crazy cheep and where we live, it usually a pricey.
So cauliflower it is.

Alex and Liam both had friends over for dinner and to spend the night, so I let then decide HOW I would prepare the dish. (so as to all the comments from the peanut gallery about what a wierd cook I am.)

I gave them two choices. I could prepare it baked with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs, or I could make Indian "like at the restaurant downtown".

Kids never cease to amaze me.
Indian it is. (Happy Mommy)

I got the recipe out of a cookbook called The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. That book is just beautiful. Bravo, Anna!

I served the dish with rice, naan, and a homemade Cardamom Ice Cream.
Note: a lot of my church lady sisters can bust out things like French silk pie and fresh baked bread with their eyes closed. It inspires and intimates me at the same time. As I stirred the milk on the stove-I felt "ahhh...this is who God made me to be." When the ice cream came out of the freezer, I felt "WHAT? WENT? WRONG???" :(

The Consensus:
Alex: This is good, Mom.
Alex's Friend: Had seconds.
Liam: Mmm...Not bad.
Liam's friend: Had a couple bite of the main dish, but ate mostly rice.
Me: I could eat like this every day and I'm going to use the ice cream in my coffee.

The cost:
$5 for 5 people
$1/person with plenty of left over’s and when my hubby gets home I know this will be a total win with him.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we have a WINNER!
(But I have to call my girls to figure out how I messed up on the ice cream. I was so excited to try it. *sigh*)

Dinner Day 23: Bagel Sandwiches with Fruit

See this?
This is Mama being a wee-bit lazy.
In honesty, I was up to my elbows in housework.
(my house smells amazing right now)
The kids we reading and playing a computer game and Joseph was out of town for work.
Part of me thought: "Fend for yourselves, kiddos."
Part of me thought: "Why aren't you kids helping me clean?"
Part of me thought: "I want to have the heart of Christ. A servants heart."

So, I chose number three and he's how it played out:
Pause
Pray
Feel His peace which comes with a simple idea:
"Alex, will you come up and vacuum?
Liam, make your bed!"
and I got cracking-literally. A quick and simple pan omelet inside the bagels our church gives out on Sundays ON PAPER PLATES. :)
(Hey-I didn't need ANOTHER thing to clean)

The consensus:
Liam: MMMMM...These are the best sandwiches you've ever made. Why don't you always make these sandwiches?
Alex: I don't like egg (grabs the bagel)
Me: (to Alex) You need protein. (She grabs sliced cheese as well).
Momma: I just at the omelet and fruit and it was EGG-cellent (sorry)

The Cost:
$2.50 for three people
$.75 per person

Slam Dunk Winner

Dinner Day 22 (take two)-Veg Stir Fry with Tofu

As John Steinbeck said "The best laid plans of mice and men, often go astay."

So went tonight's dinner plan.

My plan: Left-overs
Gods plan: Snow day for the kids.
The kids and hubby's plan: To eat the left-overs for lunch!

Therefore:
Veggie Stir fry for dinner.
And, Yes, it was YUM!
The best news about stir fry is that it was already on the menu for later in the week,
AND
it's very quick and easy.
No worries, Mama.
Now, I'm not sayin' every family will hang with tofu, but my family does. That makes it easy to check protein off the "must have" list.
Just another blessing, I suppose.
Thank the Lord...

Ingredients:
Onion
Garlic
Brags liquid aminos (like soy sauce but NOT full of sodium-at most heath food stores)
Red Pepper Flakes
Broccoli
Yellow and Green Pepper
Mushrooms
Sugar Snap Peas
Tofu
White Rice (if you want to go super healthy-go brown rice. My kids won't eat it)

The consensus:
Alex: I love your stir fry, Mom.
Liam: It's good. I just wish there were no mushrooms in it.
Joseph: Do you want the rest of the tofu or can I eat it?
Momma: Eat as much as you want and Liam, pick the mushrooms out.

The Cost:
$5.50 for a family of four
$1.35/person

This (especially in light of last night restaurant dinner was a BIG WIN)
Plus
we have left-overs! ;)

Dinner Day 22-Left-Overs (Again)

I don't believe in being wasteful.
That said, I'm probably far too wasteful anyway.
I turn the water on so my kitty can get a fresh cool drink.
Yes-he's spoiled.
I am spoiled, too.
Spoiled.
But
Not
Spoiled

Rotten.

In fact, I am richly blessed.

