Sweets Galore

I have been mostly slack about posting this season of MoFo. We have been cooking up a storm and eating a lot, but I have not been posting as I should. At least I have been eating though, right? 

While the nauseation is mostly gone, I have developed other unpleasant symptoms. I have a pain in my right side under my ribs. The midwifes/nurses have several theories of what it could be and I'm trying different solutions. What seems the most likely now is that it is reflux. I tried taking tums last night and threw up. This is the second time during my pregnancy that I have thrown up after tums. While they might not be the reason I threw up I can't help but think my body is rejecting them. So I am on to other solutions, mostly natural. 

My side rant here is to share something about myself. Before pregnancy one of my biggest fears (besides spiders) was throwing up. My fear skyrocketed during the time when I was sick before my Celiac diagnosis. I had a 12 year long streak of not throwing up. I'd be nauseated for hours after a gluten attack and prevented myself from throwing up each time. It was pure misery. When my nauseation set in for pregnancy, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was going to throw up. And throw up, I did! While it still isn't a fun activity for me, I allow myself to do the dirty deed if my body requires is. All of this was so say that my future little vegan one has changed me. This change I feel is for the better. I did not want to go through life being afraid of throwing up. I still get nervous when I am nauseated in public, but I have been dealing with it better than before. 

Now that I have gotten the grossness out of the way, I wish to share sweets with you all. I think I have mentioned that my love of sweets has upped since becoming pregnant. I do not eat them all of the time, but I eat them more often than I did before. In moderation, they are not horrible for me. In addition, they are vegan and gluten free, so they can't be horrible- right? 

For my Mom's birthday, I made a sponge cake with a pudding/creme, jelly, and strawberry topping. I found the recipe on another MoFo post and started salivating at the picture. My Mom likes all desserts, so I felt it was a good experiment to try for her. The cake was moist and spongy like what I remember of a sponge cake. I really liked the topping as well. The pudding was easy to make and is a recipe I will keep on hand for other uses. 

The next creation that I decided to whip up was a request from a special friend's birthday. She wanted a vanilla cupcake with a coffee buttercream frosting. I pulled out my Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for the gluten freedom cupcake recipe and made a vanilla cupcake with some coffee extract. The icing was a buttercream frosting flavored with coffee granules. I was impressed with both the cake and the icing. A non vegan tasted them and requested the recipe. I think she was surprised how good something vegan and gluten free could be. 

Those of you that have read my blog posts this MoFo have seen my asking, begging and longing for scones! After much hinting from me, John decided to make a delicious chocolate orange scone with an orange glaze that we found posted on Facebook by an animal sanctuary we follow. John got out the ingredients and the recipe and got to work! The scones were absolutely amazing! They were rich and chocolatey with a lovely hint of orange. I enjoyed them as a snack with a smear of vegan butter. I think I could eat these scones for every meal! I'm thankful to have such a caring husband and father of the future vegan little one.

The last sweet I will share is a chocolate cake with blueberry icing and blueberries in between the layers. This wonderful cake was made by Joie de Vegan for a birthday party of a special three year old. His parents were so kind to get a cake that we could eat. It was so beautiful that people lined up to try a slice and found it amazing. I had to agree with their assessment. The blueberry icing and the pops of blueberries in between the layers set this cake apart from others I have tried. 

Hopefully your taste buds have been tantalized enough to go make yourself a vegan and gluten free treat of your own.

Pasta Vegan Alla Puttanesca

We are over halfway through Vegan MoFo 2014 and I have not been as diligent as usual about posting. Every other MoFo that I have participated in, I have done at least 20 posts. I know I will not make that this year. I am not beating myself up about it. I realize that my expectations are a bit different this year.

I have been cooking more than normal since the pregnancy now that food is becoming more appealing to me. I am starting to look forward to some meal times and I am having to remind myself less and less to eat. Mealtimes are becoming less of a chore for me. They are not up to where they were before, where I looked forward to the next one, but I am no longer dreading what I will eat next. I am also not having to worry about sickness as much. I still feel nauseated at times, but not the every minute deal like I felt before. New challenges have sprung up- such as every night I feel a pain in my right rib. I think it is my stomach being pushed into my ribs, but I am not for sure. I know my organs are shifting around to make room for the future little vegan one, but I just don't know where they are being pushed.
It is still warm here, in the 80's and our produce box through our CSA is flourishing. I am happy that we are still getting pints of cherry and sungold tomatoes. We are also getting larger varieties of tomatoes. They are amazing, as usual. One night when I looked at the pint of sungolds, I thought puttanesca. Lucky for me, we had kalamata olives in the fridge.  I had everything I needed to make a simple puttanesca dinner. 

