Chili gone wild!

Clancy's chili is in the monster tupperware container at the bottom.
I've already eaten two servings of mine...

Clancy and I are busy people who like to eat tasty food on the cheap and on the fly. Hence, large quantities of chili being cooked at once. But here's the thing.. there are TWO kinds of chili here. We started off with very similar base recipes, but he added sausage (like, real sausage, from a pig) and I certainly didn't. Different strokes for different folks, and YES, vegans can happily co-exist.

And by the way?  This chili is a vegan protein powerhouse.  You're welcome.  =]

Ingredients for my chili:

• 2 cans of chili ready diced tomatoes (or just diced tomatoes, adjust your spices accordingly)
• 1 can golden sweet corn
• 1 can dark red kidney beans*
• 1 can black beans*
• 1 pkg Tofurkey Ground Beef Style
• 3 mini sweet peppers (or 1-2 bell peppers), diced
• yellow onion (I used up what I had left in the fridge, I recommend 1/2-1 medium onion), diced
• Season to taste (cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, chili powder, garlic, etc)

Directions:
Pour all of your canned ingredients into your crock pot and put it on high.  In a nonstick pan over medium high heat, saute your onions and peppers in your oil until your onions are starting to go translucent.  Add your "beef" and continue sauting for about five minutes per package instructions.  Stir your "beef" into your chili.  Let your ingredients cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water as needed.  Bump it down to low, and let it simmer as long as you see fit (chili tends to simmer all day & night around our house).  Enjoy with homemade biscuits and peanut butter sammiches!

Nutritional info (serves 8?):
Calories:  229k
Fat:  4g
Carbohydrates:  37g
Protein:  14g

* = feel free to use whatever beans you like!  It's your chili!

posted from Bloggeroid

Breakfast!!

I made myself eat today!  I was up early enough that I had enough time to get hungry, versus the usual nausea I get in the mornings.  And before anyone asks, no, I'm not pregnant (unless I've been pregnant my whole life, ha).

In the photo:
1c Kroger Corn Flakes
1 medium banana
1/2c 365 Organic Vanilla Soymilk
1c Folger's Medium Roast Coffee
2tsp bulk sugar
splash of Soymilk in the coffee

Nutritional info:
Calories: 284k
Fat:  2g
Carbohydrates:  69g
Protein:  7g

posted from Bloggeroid

Quick! Who has Vegan cream cheese?!

I saw this recipe on a facebook group, and immediately thought.. "Oh, I have to veganize that!" I don't have any vegan cream cheese in my house right now though!

Photo from: http://www.facebook.com/BKrecipesHomeandGarden

Presents.

I came home yesterday to a bicycle for each of us, vegan ice cream (& even my favorite flavor/kind), and new tupperware!! I dare say he loves me!

posted from Bloggeroid

Swedish meatballs, vegan style.

This is one of my all time comfort foods.  Whenever one of us is sick, or really stressed out, Clancy will whip this up and have it ready when I come home.  He knows it will always put me in a good mood, and is one of my favorite meals.  He wanted to make a mushroom gravy (my favorite), but I used them all for the baked polenta topping the other night.

I have no idea how many calories this has, and I don't care.
You have to treat yourself now and again, or what's the point?

We don't get to eat a relaxed dinner together often, so this combined with one of my favorite comfort meals put me right at ease.  I love that man something fierce.

How to make it?  We are usually eating on the fly so we tend to make things like mashed potatoes ahead of time and buy frozen Meatless Meatballs from trader joes... Only the gravy ends up being made fresh, haha.  I honestly don't know how to make it... Clancy always does the gravy.

Breakfast, maybe?

I recently posted that I'm not much of a breakfast (or morning) person, and often struggle with eating before noon.  Lately I've been finding solutions and experimenting with eating light breakfasts, versus just not eating.  The other morning I had half of a whole wheat bagel with almond butter on it (115k, 28g carbs, 10g fat, 11g protein) and that sat pretty well, despite it being an epic battle to eat it.  Things just taste funny that early, like my body is warning me, "Hey.. you eat that, you're going to be sorry."  Sometimes I'll just have "yogurt", which tends to always sit well, or some fruit.  Yesterday, I was brave.

