December 2017 Whole Food Plant Based Potluck

For the month of December we go out to eat. This year we went to Sassool with our annual White Elephant exchange. This has been an amazing year with all of you!
January 6th's theme is whole food plant based soup and salad.

The 2nd Day of Christmas - Turtle candy

 The second day of Christmas I made my loved ones 2 turtle candies.

and a pear muffin 

I made a second batch (for me, neither pecans nor oil). That recipe is at the bottom

Ingredients 

chocolate:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)
• 1-2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

Date Caramel:

• 10 Medjool Dates (I used Natural Delights)
• 2-3 Tbsp warm water (as needed to blend)
• 2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk cream
• pinch of salt (optional)

Also

• 1 cup whole raw pecans
• parchment paper lined (small size) baking dish or tray

Instructions

1. Pit your dates. Soak them in warm water 2-3 minutes.
2. Add all caramel ingredients to a high speed blender, including the soaked dates. Discard soaking water.
3. Blend the caramel until smooth. You will need to stop blender to scrape down sides a few times and use a tamper if using a Vitamix. Use the tall skinny container if you have one.
4. When caramel is done, spoon it into a small bowl and place the bowl in the freezer to chill. Also place the baking sheet you will be using for the turtles in the freezer to get cold.
5. Create a double broiled for melting you chocolate. Melt chocolate until silky sooth. Pour chocolate into a small bowl and place that bowl in the freezer to cool a bit.
6. Pull your baking sheet from the freezer and line it with parchment paper.
7. Pull the caramel and chocolate from the freezer as well and start assembling your turtles. Create a turtle design with the pecans. Then add a dollop of caramel to each turtle. Then top with a spoonful of chocolate. The cold caramel and cold pan will help so that the chocolate does not spread too far when poured. Continue until all turtle are done. Note: If you are using a small baking pan -- you will probably need two pans for all your turtles.
8. Place the turtles back in the freezer and in 5-15 minutes they will be fully hardened and ready to enjoy! Store leftover in the fridge or freezer.

Cindy's version for walnut (oil-free) turtles

Ingredients 

chocolate:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)

Date Caramel:

• 10 Medjool Dates (I used Natural Delights)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt (optional)

Also

• 1 cup whole raw walnuts
• parchment paper lined (small size) baking dish or tray

Instructions

1. Pit your dates. Soak them in warm water 2-3 minutes.
2. Add all caramel ingredients to a high speed blender, including the soaked dates. Discard soaking water.
3. Blend the caramel until smooth. You will need to stop blender to scrape down sides a few times and use a tamper if using a Vitamix. Use the tall skinny container if you have one.
4. When caramel is done, spoon it into a small bowl and place the bowl in the freezer to chill. Also place the baking sheet you will be using for the turtles in the freezer to get cold.
5. Create a double broiled for melting you chocolate. Melt chocolate until silky sooth. Pour chocolate into a small bowl and place that bowl in the freezer to cool a bit.
6. Pull your baking sheet from the freezer and line it with parchment paper.
7. Pull the caramel and chocolate from the freezer as well and start assembling your turtles. Create a turtle design with the walnutss. Then add a dollop of caramel to each turtle. Then top with a spoonful of chocolate. The cold caramel and cold pan will help so that the chocolate does not spread too far when poured. Continue until all turtle are done. Note: If you are using a small baking pan -- you will probably need two pans for all your turtles.
8. Place the turtles back in the freezer and in 5-15 minutes they will be fully hardened and ready to enjoy! Store leftover in the fridge or freezer.
9. 
   

The 1st day of Christmas - Pear muffins

There are so many site discusses the historical insight to the song "The 12 Days of Christmas", but not so many for foods following the 12 Days of Christmas. This will be my attempt to make vegan versions of my interpretation of  what "pairs" with the verses of the song. This recipe is from Fearless Dining

On the first day of Christmas I made my loved ones a pear muffin

  Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup softened earth balance stick
1 cup almond milk
1 bosc pear
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup of applesauce 
12 cinnamon stick pieces

 Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop pear into bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients.
4. Whisk to blend.
5. Add all wet ingredients and pear and mix.
6. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin wrappers.
7. Pour batter into the papers almost to the top.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until done.

Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms - oil free

Our son and I LOVE Chanterelle mushrooms and Costco had them this week. We made a pasta and garlic mushrooms recipe. For my husband, I will make the half of the same recipe substituting leftover turkey for the mushrooms. Both dishes were served with garlic roasted asparagus. Our son's nurse thought the sliced chanterelle mushrooms looked liked sliced chicken.