I am not an expert on the original as it contains ingredients that I do not consume. However, as a note of substitution, I used pepperocini instead of anchovies for a mildly spicy bite. The other change was that I used sungold tomatoes instead of roma or other red tomatoes. Sungolds are orange and a bit sweeter.

Pasta Puttanesca

- 12oz gluten free pasta

- 1 garlic clove

- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped 

- pint of your favorite tomatoes, chopped

- 3 or 4 pepperocini- chopped 

- Olive oil

- Ground pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Meanwhile, place the olives and garlic in a bowl and use a pestle to grind the two together to make a paste. If you don't have a pestle, chop both the garlic and olives small- set aside. 

In a medium pan, heat a little olive oil and add the tomatoes. When simmering, add the garlic and olive mixture and pepperocini and continue to simmer. You can cook this for as little or as long as you like. I like to have the tomatoes break down a little bit and I cook for about 15 minutes. Add ground pepper to taste.

When the pasta is done add a little more olive oil to the pasta so that it doesn't stick. Then add the sauce and serve. 

Just Desserts

I have not been as diligent this year about posting as I have in years past. I am a little behind this week. I decided that I have enough to worry about, so I will post when I can. I might not meet the 20 posts, but I am not too concerned about that. 

My pleads and ribs last week finally prompted John to make the scones I've been begging him to make. Last Friday night he came home with the ingredients for the scones. Of course, I had to text him to tell them what we needed. He gave me the option of making scones or cinnamon buns. I want the cinnamon buns, but I think the level of baking might require 20 questions from him. Let's face it, I'm pregnant and tired- I sometimes just want dessert to appear without being involved. Call me crazy, but I'm making a life here! 

He produced an after dinner treat of scones for us and they delivered! He adapted a recipe from the Gluten Free Bible to be vegan. The recipe called for yogurt and John used soy yogurt. The end product was a success! They were dense and sweet, just like a scone should be. They reminded me of our time during college of studying abroad in Scotland. I remember in particular a breakfast place we went to where we enjoyed tea and scones. At the time we were vegetarian, not vegan, and had a breakfast of eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, and beans. We sat in a seat by the window and go to enjoy the view of a downtown Sterling street. That time will always be special to me. It was in 2000 and we were just starting off in our relationship as more than friends. 

Thank you John for taking care of me and my dessert wants these days. I will take any other sweets you want to throw my way!

Down Home Cooking Take Two

During MoFo 2011, I created three dishes to imitate a favorite meal a mostly vegan restaurant in Asheville, NC. The place is called Rosetta's Kitchen and since my original blog post, the restaurant has created a gluten free version. The meal is just amazing and when we visit, we usually get the dish at at least one meal. We were in Asheville last fall and got the vegan gluten free version. While I loved it, I started to realize that mine is actually better. Don't get me wrong, their version is amazing, but I like mine a little better. It could be since I put so much work into creating the dish- by tasting and re-tasting. Although, I will admit that it is nicer to have someone else make this meal for me. 

During one of my more motivated days during this pregnancy, I decided to make this meal and surprise John. When pregnant, this meal feels like a lot of work. I was warn out after I made it and to top it off, we had a friend stop by to pick up something right as it was finished. We all talked for an hour, so by the time we got to the meal, I was overly hungry and the food was cold. The meal still delivered! And protein content is very high in this meal, making it a perfect candidate for a vegan pregnant woman and her future little vegan one. 

I made a couple of changes to the original. The first change was that I made a raw kale salad with red bell peppers from our CSA produce box. The dressing consisted of raw lemon, a splash of tamari, and flax oil. The other change that I made, was that I added a little soy creamer and more than the 3 tablespoon of vegan sour cream. I wanted rich and creamy mashed potatoes! The originals are rich, but I wanted something a little richer. 


As the weather gets colder, I see this dish making an appearance again. Maybe John will even make it, but I won't be holding my breath. I'm still waiting on the cinnamon buns he has been promising me. Hint, hint. Ok, how many times can I keep hinting on my blog about items that I want? Let's see how long it takes to get them or scones. Anyone want to bet take bets?  I mean, sure, he is doing a lot- but I'm incubating a life and I'd like a cinnamon bun. Is a vegan, gluten free cinnamon bun too much to ask for? Or what about a scone? Maybe it is!

Scones, cinnamon buns or not- I still love him to pieces! And he is being a loving and supporting husband- but I still want a cinnamon bun!