Blessed enough to have a fridge full of left-overs from the past few meals.
Left-overs which will NOT be allowed to become

Spoiled Rotten.
:)

Blessed enough to have a beautiful family to eat with, plates to eat on,
A dinning room to eat in.
Even blessed enough to have a fury little kitty car to spoil with fresh, cool, running water.


“I don't preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say, "Now is that political or social?" He said, "I feed you." Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”-
Bishop Desmond Tutu

Dinner Day 21: HELLLOOOO RESTAURANT!

Today was a crazy busy day.
My hubby was out of town on business.
My kids each had after school activities.
I had to work out after work.
Plus.
I'm
Beat.
Therefore we ventured into the world of the restaurant dinner.
The kids chose Mexican.
Here's how it played out:
Alex: Ordered Beef Nachos
I: Ordered a stuffed pablano (and it rocked so hard)
Liam: (and HERE'S THE BIG SUPRISE) did NOT order meat, but chose BEAN tacos.
Wow and Wow!

Remember:
This experiment is NOT about what we are "allowed to eat". It's about what I will prepare at home.

Liam-Mr. Meat Man-had the chance to eat the beef and chose BEANS!
Alex-Ms. Can't we just eat veggies-chose BEEF!

At the end of this month, our family takes another vote.
Will we continue on the veggie path or am I heading to the meat dept. again when I shop for groceries?
God only knows.
Truly.
I pray his will be done.
Amen.
p.s.
eating out is pretty cool from time to time.
what a blessing.

The Concensus:
Alex: I'm so full.
Liam: I'm so full.
Me: I can't believe Liam ordered beans!

The Cost:
$21 for a family of three
$7/person
note: that's more that TWICE as much as any dinner this month.
but....do dishes.

Dinner Day 20- Cheese Raviolli

Today is "National Ravioli Day".
That's Easy on Mom, right?
Right!

For dinner:
Cheese Rav's.
Note:
I went to the store and priced check the cost of ricotta and parmesan, against the cost of buying two bags of frozen or fresh cheese ravioli.
The winner:
Frozen Cheese Ravioli

The Menu:
Cheese Rav's in Marinara Sauce
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Italian Salad

The consensus:
Alex: Man! I LOVE this dinner, Mom. I love ravioli. It's feel good food.
Liam: It was good. (He ate ever bit and more)
Joseph: I loved it. I LOVED IT! Look, the kids ate EVERYTHING.
Me: This is sooo good and sooo easy. I wish I could eat infinite pasta.

The Cost:
$9 for a family of four.
$2.25/person.

Total
Winner
!!!!!!
(Note: I wish the pitures of the cheesy pasta looked better online than they do with my camera. Please believe me, it looked and WAS really restaurant good.)

Dinner Day 19-Black Bean Soup

My co-worker, Ann, was warming up her soup in the microwave on afternoon and the whole radio station smelled just like heaven.
Yes, in MY heaven, there is black bean soup.
Ann was kind enough to share her recipe with me.
I love this dish because it's easy and packed up protein and fiber.
Plus, it's DE-LISH!

Ann is also kind enough to share her recipe with YOU!

Ann's Famous Black Bean Soup
2 cans of black beans (drain0
1 can of diced tomatoes with chili peppers
1 can of diced chili peppers
1 red pepper diced
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic diced
2 cups veg broth
Cilantro to taste
Chives to taste
Cheddar cheese (garnish)

Sauté the onion, garlic, diced red pepper until translucent
Add all canned ingredients and broth.
Bring to boil then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes
Remove 1/2 the soup and puree in a blender then add it back
Stir
Serve
Garnish with herbs and cheese

YUMMY!

Consensus:
Liam: Yum thanks Mom.
Alex: I love your black bean soup! (look-now it's MY black bean soup!)
Joseph: I love this stuff, but it kinda hurts my tummy.
Me: This stuff rocks! Dibs on the left-overs!

Cost:
$7.50 for a family of four
$1.88/ person

Total Winner

Note:
This is also a great dish for potlucks and small groups.
Non-Veg folks still love black bean soup!

Dinner Day 18: Another take of Breakfast

Do you know that there is a large section of vegetarians called "bacon only vegetarians"?

Google it.
You'll see.

It's easy to understand, really.
Bacon is just yummy.
One little problem.
It's real name is pig.
Just sayin'...


