God is Good. All the Time.: January 2011

I promise to put some pics of Levi at the end of this post.

So if you know me well, you'll know that it is NOT like me to say that when I was pregnant, I was so totally grossed out by vegetables. I couldn't get enough fruit, but vegetables were dry-heave-able. (Okay, it wasn't that bad - except for avocados, which I normally LOVE, and now we have a somewhat tenuous relationship...). I think that was the most tragic part of being in the first trimester and feeling like garbage. My cookbooks remained sad and dusty on their shelf. When I got my Vegetarian Times magazines in the mail, I literally had to quickly turn them over so I couldn't see the veggies on the front. I didn't want to cook, didn't want to experiment like I normally do with recipes...I truly went from eating a primarily vegan diet to stocking up on Smart Ones frozen meals and plowing thru family-size boxes of Goldfish crackers. That's all my stomach would take.

Well, after nearly a year of being pregnant (truly, I tell you - was pregnant last November and technically most of December, had a month off in January, and you know the rest...), and now arising out of the foggy mist of sleep deprivation, frustration, and self-doubt....I'm so BACK! My cheap Frigidaire stove is fired up and I'm a lactating lady with the metabolism of a combustion engine.

Now I know that many of you made NY resolutions to eat better and lose weight. Admit it. What better way to do that than to try some new stuff packed full of veggies and whole grains? I found this book full of great recipes - I was so taken by the shiny, colorful pictures that my credit card levitated OUT of my wallet and forced me to buy it - called "The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast" by Kristen Feola. I'm not doing the so-called Daniel Fast (couldn't even really tell you about it; remember, I was drawn to the pictures), but the recipes are quite pleasing. They don't involve too many weirdo ingredients (though, perhaps as part of your resolution to eat better, it would be a good idea to try something new each week anyway, you might be surprised), are very simple, delicious, and healthy. If you're a vegan, you'll be pleased. If you're g-free, you'll be pleased. If you're dairy-free, you'll be pleased. If you like to eat, you'll be pleased.

That being said, yes these recipes are vegan/g-free/d-free/lalalalala, BUT, if you want to cook up some chicken to go along with it, throw on some cheese, whatever, they would be great that way too. I didn't use any chicken b/c I didn't have any. And BTW, if you're a Hollander, Montello's on S. Washington has an amazing selection of meat and poultry. Most of what they sell is hormone and antibiotic free, free-range, grass-fed, AND LOCAL. It's an impressive establishment and I can't recommend them highly enough. Their prices are fair too.

Anyway, here are two dinners I tried this past week and received thumbs-up approval from Matt (though, he has been known to say that he would eat poop on a stick, he's that grateful for someone else making him food, so maybe his standards are a bit low?).

Asparagus-Mushroom Saute'

1 T EV olive oil
1c thinly sliced onion
3c sliced mushrooms
1lb asparagus spears, cut into 1-in pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 t dried oregano
salt and pepper (or your fave seasoning salt)

Heat olive oil over med. heat in a large skillet. Add everything to skillet and saute over med-hi heat for 5-7 min or until veggies are crisp-tender. You can add cooked brown rice and garbanzo beans to make it a complete meal. I think some marinated chicken would taste wonderful with it too. This might sound weird, but I had made a huge batch of hummus, and stirred some into my bowl with this stuff and it tasted FABULOUS.

Speaking of hummus, who knew you could make....

Hummus Casserole???

Now before you get all blech on me, first admit that you DO like hummus with pita chips, and then bear in mind that you can just mix the hummus and veggies together, NOT cook it, and use this recipe as a dip anyway. I did cook it, and used it a dip with tortilla chips and it was quite yummy.

2c of your fave hummus (I thought I had blogged my hummus recipe at some point, but I can't find it...if you need a good hummus recipe, lemme know)
1/2 c water
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 c chopped green onions
2c cooked brown rice
And then the recipe calls for a bunch of veggies I didn't have, so I just used what I DID have - bell peppers, broccoli, etc. About a cup of each.

Mix it all together, put it in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, cover, and bake at 350 for 20 min.

And now, for some eye candy...

Isn't he so fashionably cute??? Matt picked out the fleece vest.

Why, oh why, Blogger, do you rotate my pics??? Anyway, if you want to be guaranteed a smile, put Levi on his diaper changing pad. I mean, his cloth diapers ARE pretty sweet, but I had no idea he'd like them THAT much...

So for the past couple of weeks Levi has undertaken what we have come to call "Project Thumb." He somehow discovered the divine nature of a deliciously suckable, opposable thumb. Unfortunately, he had not achieved the neuromuscular development necessary to insert that little thumb in its target and leave it there. So for two weeks, just about every moment he was awake, that little fist would wave in the air with the thumb sticking out, trying, trying, trying to be sucked. Matt and I (again) made fools of ourselves, exaggeratedly demonstrating the motion of sticking out your thumb and putting it in your mouth. I'm so GLAD none of you were flies on the wall by our dinner table!