Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving has got to be one of our favorite holidays. I love fall and fall decorations (although I did not put any out this year). I especially love fall food, and Thanksgiving dinner is an opportunity to prepare many favorite holiday dishes. The kids love the food, but they also love dressing up, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, having daddy home from work, seeing grandparents, and playing with cousins.

For the past three years, I have hosted Thanksgiving at my house because most Thanksgiving feasts involve everything we don't eat (turkey, ham, cheese-topped or condensed soup flavored casseroles, and butter) so it is much easier to do it all myself so that everything is "safe". We eat a plant-based diet and that doesn't change even for the holidays. But the food is still delicious, I promise! 

This year, because we have the homeschool table and our regular kitchen table, we were able to combine the two in our homeschool room (which is supposed to be the dining room) and have a nice long table for our family of 5 along with both sets of grandparents to sit comfortably and have all of the food on the table. I wish our house were a bit bigger to be able to have a family dinner more often. We are thinking that this may be our last Thanksgiving in our current house, but more on that later.

I am glad that my husband took a couple of pictures of the table while I was still getting things set up. He even managed to get me in one of them.

I did not manage to get a picture of my plate on Thanksgiving, but I did take this one the day after Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving leftovers!

Our vegan Thanksgiving menu this year was:

• Country Meatloaf (in place of the turkey)
• Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Stuffing
• Golden Gravy
• Sweet Potato Fluff (courtesy of my mother-in-law)
• Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Candied Corn
• Panko Stuffed Mushrooms
• Polenta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Vegan Bacon (courtesy of my dad)
• Green Bean Casserole (with homemade vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup)
• Cranberry-Orange Sauce
• Homemade Wheat Rolls (courtesy of my husband)

For dessert, I made an apple pie with apples from the orchard we visited on our recent trip to the North Carolina mountains.  I also made pumpkin chocolate-chip bread as an experiment but it turned out to be quite tasty so I offered it along with the pie. I took things very easy on the desserts this year, as it has been my experience that most people are too stuffed to eat enough dessert to where I don't have so many dessert leftovers.

After our feast, my sister-in-law and her family came over to let the cousins play for awhile while we visited (she has three of her own and the six of them together have a pretty good time).


Things I Am Thankful For:

• My family. My children are everything to me, and the man they call "daddy" is pretty awesome too.
• The gospel. It teaches my children good values and it also helps me to want to be a better person. 
• A home. We're outgrowing it quickly but I am thankful that it is ours, as I know many people have it much worse than we do. It keeps us safe, dry, and warm and that is what matters most.
• Employment. My husband has a great job with a great boss. He didn't always have this and we know what its like to work for the complete opposite, so we both appreciate the positive side of employment he gets to experience.
• Our country. I have too many ancestors to name that came to this country when it was just beginning. These ancestors came for freedom, the same freedom that many of us (myself included) take advantage of and do not always appreciate. Election years (and the year before) tend to get us in a grumpy mood when it comes to where our country is headed, and we all have different ideas. On Thanksgiving, many of us are able to put those differences aside and just be thankful that we are where we are.

Bridget is thankful for (in her own words):

• Heavenly Father because he teaches us the right things. 
• Our family because I love them and they will keep us safe. 
• My brothers because they are so fun to play with. 
• For food that makes us healthy.

George is thankful for (in his own words):

• My teddy bear.
• My famiwy, my Mommy and my Daddy and my wittle bwother Wiam and my big sister Bwigit.
• Wiam because I wuv him.
• My teachers in the nursery.

Perhaps next year, Liam will be ready to tell me what he is thankful for too!

Week 35 Menu Plan

After a few recent conversations with people about our plant-based diet and the meals I prepare for my family, I had given thought to posting my weekly menu plan again. Then my friend Tiffany gave me the motivation I needed to just do it. She makes great meals for her little family and has begun posting her menu plan (you can check out her plan here). She has also given me some ideas for the coming weeks that I cannot wait to attempt.