At church yesterday, one of the kids in youth group was wearing a t-shirt which had a cartoon drawing of a pig. It read "Please don't eat me. I love you."

Good News!
No little piggies were harmed in the making of this meal!
Bad News!
Veg bacon is kind of a joke (at least to us).
Think about that song from the 80's by MC Hammer "Can't touch this."
I could hear "real bacon" singing that song to "veg bacon".
Sigh...

We did, however, LOVE the veg sausage.

Now-meat eaters, admit it. When you eat sausage, doesn't part of your brain say "what in the world IS this?"
My brother's a full blown meat man, but still eats the veg sausage for that exactly reason.
Morning Star makes a "killer" veg sausage. (pardon the pun)

Today's meal included
Morning Star bacon and sausage
Boiled eggs
Orange slices
Buttered Toast

Consensus:
Alex: Mom, can we just stop having fake meat and just eat veggies?
Liam: I don't like the bacon but the sausage it good.
Joseph: Great. Thanks, hon.
Me: Are you going to eat your sausage?

The cost:
$7 for a family of four
$1.75/person

This meal was a win, but we are done with the veggie bacon.
I think I know where those "bacon only veg" folks are coming from.
:)

Dinner Day 17- Tostadas

There are very few things in life that I enjoy more that feeding my family a dinner that they absolutely love.

Tonight's dinner was such a dinner.

It was almost like the meal was "ruptured" more than eaten.
There
Then....

G O N E!

:)

Plus, it was super cheap and easy.
(Bonus prize)
I made this dinner in about 10 minutes!
That's 10 minutes of a gratitude for the food, stove, family and a chance to pray for the young man we sponsor in La Paz Bolivia (Waldo). He is now 5 years old. We've sponsored him since he was 2. For Christmas his family got him shoes and cooking oil.
When they write to me, they remind me that our family is in there prayers.
Humbling.


The entree: Bean Tostadas

The ingredients:
Tostada shells
Mexican style beans
Half a yellow pepper
Half a red pepper
A sprinkle of Mexican cheese
A spoon of salsa
A spoon of plain yoghurt (or sour cream)
A pinch of cilantro


The Consensus:
Liam: I love this dinner, Mom. I could eat it every day.
Alex: This is so good. I love this dinner.
Joseph: Yum
Me: Happy Mom!

The cost:
$5 for a family of four
$1.25/person

MUST DO THIS ONCE A WEEK!

Dinner Day 16- Middle Eastern

I'm Middle Eastern.
I'm Arab American.
At least, half of me is.
Dad was Syrian.
For than I'm grateful on a million levels.
This is my soul food.
This is my "home cookin'
This rocked!

I can honestly classify tonight offering as a feast.
Why?
Because, Silly, it was!
:)
When my mother and father died, it was in a tornado.
In the wreckage of the house, I found my mom's cook book.
When I found it, I swear to you, I heard her say "This is how you will keep us alive. You will make the food and when you do, you will tell the story of who we were.


Yes.
I.
Will.


Dinner was:
Falafel
Rice
Tabooli
Humus
Salad
Sliced cucumber
Bread
Green Beans in red sauce

It's simple to google the was to make anything listed about.
Dinner took me about 20 minutes to make.
Now, I will let you in on a secret.

Grandma's Red Sauce recipe:
Saute in olive oil
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
(till golden brown)

add to that
1 small can of tomato paste
red wine (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

add water until the consistency of spaghetti sauce

simmer

cover green beans or rice or any other thing and feel the love to god!

While cooking tonight-I prayed hard for the Middle East and for my family.

Consensus:
Alex: Mom! This is so good!
Liam: I'm full.
Joseph: Thank you, Honey.
Me: I just couldn't be happier. This food is my home base and fills me like none other.

Cost:
$8 for a family of four
$2/person
I have so many left overs that my hubby will SURELY snack tonight AND I'll bring lunch for me and my co-workers tomorrow.

Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on Earth!

Acts 9:3-9 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground...

You call THIS food?

I know that this No Dissection Dinner seems like a sacrificial experiment that my family is making as my children, husband and I literally have brought "to the table" a real question we have about our relationship with our food and the animals we share the planet with.

I just want to make something very clear. (yep-that SHOULD sound like a mama talkin')

We are richly blessed to even have the opportunity to choose our food.
We are richly blessed to have ANY food every morning, noon and night.
We are richly blessed and we don't take that for granted.

