Apologies

Hello. I just wanted to leave a quick note to apologize for not posting. I have been having some computer issues, but aside from that I have been crazy busy. And the big reason is that my depression has taken a firm hold and frankly it is all I can do to keep myself functioning. I have been spending every ounce of energy just trying to hold myself together for my family and frankly that hasn't been going very smoothly. So I am sorry to leave you all in the lurch, but now is a rough time and I hope you understand.
Thanks.
CVM

Vita Mix Giveaway

Jessie Hawkins is giving away a Vita Mix on her blog. It is very easy to enter, no crazy rules. Go here to enter to win.

So Desperate for Sleep

I may not have ever mentioned this, but I have some real sleep issues. For most of my life I have suffered from severe insomnia. For the last few years though, I rarely have trouble falling asleep. This would seem like a blessing, but it really isn't. Even though I fall asleep easily, I do not stay asleep and I do not reach the deep sleep stage where the restorative sleep happens. I have done the sleep studies where they hook you up to a hundred wires and watch you sleep. The results showed I am screwed. The doctors want me on meds that will supposedly help me reach deep sleep, but they will also cause side effects I am not willing to deal with.

As if this wasn't enough, my dear sweet children refuse to stay asleep during the night and insist on waking me and D up, begging us to come in their beds or let them in our bed. They have now decided they are terrified someone/monsters/aliens/or a ghost is going to get them. What the hell? Allowing them to sleep in our bed with us is not a viable option. I am all for attachment parenting, they did sleep with us when they were babies and toddlers, but now they are 5 & 8 and very restless sleepers. Our bed is not big enough and they keep us awake with their kicking and rolling around.

So any advice on how to get them to stay in their beds and get over these fears of monsters/aliens/ etc. is very much appreciated. As are any remedies for my crappy sleep. Oh, did I mention I now have a nasty habit of falling asleep in inappropriate places? Yes, like waiting rooms,peoples houses, driving down the road! Yeah, that sucks.

Banana Cherry Frozen Dessert

Ok, ok. I know this picture looks like a pile of doo, but it isn't.


I was craving a sweet, cold treat, and had seen this post on using frozen bananas to make a raw banana soft serve on Choosing Raw, so I just took 3 frozen bananas, added about a cup of frozen cherries and threw them in the food processor. I ran the processor for about 5 minutes, stopping several times to scrape down the sides.


This was just right for my craving. A and M both loved it. While it may not taste like cow juice ice creams, it is much much healthier and a nice little treat. Try throwing in a few chocolate chips for a little extra sweet treat.

Review of Luna Cookie

I received a sample of the new Luna Cookie in Berry Pomegranate in the mail. I was looking forward to trying this, so I tried one of the little bars and gave the kids the other one.


The flavor is nice and the icing adds a bit of sweetness. I do like these, but I would not call these cookies. They are more of a chewy bar than cookie, but they are good. The kids both liked them.

Vegan Turkey Loaf

I made the Vegan Turkey Loaf from The Vegan Family Cookbook. It is also on the membership side of Everyday Dish.

Overall, I really liked it. The flavor is perfect for a faux turkey and the texture came out great. I will be trying it in sandwiches for lunch today. I tried both thin and thick slices and the thin slices win out.

Even A loved it! So that is saying alot and makes it worth cooking again.

My only complaint is that it was a bit dry, but if I remember correctly, so is real turkey. I meant to make a brown gravy to go with it, but I forgot until it was too late, so next time I will definitely make some.

I will making this on a regular basis and will probably use the thin slices for sandwiches for the kids school lunches.

Baked Chimichanga with Tempeh and Tomatillos

The cabinets are getting pretty sparse and it is hot as hades in my house. Frankly I haven't felt like cooking, but the kids gotta eat. Though no matter what I make, it is pretty much guaranteed A won't eat it anyway.

I am not kidding when I say the cabinets are getting sparse, there is not much in there. I did have a package of Tempeh and some tomatillos I picked up at the farmers market the other day. I flipped through some recipes and found inspiration from Vegan Dad and his baked chimichanga recipe. I used less chili powder because I didn't want it spicy, I wanted A to try it and M to eat it.

Here is my version:

1 Tbl. oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. tempeh, crumbled

5 tomatillos

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

5 whole wheat tortillas

1 can vegetarian refried beans

salsa

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil in large skillet and cook onion and green pepper until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add tempeh, tomatillos, spices and water. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Spread refried beans on the tortilla, top with tempeh mixture and some salsa.
• Fold up the tortilla, tucking in the ends (use refried beans to make it stay closed)
• Place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
• Brush on a little oil, or use a spray oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• You can serve it with tofu sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc. I just added some more salsa on top.

The tortillas I had in the fridge were a bit past their prime, so they started to rip when I tried to fold them. They still tasted great though.