Loaded Hash Browns

As I have mentioned in previous posts, eating has been a challenge in my pregnancy. Many times, I have just been eating to nourish myself and the baby. John has had to be the gentle, and sometimes not so gentle, reminder to me that I have to eat. I learned the hard way that not eating can bring on nausea. One of the hardest things for me to learn how to do was to eat through the feeling of nausea. In the past, when I would be nauseated my impulse would be not to eat. When you are pregnant, you have to eat as you have another life to nourish. 

To help make this all easier for me, John has been cooking a lot more than before. Sometimes he asks me what I want and others he makes something and sets it in front of me to see if I could stomach the meal. The tactic turned out to be smart. I do not always know what I want or could stomach until it was put down in front of me. John knew my aversions each week and was respectful of them. 

One of his creations turned out to be a hit with me- loaded hash browns. Potatoes have been one of the few items that have been more appealing than other foods. I think it is the starch that helps settle my stomach. I have always been a huge fan of hash browns, but we usually have made them as side dish. John made them into a main dish by adding different combinations of veggies and proteins. He has added tomatoes from our produce box or garden, spinach, tofu, tempeh, pepperocini, salsa, carrots, vegan cheese, and other items from our refrigerator.

He has repeated this dish for me several times, often with a salad on the side. I smother mine with ketchup. I know, I know, it isn't a nutritious food- but I like it and it isn't too bad of a splurge for a pregnant woman. 

Thank you to John for caring for me and the future little vegan one. The one thing that I can say for sure is that I would not be able to do this without your love and care. Future little vegan one is lucky to have a caring father, like you! 

Peanut, Pretzels and Party!

I already told the story of how I told John I was pregnant the day before he left for Turkey on a business trip. That whole week, I was by myself and this fresh news. I do not remember a lot of that week, other than the visit to my primary care physician. I do remember that I was not sick yet and was still interested in eating and cooking. That same week, I had one of my bi-annual clothing and accessory swaps with friends. As I was only five weeks when I had the swap, I was still keeping the news quiet. 

I thought it would be hard for me to keep silent, but I had no problem. I was not ready to start sharing because it was still so new to me and I had not had time to fully process it all. One friend knew, however, because she guessed based on my questions "for a friend". She also did a great job of keeping my news secret. There were even some kid items and maternity clothing that she helped me snatch up without anyone noticing. From the swap I came away with two maternity tops, a toy for baby, and two pairs of toddler/baby jeans. 

It was nice to be able to prep and plan for the party as my life still felt normal. Currently, I'd have a hard time making food, cleaning, and prepping all by myself. The next swap will have some serious modifications. The food that I made for that night turned out well and my friends make wonderful dishes to add to the food and festivities. One of the best of the dishes I made that night were peanut butter pretzel truffles by Minimalist Baker. The truffles took a little time, but the effort level and the number of ingredients was not at all daunting. The recipe is pretty simple for truffles, but the flavor is complex. They were a serious hit that night! 

Since I haven't had a lot of motivation to cook, I have not made these again. As soon as I get my baking/cooking motivation back, I will make these beauties! I would hint to John to make them, but I have already hinted at several other things that I'd like that he has not made (scones, cake, cinnamon buns, etc). I am not complaining, because he has been making dinner most nights....but sometimes a pregnant lady just wants her partner to make her some sweets. 

Ok, so maybe it was a hint! ;-)

McMuffin Cravings

The title of this blog post is a bit misleading. I didn't actually crave the meat filled, gluten filled, dairy filled, egg filled, artery clogging, cruelty ladden breakfast sandwich seen on a popular fast food chain. I craved a vegan version, of course (and crave is a strong word here, I just knew I wanted to try it)! Some omnivores love to ask if I crave meat (more so when I wasn't pregnant- odd, huh?). I'm quick to point out that food is more than just taste to me, it is about the where it comes from, why it is being used, and how it was treated. I cannot ignore the treatment of animals in my meal. Since I was 14, I have believed that an animal should not have to suffer and die for my benefit. There are so many options out there that didn't have to suffer.

When I discovered The Edgy Veg video for the McMuffin, I did start to want this creation! The version on screen was not gluten free, but I knew I could easily make it that way. For the English Muffin, I used Food for Life and for the veggie meat, I used Sol Veggie Breakfast patties. I didn't use an orange vegan cheese, like cheddar, because I had some provolone flavored vegan cheese. If making this again, I'd use cheddar and melt it on the bottom of the bun. Since the muffin and egg mixture was warm, most of the cheese melted. 

This was probably the first thing I cooked after morning sickness set in. I was able to get through making this whole meal without any incidents. I even was able to eat the sandwich.! I had only wished that I also bought hash brown patties to serve with it. The "egg" mixture looked so much like the original. Once it cooked it got bright yellow giving it a real egg look. The texture was interesting and I wouldn't have liked it on its own. I think I would also like to try this sandwich with firm tofu, flavored to be "eggy". It was fun to use the top of a mason jar lid to form the egg. It really made it seem like the real thing.