Above is a picture taken in Ghana, Africa with the little girl we sponsor. Here name is Becky. Becky and her family only have daily food because of the local church's partnership with an organization called Compassion International. They have daily food because the Lord provides.

I have a friend named Harry. He's a pastor who recently traveled to Haiti. His host family served him a dinner of broth and fish heads. "My," Harry said, "Do you always eat like this?"
"No sir," the father answered "Only at Christmas."

If my family was in THAT home, we would gratefully eat broth and fish heads. Period.
and
we would be grateful.


Please know that today, as I prepare the next No Dissection Dinner, I do with with more than a full tummy, I do it with a full heart. I do so knowing how amazingly and abundantly blessed we are to have food, a stove, a family with healthy children and the freedom to make choice.

Thank you, Father.
Thank you.

Dinner Day 15- Veggie Burgers

Does this seem like a "cop-out" to you? It kinda did to me, but then I thought "Hey, I wouldn't think meat burgers were a cop-out, right?" Right.
And good news!
No animals were harmed in the making of tonight's dinner.
Cheer!

Confession time:
I'm really starting to like the veg thing myself. I love that I didn't have to stick my hands in raw meat to make these burgers. LOVE IT!

Whew! Glad that's off my chest!

Tonight's entree was:
Veggie Bacon and Cheese Burger (I KNOW, RIGHT!!!)
I served the burgers on Italian bread instead of a bun
(I had it and it was gonna go bad soon,so...)
Baked potato with chives
Green salad with Italian dressing

The consensus:
Alex: I just love these things.The fake bacon's crazy good. The burgers are a little dry though.
Momma: These are soooo good! I think they're dry because I over cooked them.
Joseph: I love them too. Just what I needed. And No, they're dry because there is no MEAT in them. They're great, Shannyn. :)
Liam (was at Boy scouts having pizza)


The cost:
Okay-confession again-The burgers are a bit costly. At my store I payed $5 for 4 burgers. They're so easy and jam packed with protein, thought-I sprung for them.

$7 for three people (no leftovers)
$2.33/person

Still a total WIN and SO EASY ON MOM!

Dinner Day 14- Mushroom Risotto

Well, Everything that has breath, praise the Lord.
This dinner was amazing.
This dinner bordered on being illegal in some states it was so delish!

Mama's first crack at risotto passed the test.

For a decade, I've heard about the trappings of a good risotto. How creamy and flavorful it is. How TIME CONSUMING AND TEDIOUS IT IS!

In honesty, BOTH are true.

It's a bit of a high maintenance diva, but I've you have the time and inclination to stand and stir, it's well worth it.

I made may time at the stove a bit of a prayer and meditation. I prayed for my family, my children's health and peace and my husbands work and satisfaction. I'm here to tell you-YOU COULD TASTE THE LOVE!

The Consensus:
Alex: Ate everything and some of her brothers as well.
Liam: Ate all his risotto and half his salad with only one question:
"why are there mushrooms in this?"
Joseph: Had two helpings at dinner and finish the left overs at t.v. time. :)
Mama: Loved seeing here family well fed and happy and Yes, it was yumm-y!

Note: I did have to bribe these clean plates with the pumpkin pie which was dessert.

Cost:
$9 for a family of four (including a pumpkin pie)
$2.25/person

Still a total WIN!

Dinner Day 13- Easy Indian Chick Peas

Some of these are just for Mama.

The kids were with their cousins at dinner time, so I threw together this delight.

Would the kids have eaten it if they were home? NO! Not a chance.

Liam would run for the microwave with chips and cheese and call it dinner had I tried to plop this on the table for the family.

Alex would more than likely declare that she isn't hungry.

Joseph would love it. (love that man)

But, the kids were not home, so I was free to rock the Indian food in the kitchen.

When I make international food, I also use it as an opportunity to pray for the people in that region.
For expample-when I make Middle Eastern food, I pray for the people of the Middle East.
When I make African food, pray for African people.
Today, a great chance to pray for the people of India.

This recipe is crazy simple. You can adapt in by adding more heat with chili peppers or even cayenne. You can cool it off with fresh cilantro or plain yogurt. You can serve on a bed of rice or lettuce. Heck-you can do all of the above!

This is the very basic ingredient list.

1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 can white beans
1 can of tomatoes (or fresh)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp coriander powder or turmeric
1 tsp cumin


Toss it in a pot and warm it all up.
MAN DO I LOVE THIS DISH!
Good tasting, great for you. Full of fiber and the all important protein.