This is our plan for the week:

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Cereal

Lunch: Chocolate Chip Waffles (made by daddy)

Dinner: Tofu Hekka

 

Monday

Breakfast: Cinnamon-Sugar Toast

Lunch: Fishless Filets w/ Tartar Sauce, Salad, & Pineapple Chunks

Dinner: Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce & Garlic Bread

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Multi-Grain Cheerios w/ Milk

Lunch: Tempeh, Lettuce, & Tomato sandwiches

Dinner: Mexican Pizza

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tomato Soup, & Sliced Apples

Dinner: Lentil Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Corn

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast w/ Bananas

Lunch: Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Steamed Broccoli, & Mandarin Oranges

Dinner: Leftovers

 

Friday

Breakfast: Grits

Lunch: Southern Chickpea Salad w/ Crackers, Salad, & Grapes

Dinner: Pigs in a Blanket & Tater Tots

 

Saturday

Breakfast: ---

Lunch: ---

Dinner: Tropical Island Kabobs with Cilantro Rice

 

I kept things fairly simple, and snacks this week will be whatever the kids want (that is mommy-approved), as I may be having surgery later in the week and may not be the one preparing the snack. Depending on the day I have my surgery, I may need to switch some meals around.

A Day in the Life: Our Homeschool Schedule (2015-2016)

I love schedules, agendas, and to-do lists. I make them for myself and for my children. Personally, it helps me to function better throughout my day and reminds me of the things I need to get done. If I don't have it on my list, it will most likely slip my mind. I knew that I would need something similar for my daughter and her homeschool day.

We start off our homeschool day by doing our morning chores. These are the simple things like making their beds, saying morning prayers, brushing hair, getting dressed, etc. Then it's time for breakfast. I try to do something nutritious but also fun for breakfast. This morning, for example, it was cinnamon-sugar toast, strawberries, and [soy] milk.

Over the summer, Bridget requested that she do math first thing in the morning, so we made that change in our schedule this year. While she works on her math lesson (an instruction video and worksheets), George also does math in the form of puzzles and counting bears.

After math, we begin language skills. In kindergarten, this consisted of only reading and handwriting. This year we have also added spelling and grammar. While Bridget works on spelling, George and I work on the alphabet. This year, writing has changed a bit, from basic handwriting skills to learning to write complete sentences. Bridget does this Monday-Thursday. On Friday, she works on a handwriting lesson from her Zaner-Bloser book.

When I am working with Bridget on writing (which requires my instruction), George works independently on his pre-writing skills (straight lines, backward circles, etc.). This is a special time that we get out the dry-erase markers. Because these markers are only used for specific times, it's a special treat and keeps him occupied for longer. He's sometimes a perfectionist and keeps the eraser handy.

Our history lesson also includes geography (which is why you don't see a separate time for geography) and George usually likes to join us for this. He also joins us for science, but these subjects are not required for him. If he prefers to play quietly in his room, he has the freedom to do so. Typically though, he will stick around to see what fun we might be having.

Other subjects done once a week are piano, art, and music. I am teaching the piano lesson, as Bridget is still learning the basics. An hour of art is set aside for a special art project related to what we are covering in history, or for drawing lessons and other random art skills. Music this year is studying the orchestra and various composers. The reason for this is because ancient history doesn't really have much to study as far as music goes. Next year, when we are studying medieval times, we'll study music related to that period. We'll cover the composers again when we cover their time periods. For now, we're doing a gentle introduction.

Our littlest Sparrow spends his time hanging around the homeschool area with us. He'll get loud on occasion, and sometimes will need to be picked up. He's pretty good and entertaining himself as long as he knows someone is close by. If you go too long without paying him any attention, he'll start pulling books off of shelves. That's when I know it's time for some cheerios or a sippy cup of milk to distract him.

History and science usually include a project or coloring page, so while the kids are working on those, I step into the kitchen to prepare lunch. I style my lunches like "school lunch". I enjoyed school lunches as a child. Everyone has their stories about how gross the food was, but I guess I grew up in a district where the food was actually quite delicious. I recreate many of those items with a vegan twist. Today, we had "faux fish filets" and various sides to go with it. The kids love this style of lunch and I enjoy making them. Water is typically served at lunch, unless I've been a slacker with offering fruit. If so, they'll get orange juice.

After lunch, Liam goes down for a nap, George goes into his room for quiet time (or a nap if he prefers) and I sit with Bridget on her bed and do our reading lesson and practice. This is a subject that she needs my undivided attention and it needs to be quiet for her to focus (she's very easily distracted). After that, she can read for fun or play quietly.

