Little People Plate

In my early years I had little people plates designed for me. The cause of my finicky side, my desire for wholesome, please don't touch or mix with one another food? I'm not sure, maybe. And so the cycle repeats with my children. I too enjoy making little people plates and though this one is not particularly fancy it is a good representation of a typical little people plate at our house. This probably speaks for itself but...today the little ones had red pear, cucumber, avocado chunks, plain chickpeas, whole wheat toast with almond butter and a whole wheat blend rotini pasta that was tossed lightly in olive oil.

Magic Chili

I love chili, one of those warm comfort foods. The spicier the better but that's just me. I throw together a pot of this easy to prepare chili and eat it throughout the week for lunch mostly. I only have one kiddo that is a fan, we do love our beans she and I... So this is my fare while the others are eating lunch at school. I don't use oil or added fat and this particular time I rinsed the beans, though usually I don't bother.

It goes a little something like this:

2 cans kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 zucchini chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 fresh tomato chopped

2 cups frozen corn

2 tbsp cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

1-2 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

These are all guesstimates, I vary this recipe depending on my veggies and just eyeball the seasoning. It does turn out a little different every time...but that's the Magic.

In a large stock pot...

Saute' the chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes over medium heat, just enough to start to soften the onions. Then dump beans, tomatoes and corn into pot. Add enough water to liberally cover the ingredients. If it cooks down too much add a little more water. Then start seasoning. I might use more spice to kick it up but you can continue to taste to see what you like and add more...of any seasoning really. There is no magic amount of time I cook this. It can be done in 1/2 an hour or for many hours over low heat.

Toward the end of cooking time, whenever I'm over it and about to call it a day I throw in the zucchini and cook just a while longer.

I eat this plain or topped with avocado or vegan sour cream. Sometimes both if mood calls. For lunch today I ate it plain with raw broccoli, sugar snap peas and cooked beets. Plain cooked beets are so tasty, cold or warmed.

Walnut Maple Cookies

These are amazing. A family favorite.

This recipe is from vegweb.com, one of the first vegan recipes I'd ever tried. Loaded with healthy ingredients but also so decadent. Made with ground walnuts and flax seed, these cookies are an excellent source of Omega-3. Truly delicious! These have passed the kid test by even the pickiest of children.

Quinoa Hash

Ahhh! Quinoa. One of the ancient grains. Loads of fiber and a nice source of protein. Quinoa Hash is a bed of quinoa with a layer of home style potato fries. The kids said the fries turned out more like chunky mashed potatoes. Those layers are topped with sauteed veggies, zucchini, red pepper, onion and corn. Like to say we had something rich in green color too but I was crab-a-saurus by the time dinner was on the table. We've had this meal many times before. It is usually met with more enthusiastic reviews. Tonight however was hit and miss. Some hitting...learning new culinary skills. The little one used his spoon as a trebuchet. This amused him endlessly. Rich and green were quickly forgotten while I dodged his sailing food. I've used Earth Balance butter before in cooking this. I opted to eliminate any extra fat tonight. Perhaps our beloved Earth Balance was sorely missed. Hence the trebuchet, launching the food. And the potatoes, though good, they mushed more cooking with water than that might have in the soy butter.

I am a tostada

I eat more of these than one person should I'm sure. A lunch favorite. Toasting my own corn tortillas, these like most end up a bit too toasty. They are layered with re-fried pinto beans, tomatoes, salsa, avocado and hot sauce. Today they accompanied raw sugar snap peas, apple and blackberries. I am part rabbit. I do prefer most of my veggies raw. A texture thing. Plus anything that is squishy or remotely gaseous smelling like our cooked cruciferous vegetables...count me out.

Typical Breakfast

A typical weekday breakfast for us. Oatmeal made with whole rolled oats. Simple and fast to make a large pot. I use a spicy cinnamon and eat it plain. The kids prefer maple syrup or agave nectar and then some also add raisins and cinnamon. I usually throw raw walnuts and fruit on the side. This morning we had starfruit and red pears. Fills us up, fiber keeps us satiated longer and we're off to a great start.

Lentil Leftovers

This was today's leftover lunch plate, lentil loaf and mashed potatoes. My first ever lentil loaf and it was approached at last nights dinner table with a great deal of trepidation, myself included. Turned out surprisingly well and was a hit to those that were hoping to not disappoint me. A dinner repeater for certain. I'm still working on the little ones palates. OK, truth be told I'm a picky eater too...

This is not going as well as I'd hoped. Just not computer savvy. I'm working on it. Stand by while frustration ensues... ; )