Cost:
$2.50 for a huge pot-enough to serve about 8 people
I have the leftovers at work for breakfast and lunch.

Win, Win, Win!

On a night when the kids aren't there. ;)

Dinner Day 12- I didn't do it!

"Uncle Carl is my favorite uncle!" shouted Liam as the ribs hit the table.

Before we dig into tonight dinner, I'd like to remind you about the root and cause of the "no dissection dinner".

The root:
My daughter Alex came home from school after dissecting a chicken wing in freshman biology and declared that she will "never eat chicken again."
My son had got on the train and became "chicken free".

They want to be chicken free, but think beef and whatever else is fine.
Mom's response: Beef is an animal and has veins, too. If you don't want to eat things with viens.....


The cause:
I'm a mama. I'm not a mean mama, but I'm also not a short order chef. If the kids want to stay away from things with veins and fingernails on their dinner plate, I understand and support them.


The month long experiment:
Mom does not cook anything with veins. (basically-crude but true)

Today:
Dinner was at Uncle Carls

The Menu:
Ribs

Liam and Joseph are happy men tonight.

I ate left over minestrone soup.


Confession:
I haven't eating pork since I was 9 and saw a whole dead pig at the butcher shop.

Dinner Day 11- Minestrone Soup with Sour Dough Bread

I LOVE MINESTRONE SOUP! Every time I eat it, I think "is the really vegetarian?" It's so good. It tastes like there's peperoni in it. It's a little tiny miracle in a bowl.

I never made it on my own-usually eat it at a restaurant or from a can, but I ventured into the world of edible alchemy and came out with money saving kettle of yumminess that will last for weeks.

My recipe created so much soup that I'll bring it to visit family tomorrow, have some for lunch at work on Monday and freeze enough for another dinner.

Yeah Baby!

It's crazy easy and nutritious.
In this case I'm not even sharing the family's vote because sometimes Mama's vote is the only vote needed.

I served this with a beautiful loaf of sour dough bread.



Ingredients:


1 large onion
2 chopped zucchini
green beans
minced celery
minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 cans small white beans
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach (I used kale)
1/2 cup small shell pasta

Cost:

$9 for enough for feed a very very large group or my family for days-
$?/person = crazy cheep and a total vegtastic WIN!

A note from my hubby re: the veg lasagna

Joseph (who didn't eat the lasagna last night) would like to issue the following statement:

The Noodles were perfect, tender.
Very enjoyable lunch.
I had two big helpings.
I love my wife's lasagna.

(So there)-Me ;)

Dinner Day 10- Cheese Quesadillas

From the "know when to say when" department, tonight I caved to the will of the little man-Liam.

HE is actually the one who made tonight's dinner. (Yep-he's gonna make a great hubby someday)

Liam chose to make his specialty - Cheese Quesadillas. They rocked. Everyone Ate.
Easy and Cheesy- WIN.

The consensus:
Liam: Ate every last bite. Happy kid.
Joseph: This is good, Liam. and "your poop is gonna be a rock" (that's what he said)
Me: Yum. Thanks, Liam and JOE! (but it IS true)
Alex: Is on a school trip.

Cost:
$3 for three people including the fruit and drink served with Liam's creation.
$1/person
Total (not gonna do it every night but HEY!?!) WIN!

Note: I think it's a bonus win that Liam was responsible enough to take on making dinner tonight. He did a great job.

Dinner Day 9-Veggie Lasagna

What do you think of when I say "lasagna"?
A giant stack of noodles, cheese and sauce.
Perhaps meat.
Perhaps 15 layers.
Perhaps some super t.v. chef with skills much greater than mine.
It seems so easy on the package instructions.

I must confess, I'm feeling a little defeated by tonight's offering.


I did just what the directions said, but instead of meat, I used some carrots and broccoli which I mixed with garlic, basil and onion in my food processor.
I thought the mixture was yum.
The kids-well...

The consensus:
Liam: What is this stuff? (and he's the one who asked for lasagna)
Alex: Ate it, but I could tell it was a "sympathy eat".
Joseph: Didn't eat it.
I: Thought it was good.

Conclusion:
If I had to do it over again, I'd just put my "healthy food hide the veggies" hat aside and pack it OUT with cheese.

Cost:
$9 four a family of four (including the Italian bread and salad)
$2.25/person

We have TONS of left-overs. Right now I wish I knew where to find the homeless and hungry in my neighborhood because I'm sure they would just plain love it.
Wanna come over for dinner?

Dinner Day 8- "Chicken" Soup for the Soul.

I must confess, I had loftier ideas for dinner tonight.
Veg Lasagna
Veg Stir Fry
Stuffed Peppers
These are to come.

But today

I got a call

From School.

Liam's sick.

First:
Would you do me a favor and pray for my family's health?
Thank you so very much.

So for dinner: "Chicken" Soup.

Tonight's dinner is chicken free. Just lettin' ya know:
Chicken soup is a deal breaker for the 30 day no meat rule. If my kids are sick and I can't (even with prayer) beat it, all bets are off and the chicken soup is ON.
However, today is not that day.

Tonight's dinner:
Soup
A huge kettle
In it:
Onion,
Garlic
Celery
Green beans
Carrots
Veggie broth
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Tofu noodles (super yummy and at most health food stores)
Cheese ravioli (!!I know, right? !!!)

Sour dough bread with herbs oil

Consensus:
Liam: It feels good on my throat
Alex: Came back for more
Alex's friend Sam: Came back for more
Joseph: This is good. I wish it didn't have green beans
Me: It feels good on my throat, too.


Cost:
$11 for a family of four
$2.75/ person
but we fed 5 people with left plenty of left overs for Liam's home from school lunch and dinner tomorrow.

This was a win.

Dinner Day 7-The Lord loves-Leftovers!

The Lord loves leftovers! It's IN the Bible.
Seriously.
Everyone knows the story of the Loaves and Fishes, right?
A little boy gives Jesus his lunch and Jesus blesses in and puts it in the hands of his disciples who pass out the equivalent of a paper bag lunch to feed 5,000 hungry men and women.

Wild right?

What a lot of people don't recall is what happens AFTER that great miracle.

Mathew 15:37
They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketful's of broken pieces that were left over.


I have a friend named Lisa who tours with the Renaissance Festival. She would probably agree that she is , for the most part, what the world calls a "dirty hippy". Lisa's father's quite wealthy and likes to take her to eat in fancy restaurants. She loves that and counts it a blessing. What she WON'T do, though, is leave the left overs on the table. She always takes them "to go". For whatever reason, it's been a sticking point in their relationship. Dad thinks that she is feeling lack and the dynamic has caused some guilt for my friend.

When I told her about Mathew 15:37 she had such a sense of relief. "Jesus loves leftovers!", she said.
"Yep."

Tonight we had leftovers for dinner and "They all ate and were satisfied".

Cost:
$0 for a family of four.
$0/person.

We will do this again!

Dinner Day 6- Sunday Brunch

Delish and Nutrish
This was a home run!


After Church today I rocked out the worlds quickest Sunday Brunch for family and friends.

TWICE this past week I was off the hook in the kitchen. The least I could do was put together something special on Sunday.

Did it take hours (or even AN hour)? NO~
Was it more costly then the usual fare? Not really.
Was it a hit?- You better believe it! :)

On the menu:
Veggie Pot Pie (confession-I used the left overs from the Pot Roast to fill it)
Blueberry Muffins (left over from before church)
Fruit Salad (fresh bananas, apples, pineapple, grapes, a few mini-marshmallows)
Lettuce Wedge Salad with baby carrots dressed with blue cheese vinaigrette.

The consensus:
Alex: Mummm...good. Thanks Mom.
Alex's Friend:" I can't believe this is all vegetarian. It's so good."
Liam: Ate a ton!
Joseph: Thanks, babe.
Me: Will someone please do the dishes? ;)

Cost: $6.00/ four 6 people
$1/person


Cheer!

Dinner Day 5- Sydney's Famous Udon Noodles

We are blessed tonight to have the company of my daughter's best friend, Sydney, who is famous for her noodles.

They are basically Ramen noodles (prepared to the packages directions) with rosemary and vegetables.
She lets them cook for a long time until the broth is almost all soaked into the veggies and noodles. She says "That's what makes them so yummy."

Consensus:
Alex: I'm full.
Sydney: I'm full
Liam: Thanks.
Joseph and I went out on a lunch date and didn't enjoy tonight's offering. :)

Cost: $2.20 for a family of four
$2.40 if you include the pot of jasmine green tea which was served tonight

.60/person

NOT BAD. NOT BAD AT ALL.