The times given in our schedule are approximate. If Bridget is still working on a subject and close to finishing, I'll wait for her. Some subjects may take longer on certain days. Sometimes she wants to spend more time on something because she enjoys it. I don't want to put a cap on her interests and creativity just for the sake of moving on and sticking to a schedule, but I do try to keep her mostly on task. If we need to continue school work after snack time, then that is what we'll do (we've even done science experiments after dinner, because sometimes life just happens).

That's about it for our school day!

Halloween Festivities 2014

Halloween festivities lasted nearly a week for us this year. Every year, our church holds a 'Trunk-or-Treat' in the parking lot for all of the kids to have a safe place to show off their costumes and get some candy. Some areas also have chili cook-offs and games prior to the trunk or treat.

 

I am now back to using their real names. Their personalities change so often that keeping up with a good nickname was difficult and ever-changing. It was originally intended for privacy but became more of a headache. Besides, it's mainly family and friends reading this stuff anyway.

 

This year, Bridget wanted to be Elsa from Frozen (just like every other little girl on the planet!). Halloween was so warm this year that I didn't need to buy her any covered shoes to match her costumes. She was able to wear her summer time church sandals! She felt super regal every time she put on her costume. She even got to wear some makeup we had leftover from her ballet performance.

 

 

George wanted to be something that "roared", so I was very excited to find this dragon costume for him. He would get into character each time his costume was put on. The very first time his hand went into the "claws", he'd stare at them and wiggle his fingers. I know he was thinking how awesome it was to finally have dragon hands. He is such a fun, wild boy!

 

Liam became the third baby to wear this pumpkin costume for Halloween. He looked just as cute as his older siblings did. I love his smile!

Here are the older kids after the trunk-or-treat. As I rarely have given my kids candy (cookies and cake, yes.. candy, no), George really had no idea what all the packages in his bucket were. Bridget remembered from last year, though. Once we got back to the van, he got to try some. His life was changed forever.

Later in the week before Halloween, we headed down to my in-laws' to attend their trunk-or-treat. They had a lot more going on for the kids there, and we all had a blast.

Finally, the day of Halloween arrived. We typically stay indoors and have our own family fun. My dad brought over a huge pumpkin with some stickers to decorate it with. The kids began decorating themselves, and Bridget put this sticker on Liam. I couldn't resist taking a picture. I'm so glad he was happy about it.

I like to make a Halloween-themed dinner to make things fun for the kids. This year, I made "Ghoulash", using my husband's grandmothers recipe for Austrian goulash, and veganizing it (taking out the beef and changing the spices and adding a few more vegetables to make up for the lack of meat). It was so good and the kids got a big kick out of it. I kept the heat to a low so that the kids could enjoy it, but I personally would have liked to have more cayenne pepper. I can't wait until they get old enough to handle some heat! Oh wait, yes I can. STOP GROWING!

Our Halloween dessert: chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting and festive sprinkles. George couldn't wait to dig in!

Weekly Menu for 6/28 - 7/4

I am looking forward to this weeks menu, as this week includes a holiday and I love holiday meals! It means I get to "pig out" and eat desserts and let the kids eat whatever they want (for the most part... they will still need to eat something descent before they get dessert, as I don't want to deal with tummy aches later). Most of the week is pretty easy as far as meals go, because I'm hoping that "nesting" will kick in and I'll be busy preparing for baby.

Reminder: I start my menu planning for Saturday since that is the day I do my grocery shopping.

Our menu this week is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat w/ Agave and Strawberries

Lunch: Leftovers or Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Brunswick Stew

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Waffles

Lunch: (late breakfast, snacks or leftovers for lunch before church)

Snack: ----

Dinner: Boca Vegan Chik'n Patties

 

Monday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

Snack: Teddy Grahams

Dinner: Baked Penne w/ Vegan Italian Sausage 

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Toast 

Lunch: Veggie Strips (Vegan Chik'n Fingers) w/ Tater Tots

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas, Rice, Refried Beans

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Tofurkey "Turkey" Sandwich

Snack: Apples &  Peanut Butter

Dinner: Sweet & Sour "Meatballs" w/ Veggie Lo Mein 

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Biscuits and Gimme Lean Sausage

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Crackers, Raisins

Snack: Applesauce or Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Homemade Pizza

 

Friday

Vegan Fourth of July Feast

 

 

While the meals are pretty easy, I'm not looking forward to this weeks grocery bill! Because I'm getting so close to my due date with Baby #3, I'll be doubling up on some of the recipes so that I can freeze them for later. Definitely want to make sure my kiddos are fed while I'm in the hospital and I really don't want to be busy in the kitchen when I get home (or running out to the grocery store).

 

Jenny



Weekly Menu for 6/21 - 6/27

Being a vegan, I get asked often what I eat. There are a lot of people who still don't know what a vegan is and how it compares to being a vegetarian. When I explain the difference, I get some crazy looks and they think all I eat is lettuce and tofu. While lettuce and tofu are both delicious when prepared properly, vegan food is so much more than that and can be quite tasty. I try to prepare most of my meals from scratch, but with two children and getting close to my due date with my third, processed foods like fake meats (generally, I try to keep those to a minimum) have started gaining popularity on our menu for the time being.

One big misconception about vegan food is that it's very expensive. It can be expensive for some people, but I prefer to cook "veganized" versions of more normal types of food, and stick to a strict budget ($600 a month for food and all other essentials--shampoos, soaps, detergents, toilet paper, clothing, toys, etc.). I probably spend less money on food than most non-vegans. It's all about careful planning and not being wasteful.

Each week, I try to plan out a menu for the week, make my shopping list, and buy everything I need in one big trip to the grocery store. Sometimes I go to two different grocery stores, as the cheaper one doesn't carry a lot of vegan essentials and their produce is not always the best. Here in the South, my "go to" stores are Food Lion (for the basics at a cheaper price) and Harris Teeter (for fresh produce and special foods).

Because I typically do my grocery shopping on Friday afternoon or on Saturday while my husband can watch the kids, I begin my menu on Saturdays.

This week, my menu is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt & Granola

Lunch: Maple "Bacon" Tempeh and Tomato Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Spanish Rice

Dessert: Hot-Fudge-on-the-Bottom Cake w/ Vegan Ice Cream

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Pancakes w/ vegan breakfast sausage (Gimme Lean Sausage)

Lunch: --- (our Sunday breakfast is more of a brunch, so we're still not very hungry around lunch time and will either eat leftovers or some sort of snack before we go to our 1:00 p.m. church service)

Dinner: Chili Dogs, Loaded Baked Potatoes, & Corn on the Cob

 

Monday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Vegan Chik'n Fingers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

Snack: Apples & Peanut Butter

Dinner: Breaded Eggplant w/ Spaghetti & Marinara Sauce

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Sausage Biscuit (using the second half of the tube of Gimme Lean sausage from Sunday)

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches

Snack: Teddy Grahams (not something I typically buy for the kids, but we still have some leftover from a road trip)

Dinner: Bean Burritos

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Pizza Hummus w/ Triscuits and Fruit

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Sesame Tofu, White Rice, & Green Beans

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast

Lunch: Peanut Butter, Crackers, & Raisins

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Southern Black-Eyed Peas w/ Biscuits

 

Friday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt and Granola

Lunch: Sloppy Joe's

Snack: Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Grilled 'Cheese' Sandwiches & Tomato Soup

To satisfy anyone's curiosity on the cost of groceries this week, the total comes to: $105.36. This also includes things like soy and almond milk, vegan butter, orange juice, grape juice, and other things that are not necessarily on our menu but we do consume each week or that I'm running low on and like to have on hand.

Jenny

Yum, Yum!

Another milestone has been achieved! Little George has begun eating solid foods.

We started him on rice cereal on Monday (Aug. 6th). He did so good! When we started Bridget out on solids, she made a huge mess. She kept pushing the food out of her mouth with her tongue (she was also a bit younger than George is, in her defense). George on the other hand, ate ALL his food. The little bit that did end up on his cheeks and chin, I wiped up with the spoon and fed it back to him. He loved it! He even tried to feed himself:

We fed him again yesterday, and this time I made it not so runny, and I also made an extra tablespoon of the cereal (Monday he ate 1 Tbsp. and Tuesday he ate 2!). He also gave me the impression that he wanted more after he finished eating yesterday.

This experience reminded me of how much fun it was when Bridget was starting to eat solids. As messy as she was, she was also pretty funny to watch. I can't wait to introduce George to more foods and see his reactions and to watch him learn what to do. It's also neat to see Bridget encourage George and cheer him on.

Here's another one of the little guy that I had to include in the post. It was right before his first bowl of rice cereal.

I wonder how much bigger those squishy cheeks can get!