While I done it yet, this made me want to transform other fast food menu items to be vegan and gluten free. I don't know what because it has been many, many years since I have eaten fast food. I am not even sure I remember the flavor of most products. My parents didn't rely much on fast food when I was growing up, which I'm thankful for. My family focused on home cooked meals with a lot of vegetables! :-)

Neatball Subs Made with Love

I have generally been the one to cook more in our house. Mostly because I am anal about food groups and what we eat for dinner. We still consistently took turns cooking, but I tended to cook more. Since pregnancy, sickness, and aversions have set in John has become the main cook in the house. Mostly because he is always trying to get me to eat food. Sometimes he makes a bunch of things to see what I'll eat. He is the one who has ended up eating for two (or three or four). I have been cooking more these days, but he still does the majority of the cooking.

I always thought pregnant women indulged in huge meals and endless snacks. Maybe that happens to some, but that has not happened to me. I mostly have to force myself to eat. Making and eating food used to be two of my favorite activities. Now, I have no interest in either. However, I have a sweet future little vegan one on the way and I have to be mindful of eating enough calories.  John has tried to make food more exciting for me or taking something he knows I like that he can add to a meal. 

I must have seen a meatball sub somewhere and indicated that I'd love a vegan gluten free version. Being the awesome husband he is, John got on it. He used Neat to make the meatballs, a gluten free baguette, tomato sauce, and vegan cheese to complete his creation. To add a healthy component, he roasted broccoli with salt and pepper.  He served this all to me and encouraged me to eat it all. Lucky for me, I didn't have an aversion when I saw this. Instead, I was ecstatic to try it!

The sub was exactly what I had been looking for and I gobbled it down. I even had leftovers for the next day's lunch. Me and the future little vegan one are lucky ducks to be able to have delicious meals made with love. :-)

Celebration Lunch

I found out I was pregnant just as I hit 4 weeks (fast forward now to 19 weeks). I had the thought, "I wonder if I am pregnant?" and then bought a test to confirm. I didn't have a lot of time to think about it. I didn't even tell John that I suspected I could be. I didn't want him to get his hopes up and in my mind I didn't even believe I was. I hear of woman just "knowing". I guess I am not that in tune with my body because the only thing I noticed was an absence of a period, which wasn't all that odd for me. It was because of the absence that I went to the store and bought a pregnancy test. When I came home, I secretly took the test. To my surprise, I was pregnant. 

John was working in the office, unsuspecting. I walked up, shaking, and said "We have to talk". I wasn't scared, I was just stunned. One minute before I had found out I was pregnant and I didn't yet know what to think. I told him the news and he jumped up and hugged me and was ecstatic. I calmly told him not to get too excited because it was so early and anything could happen. We took 2 two more tests to confirm. 

It was a Sunday, so I couldn't call my Doctor for an appointment until the next day. In addition, John was also leaving for a work trip to Turkey. I ended up getting an appointment for that Wednesday. The appointment consisted of a pregnancy test and my Doctor talking to me about a few things. And she confirmed that I was indeed pregnant. 

Now, I had my confirmation and I was only 4.5 weeks in. I needed to head back to work, but I wanted a little something to eat- to celebrate. The nausea and tiredness had not yet set in. My Doctor is near Cafe' Love- Live Organic Vegan Eats. I felt like I had to stop by before going back to work. The news had not even set in yet, but all I knew was that my life was going to change and that anything was possible. I had no reason to think I'd have a miscarriage, but I am Ms. Cautious when it comes to risk. 

It was hard to keep the news from people, but I knew I had too for a while. It was even hard walking into Cafe' Love not saying anything about my new news. After looking through the daily options, I picked out avocado and "rice" sushi and mushroom enchiladas. All raw, delicious, vegan and gluten free. There are always so many enticing choices, but I didn't feel like buying the whole menu that day. (And while that sounds like a joke, I have bought every item on the menu before. :-) It did not occur to me that I forgot to buy a raw dessert until I was in the car and on the way home. How could I forget dessert? It seems almost like a crime! Especially since their desserts are just heavenly! I mean HEAVENLY!!!!

I brought my selections to my office to eat after exchanging pleasantries with Jane Howard and Matthew- the owners. They are both such happy and friendly people. I think it is all of the vitamins from the raw veggies they eat! :-)  They also have the knowledge that their food is delicious and nutritious. 