THANKS SYDNEY!!!!

Dinner Day 4-Nachos with Salad

Waste Not, Want Not


I know. It look almost like last night. Right? Right.
But goooooood.

Nachos for dinner was a hit!

I used the left overs from yesterdays chili and stacked it on tortilla chips. I garnished it with plain yogurt (you can use sour cream) romaine, chives, cilantro,tomatoes, pepper. yum, right?


You can sub something for the corn chips if you don't want them.
If you want to do this vegan then substitute a soy cheese and a veg. sour cream.
(pretty good to me, but the kids hate it. it's pretty costly,too.)
Raw foodies have great veggie our cream.
You can find recipes on google.


Consensus:
Alex: Mumm, Yum. Can you get me more?
Alex's friend: Ummmm. I love your food. :)
Joseph: Ate it. Seemed satisfied. :)
I: Loved it.
Liam: Was at a friends. (I think they're having meat.)

Cost:
3.35 for family of four (Tons of left-overs tonight. I'll make a good snack.)
$.81/person

NOT BAD.
Plus-it's Friday.

Dinner Day 3- National Chili Dog Day-Veg Style

You Will NEVER believe what happened at dinner!
Or maybe you will...

Tonight, national Chili Dog Day was celebrated at our home!!!

Veggie friend-Peace!

Meat Loving friends-Peace to you, as well!

It was veg (but no one knew) ;)

With respect to Alex's suggestion on day 1 or the no dissection dinner I said nothing of the veg experiment to the friends or family at our table tonight.
We celebrated Nation Chili Dog Day with, well, CHILI DOGS-period. Okay?

Well...they WERE veg, but no one knew!

Cheer!

Don't ASK Don't Tell. :)

The consensus:

Alex: Are you SURE these are veg? and I'm full. Thanks, Mom.
Liam: Yum... I'm full.
Liam's friend: That was so good. Thanks Mrs. Caldwell (what a good boy!)
Me: :)!!!

Ingredients:
Chili:
1 can diced tomatoes w/ chili's
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup "meat" (mornings star veggie crumbles)
spices (chili peeper, salt, garlic)
1 onion diced

Hot Dog:
NOT DOGS (boiled)
Whole grain bun

Home Made Baked "Fries" - skins on in oven

Cost: $6 for a family of four
$1.50/person

THIS DINNER (WHILE A HUGE HIT WITH THE KIDS) WILL MORE THAN LIKELY ONLY RETURN TO OUR TABLE ON "NATIONAL CHILI DOG DAY"

National Chili Dog Day!

What to do? What to do?

I L-O-V-E love chili-dogs. Seriously.
This is a hurdle to cross.
Good News!
I ran hurdles in High School!

Today's Veggie Dinner is CHILI DOGS!!!
Who's yo mama?
ME!
Oh Yeah....


Veggie Chili Dogs (Don't tell)

Here we go.

We have company for dinner. My son's buddy from school. He has no idea about the veg eating this month and even CALLED HIS MOM TO ASK IF HE COULD HAVE DINNER HERE!!!

more to come....


please pray....

Dinner Day 2- Breakfast for Dinner!

First a note from my VERY veg and vegan friend:
There's a difference between vegetarian and vegan. In fact-there are all kinds and variances in the veggie eater's game.
They include:
No eating of meat broth
No eating of eggs
No eating of dairy
and many more...

When I was a veg eater in college (cLeche I know) I drew my personal line at broth. It was just too hard to eat at restaurants with my family and not accommodate meals prepared with broth. I essentially decided that if I had to chew it-it counted. This is a split hair which may have allowed me to eat a pot roast if it was blended enough and in retrospect, I wish I would have thought of this.

Some vegetarians consider themselves "bacon only" vegetarians. Even though I haven't eaten pork since I was in 4th grade and saw that pig at the butcher shop-I understand. I really truly do.

In this instance know this: Our family's edge is "anything with a face".
Eggs and Dairy are fair game. Pun Intended.

For those playing along at home, this is called an "ova-lacto" vegetarian.
Cheer!



Tonight's meat free dinner was the ever popular "breakfast for dinner"!
Bonus Prize:
Daddy was the chef! Thank you, Lord!

This evening's entree included a sharp Cheddar omelet with diced tomatoes and scallions, pancakes and fresh strawberries! YUM!