Ingredients(?):
3/4 cup Cocoa Snapz
1/2 Simple Truth Unsweetened Almondmilk
1 medium banana, sliced (I always slice right off of the banana, then eat the leftovers)

Directions (ha):
Measure and pour your cereal into a bowl.  Grab your banana, and while still partially in peel, work your way down it, cutting it into slices over your cereal.  When you have enough banana, eat what's left in the peel.  Measure and pour on your milk.  Enjoy!  =D

Nutritional facts (serves one):
Total Calories:  140k
Carbohydrates:  27g
Fat:  3g
Protein:  2g

Serious eater.

You know you're serious about your food when you have to pull your hair back before you begin eating, hahaha.  Here I'm eating baked Polenta with a topping featuring mushrooms, tomato, spinach, peppers and onion. Yum!

posted from Bloggeroid

Healthy Snacking: Hummus & Veggies

Hummus is an amazing snack food.  The main problem I found with hummus is that eating it with salty pita chips is almost an addicting snack that I can't seem to stop eating.  Nearly 400 calories later, I have to MAKE myself close the bag & walk away.  Solution?

Ingredients:
2-4 tablespoons of hummus (60-200 calories, depending on brand & type)
3.5 mini sweet peppers (40 calories)
1/2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 large carrot, cut into dipping pieces

Nutritional facts (serves 1; I ate it all!):
Calories:  145k
Fat:  4g
Carbohydrates:  22g
Protein:  5g

My Usual Breakfast.

This is how I start most of my days.

I have never been a morning person.  I've definitely never been a breakfast person.  As a matter of fact, I'm lucky if I can choke down a piece of fruit in the morning without feeling like crap.  Instead, I tend to drink some sort of tea or coffee (though even teas can be dangerous) and hit the ground running on empty.  As such, I've started putting my protein powder into my morning drink on the days that I can't make myself eat.  This isn't really much of a meal replacement, as I don't think my energy drink is meant to have any sort of satiety satisfying ingredients, but it works for me.

Ingredients:
12-14 ounces of coffee (cooled is best; mine is usually left over from Clancy's pot before his midnight shift)
4 ounces "milk" (don't use creamer, you'll go through it way too quickly & it'll be crazy sweet)
1 scoop Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder*

Directions:
Shake well.  The Blender Bottle does all of the work.

Nutritional facts (one serving; drink it all!):
Calories:  200k
Fat:  5g
Carbohydrates:  20g
Protein:  22g

* = I used Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder because it tastes amazing in coffee.  I recommend using a flavored powder to give it more of a latte/mocha texture and flavor, versus a plain, unflavored powder.

Plant Fusion's PR department sent me this 2 pound tub of their Vanilla Bean flavor for consideration.  This does not change my opinion of the product, and I reserve the right to my honest opinion.  Thank you to P.F.!

Pasta yum!

Clancy's dinner will not be vegan friendly this evening, so I made this for myself. It's pasta with a sauce of sorts (onion, mushroom, diced tomatoes, spices, a splash of soy) topped with Parma! vegan parmesan.

posted from Bloggeroid

Modified Vegan Brownies!

I found the Sarah Kramer How It All Vegan brownie recipe online (because my book has gone MIA in the move) & made some modifications to suit my diet and pantry.  Can I just say that I am insanely excited to use the Calphalon pan that Clancy bought me?!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 scoop protein powder (I used Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean which is sweet, and has smooth texture)
1.5 cups soy milk (or other "milk")
1/3 cup oil/butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread, just to melting point)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (optional; for topping)

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl sift flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, protein powder and salt. Add oil and soy milk. Stir gently until just mixed. Pour into 8X8 inch pan and cook for 30-35 minutes. (Check by inserting a toothpick).  Allow to cool completely, then sift confectioners sugar over top.

Nutritional facts (per brownie; serves 12):
Calories:  163
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 5g