Ingredients:
1 pound of Chanterelle mushrooms, brushed and sliced (these were large)
8 oz baby crimini mushrooms, brushed, stemmed, and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 cup scallions (from the garden)
3 TBS white wine (optional)
1 pound of quinoa rice pasta, cook according to the directions on the bag
Pine Nut Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. place minced garlic in pan with vegetable broth
2. place the brush and slice the mushrooms with the garlic to saute, about 2-3 minutes
3. add parsley, wine, and salt and pepper, stir and heat
4. add mushroom mix to the pasta, fold in and serve
5. Top with Pine-nut Parmesan cheese

4th Annual 7-Course Italian Feast for Thanksgiving 2017

the family

This is our 4th Annual 7-Course Italian Feast for Thanksgiving and this year it is my 57th birthday. My grandmother is now 99 and our tradition will be honoring her once again, hopefully for years to come.
We again will have vegan, whole food , plant based options when necessary, as well as, the traditional meat based dishes.





Course 1 - Anitpasto platter served with a Pinot Gris wine

meat based antipasto platter (thanks Pat)

For our vegans, a vegetable antipasto platter, we omitted all oil but 1 TBS of olive oil. 

Course 2 - Salad served with a Chardonnay

(Thanks Jyl)

Course 3 - Soup served with a White Zinfandel

Potato Leek Soup served applegate Sunday bacon and garden fresh scallions sliced to top the soup

Course 4 - Rice and Quinoa Pasta and tomato sauce (we used our homemade sauce from our garden tomatoes) served with a Cabernet Sauvignon wine

Course 5 - zucchini manicotti and braciole served with a Sangiovese wine

Herb Ricotta cheese
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pinenuts
1 peeled summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic
2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 probiotic capsule
1 cup filtered water
Directions: combine everything in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Place in a glass container leaving on the counter overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The braciole was stuffed with the Herb Ricotta and gluten free bread crumbs.

Course 6 - fruit and cheese served with a Petit Manseng wine (thanks Judi and Bill)

We made a Fig and Apricot with cashew based marscapone cheese

and cheese with a cranberry relish were served (thanks Pat)

Course 7 - Dessert served with coffee, hot spiced cider, and herbal teas

Apple Persimmon Pie (from my upcoming cookbook, Got Nuts)

and White Chocolate RaspberryTort 

Hot Spiced Cider
ingredients:
4 cups apple cider
3 cups orange juice
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves

Directions: heat in a slow cooker for several hours.

with Jyl

Bahamas - Day 8

Our last beautiful 75 degree morning in the Bahamas.
This week has been such a gift to all of us, giving us time together as a family and getting away from every day life. I'm not sure why but we have been so blessed by the people here. Captain Brian, Queen Esther, Lorraine and Hattie at the front desk have gone beyond what was necessary to make our stay a gift. We are so grateful.

We are packing up and heading to the airport this morning. Our Flight leaves Freeport at 1:30 and arriving in Atlanta at 3:30. Our flight from Atlanta doesn't get us home until midnight. The older boys leave around 5 this afternoon and arrive at home around midnight. We hope to catch-up with each other and maybe even give the guys a ride home. We will be some tired babies when our puppies greets us early Sunday morning.

Pup's bear hug when I came home

Parks has been such a trooper through all the airline transfers, sitting patiently while waiting on the plane and at the gates.
This has been an amazing trip for all of us.
The only things we would have done differently is brought more cash and used a taxi instead of purchasing shuttle passes for all of us.

Bahamas - Day 7

the green is in the water channal

Today due to the snorkeling being too rough, we have exchanged our tour to go see the caves. We went to the Lucayan National Park to see caves, mangroves, and beaches. Prior to leaving Captain Brian blessed us with an amazing piece of coral. He also offered my hubby and youngest a 3+ hour boat ride for free. My hubby thought it would be too long of a ride for our son.

Coral from Captain Brian

Queen Esther was our driver yesterday for snorkeling. We asked her to run an errand for us on the way home. She did with such joy. We were thankful she was our driver today to the Lucayan National Park and Caves.
The Lucayan National Park had interesting composting bathrooms, after using the bathroom, 1 scoop of pine shavings are poured into the toilet.

Composting toilet

Joe and Tim in one of the caves

walking through the mangrove forest

Gold Rock Beach

Lucayan Estuary

Queen Esther spoiled us rotten and after our tour she tooknus to Banana Beach to an amazing restaurant with Guava Duff's and Mango Daiquiris.

Banana Beach and a Mango daiquiri

The view was amazing as was the food.

Banana Bay Beach

This is our last night here. What a wonderful family vacation we have enjoyed this week!
Friday night is the resort's outdoor movie night. The movie tonight is Arrival.