The consensus:

Alex: Yum. This is good. Thanks, Dad.
Liam: I'm full!
Dad: I'm the best cook in the world. Mom-stay out of the kitchen! :)
Mom: Dad-you're the best and I'll be happy to.

Cost: $6 for a family of 4
$1.5/ person

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Dinner Day 1- Veg Pot Roast

This evenings special was the Vegetarian Pot Roast.

Alex (miss I dissected a chicken wing and will no longer eat meat)has but one regret in leaving her flesh and bone dinner options behind. Namely: Pot Roast.
Today I began our month long experiment with a peace offering: Beefless Pot Roast.

Ingredients:
Home Style Beefless Tips from Gardein ($5/package) (at Kroger)
Carrots
Potatoes
Onion Soup Mix
Garlic Cloves
2 Med. Onions

Cost: $8 for a family of four = $2/person
Served with a green salad

Family Approval Rating:
Alex: Ummmmm......tastes just like meat! Do it again!
Joseph: Thumbs up! How much did this cost?
Liam: Can you make this with meat next time? (to which Alex responded "just don't tell him"
Mom: This will work.

Today's the first day...

Of the rest of, well, this month! This VEG-TASTIC month!

Each day this month, I will share with you-the dinner, the picture and the comentary from the dinner table.

Tonight:
In honor of my sweet daughters only reservation to turning fully veg:

Veggie Pot Roast.

Pray for us!

Surprise Surprise

Yesterday was the end of the first month of veggie eating and as I served dinner (a very tasty black beans and rice)we voted.

I was SHOCKED that our vote was 3-1 in favor of staying veggie for another month!

It broke down like this:

Me-Veg
Joseph-Veg
Alex-Veg
Liam-Meat

Here are the reasons and the reservations from each of us:

Me- reason-I like veggie eating better and if done well, I think it's a healthier choice. Also-I find it interesting the God gives us a garden as our food in Genesis.

reservation- why did God also give us canine teeth and can I give them all the iron and other nutrients they need to thrive?

Joseph- reason-it's cheaper for our family to be veggie eaters.
reservation-mmmmmmm......meat.

Alex- reason- I don't want to eat animals.
reservation-but Mom, I love your pot-roast!

Liam- reason- I want MEAT!
reservation- but NO CHICKEN!


YEESH!


So begins month two. :)

Birds of a feather, flock together

Thankfully, that night I was taking the kids out to eat that evening (a treat in our family)so the menu was someone else's problem.

They both ordered beef.

The next evening, however, I was back in the kitchen and the menu included-you guessed it-chicken!

"Mom, you don't understand. I mean it. I'm never eating chicken again!", our daughter declaired.

Liam-the 7 year old boy dived into his plate and came up with an "EEEWWW! What's this? Is this a VEIN????"

My husband said "Yep.Animals have veins. All of them. Chickens do, cows do, pigs do and so do we."

"Well then I'm never eating chicken again either," said Liam.

This is where the No Dissection Dinner begins.
I'm sorry-okay I'm not.
I'm the mom and I;m the cook.
I'm not going to play this game where I become a puppet for everyones goofy diatary wierdness.
You don't want to eat animals? It grosses you out? Fine. I'll be happy to accomadate you. I was a vegitarian when I married my hubby and I addapted to meat eating for him.
I will not, however pretend it's okay to descern between one yummy creature with a face and another just becasue they SAW the VEINS in one of them.

Therefore we began.
One month of veggie eating which will go up to a vote when the month's complete.

Biology 101

Our daughter Alex is a high school freshman which, as you my know (or remember) means that last week show was required by her Biology teacher to study dissection.

Now, Mr. Cam didn't serve up for her educational pleasure an earth worm which could be chopped and still miraculously wiggle about and move on it's merry way. Nor did he bring to the table the ever popular and timeless classic-the FROG! Rather, Mr. Cam welcomed my baby into the world of dissecting with a Chicken-Wing.

She was shocked and dismayed when I picked her up from school. "How was your day?" I asked.
"Oh, Mom, awful," she said. "Cam made us dissect a chicken wing! It was so gross. It had a claw! A CLAW! It even had a FEATHER!!! I can't ever eat chicken again."

In the beginning...

We ate meat. We loved meat. Meat was yummy and delicious. My husband and I would joke "If God didn't want us to eat animals, why did He make them OUT OF MEAT?"

Then it all changed.