I ate every last drop and enjoyed it to the fullest. I love sushi in raw or cooked form (vegan only though) and any time this is on the menu, it is in my order. I can't pass it up. The enchiladas are simply amazing. The tortillas are dehydrated, but still moist and flexible. The filling and the sauce is decadent. You wouldn't believe how filling raw food was until you tried it yourself. It never looks like enough food until you consume it. The nutrient density and fat from the nuts really fill you up. As I licked the container that the enchiladas came in, I wished I would have bought more of the menu for dinner and snacks. Again, how could I have forgotten dessert?

I will always remember this meal as my celebratory "I'm OFFICIALLY pregnant!" meal!

Fresh Tomatoes, Food Aversions, and Pasta. Oh My!

We continually sign up for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share each season that it is available. This season has proved to be interesting for us now that I'm pregnant. Instead of the cravings you commonly associate with pregnancy, I have had more aversions. Onions have been one of the largest culprits so far. And what do you think we have gotten pounds and pounds of each week? Yep, you guessed it! We have given them away to friends and hidden them in our vegetable crisper, hoping that they'd disappear. 

I always thought that pregnancy was filled with late night cravings for things like pickles, potato chips and chocolate ice cream. I expected to ask John to run out to the store several times a week to meet one of my cravings. That vision couldn't have been further from reality. While I have craved several things now and then (like a specific candy, potato chip, and pickles), it hasn't been constant cravings. What has been constant is my aversions to food. Each day has been different which what turns my stomach. It has taken John some time to understand that if I say I don't want something, I mean it. We have learned the hard way that forcing me to eat something could send me running to the bathroom.  

One of the things I have loved getting and eating consistently is tomatoes. I have quite enjoyed tomatoes. We have made fresh sauce, slow simmered sauce, pasta ponza, added them to vegan GF bagels, had tempeh/tomato/lettuce sammies, and so much more. One of my favorites is a vegan an gluten free version of Giada DeLaurentiis's Pasta Ponza. This dish is still delicious with store bought tomatoes, but I'm not going to lie- garden fresh, organic, farmers market, and CSA tomatoes are the best. 

Pasta Ponza 

• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan
• 4 cups (24 ounces) red/yellow cherry, grape, peach or small tomatoes, halved (larger tomatoes should be quartered)
• 1/4 cup capers, drained 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning 
• 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs, seasoned with about a teaspoon of dried basil and oregano 
• 1 pound gluten free ziti 
• 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray or rub the olive oil an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.

Place the tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, following the package directions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the nutritional yeast and toss well. Thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and basil. S
erve immediately.

Happy MoFo 2014: A New Journey

It is the official start of Vegan MoFo 2014. I had intended on starting a new blog to share my new journey, but I haven't had the chance to work on the design. Before I knew it, MoFo was here! My posts will be a bit different this year as I am entering a new chapter in in my life-the journey of becoming a vegan gluten free mama! My MoFo journey will take you through a month long tour into my pregnancy through food.  I hope to post my struggles, triumphs, thoughts, pictures, and and food adventures this month. The start of September marks my 19th week being pregnant. 

Before we get to the fun and interesting food bits of the month, let me reintroduce introduce myself to you. I am a 34-year old vegan and gluten free mama to be. I never thought I would utter those words. You see, I had a plan and it didn't involve children-at least not naturally. My plan since age 16 was to someday adopt, but that day was far ahead in the future, if ever at all. I never really considered myself a mama. I saw myself as a vegan, a wife, a friend, an animal lover, an environmentalist, and many other things. None of which included the title of mama. Then the end of 2013 rolled around and things changed. I began contemplating the idea of motherhood. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was something I could do and wanted to do. John had been gently nudging me for a while and I finally took the time to ask myself "what do I want out of life". The answer was a little vegan one. 

Once I realized my answer, things changed inside me. I started to want to be a mama and to spend time with my future little vegan one. As I approached my 34th year, I realized that is was time to act now. John agreed with excitement. And so it came to be that the future little vegan one was on the way. 

In accordance with most things we do, we decided to take this journey by educating ourselves and preparing to do things as naturally as we could.  By only taking medication when absolutely necessary and getting care by practitioners who believe in an approach that includes listening to your body during pregnancy and delivery while following scientific practice. I think medical doctors are wonderful human beings and am thankful for their presence and care, but for this time frame we have decided to rely on the care of nurse practitioner midwives and to hopefully give birth at a nearby birthing center. 

I want to share this time with you over the next month and let you see the interesting things I've been eating (or not so interesting things). My whole taste palette has changed. I may not share many recipes, but I plan on sharing pictures and stories. Thank you for being part of my journey I to welcoming the future vegan little one into this world! 

Happy MoFo!