Toasty Harvest Oatmeal

I've been itching for some cool days so I can start creating house warming recipes and dishes filled with pumpkin, apples, root veggies, and gravy. After weeks of 80 degree days, I woke up this morning chilled and ready to warm up the house, by way of the kitchen. While my two year old cuddled on the couch under a blanket, I went through my pantry. Pumpkin it is. I went a little crazy a few weeks back and bought seriously too much. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I had seen a few recipes around that seemed somewhat right. Of course, I can't just follow a recipe, and I always think "it's missing something." So here we are:

Toasty Harvest Oatmeal

2 cups vanilla soymilk
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 apple, diced
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar (or maple syrup or agave)
granola (optional)
chopped walnuts (optional)

Warm soymilk in a small pot until it just begins to bubble. Add oats and cook until liquid is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Add pumpkin, apple, applesauce, spices, and sugar. Stir well. Top with granola and walnuts and serve. Yum!

This didn't last long.

This is Finnigan. He's one of my two guinea pigs. (The other being my husband, lucky guy.) He's my little vegan monster. Luckily for me, he has a taste for just about anything I make. Seriously, the kid who talk about turnips like they're candy? Awesome. I like to think it's because we were never big on hiding veggies in other things, and never gave him a reason to think they were any less tasty and special than anything else we eat. I'm a big believer in the theory that kids come out being open and accepting of things. And any tastes, like fears and judgements, are impressed upon them. And we all do what we can. And granted, I know some kids who were picky from the get go, so my theory may be shot. But, it gives me hope that the future kiddos will be vegan foodies like Finn!

Finn gives the oatmeal a big thumbs up!

In any case, the oatmeal was damn tasty. And up until today, I had been doing really well with being high raw. I had a fairly set schedule: big green raw smoothie for breakfast, big green raw smoothie for lunch, fruit snack in the afternoon, and cooked vegan dinner. This oatmeal completely ruined my schedule, but completely restored my faith in Autumn.

Greek Couscous Salad

This salad is good room temp right after making, or chilled for an awesome summer salad. It's also pretty versatile, and you can throw in everything on the list, or leave out some ingredients if your pantry isn't overflowing this week. I think this should be brought to every picnic ever.

Ingredients:
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 T lemon juice
1.5 cups uncooked couscous, prepared accordine to directions*
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, minced
3 ounces vegan mozzarella cheeze, cubed
2 T more lemon juice
1 1/2 T brown mustard
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T minced pitted kalamata olives**
1 small garlic clove, minced
Some basil or mint, ripped into pieces (optional)

*I like to put in some lemon juice for the liquid in this recipe. Just a tablespoon or so with the rest of the water.
**When I don't have kalamatas, I use garlic stuffed olives, and omit the "1 small garlic clove" This way is also very tasty.

Cook up the couscous and chill. Combine the cucumber and the tomatoes in a bag with the first tablespoon of lemon juice and some salt and let it marinate as long as possible. Toss chickpeas, onion, vegan cheese, cucumber and tomato mixture, and herbs (if using) in a medium bowl. Whisk the rest of the lemon juice, olives, mustard, oil, and garlic in a small bowl, add to chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour whole mixture onto couscous, fluff/mix with a large fork, and serve. I like this topped with a dollup of Sour Supreme (vegan sour cream)

You'll have leftovers for days. It's good in pitas too!

The Vegan One Hundred

Ah, the vegan hundred from Hannah's blog. I've been meaning to do it, and here's my chance.
This is what will be up until I transfer my posts from my other website to this new one. This is meant to be the list of 100 foods that all vegans should eat at some point in their lives. All the foods on the list should be read as "the vegan version of...". I'm working on a few things on this list, so I'll be editing it as I go.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough