Amy’s No Chicken Noodle Soup is vegan and nails the chicken noodle soup flavor, but just isn’t hearty enough for me. Actually, I rarely eat a canned soup without at least adding a bunch of frozen veggies to it. The Amy’s soup can be a little hard to find at some grocery stores, but it’s easy to pick up on Amazon either by the can:

Or a case of 12:

Preparation Tip: Fast and Easy Slicing

If you cook with a lot of vegetables, a mandoline vegetable slicer is an amazing tool you will use ALL. THE. TIME. With mine, I was able to slice all the veggies for the soup in about 4 minutes.

Do you have a favorite “Cheater” recipe?

Print

Cheater Chickenless Noodle Soup (Vegan)

This vegan Cheater Chickenless Noodle Soup is a quick and easy weeknight comfort food that is "Cheater" because it uses some ready-made grocery store ingredients.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cheater, comfort food, soup, Vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cans Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• up to 7 cups water
• 1 can cannelloni beans, undrained
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 package noodles of your choice eggless dumpling noodles, orzo, and ditalini work well
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp oregano measurement is for dried, but fresh is phenomenal in this soup; adjust to taste
• 1 ½ tbsp thyme measurement is for dried, but fresh is phenomenal in this soup; adjust to taste
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 lb frozen mixed vegetables or frozen peas* See note below
• Salt to taste

Optional Add-ins:

• Diced mushrooms shitakes are especially good
• diced potatoes
• green beans
• diced root vegetables parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, etc.

Instructions

• Heat oil in a soup pot on Med-High heat.
• Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery.
  
• Sauté until the onions are translucent.
• Add 2 cups of water and the pepper, garlic salt, oregano, thyme, and cayenne.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add the 2 cans of Amy's Soup, the cannelloni beans, and nutritional yeast.
• Add 2 to 5 cups of water based on your broth preferences. I typically use the soup cans to rinse out anything that gets left in them.
• Add the noodles and butter and bring to a boil.
• Boil until the noodles are soft, add the frozen vegetables.
• When the soup returns to a boil, it's ready to serve!

Notes

*Frozen Veggies Mom Hack:  I seriously felt like a genius when I thought of this.  If you are going to need to cool this soup off quickly (say, for instance to children who are starving to *death* and cannot possibly wait 3 minutes for it to cool down), hold back some of the frozen vegetables and add them when you serve the soup.  So much better than adding an ice cube because it doesn’t water down the soup!  Bonus:  If you let the kids add the veggies themselves, they’ll often take even more than you would have given them.  BAM.  #momgenuity

 

The post Cheater Chickenless Noodle Soup (Vegan) appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

A few tips to keep in mind:

• It is best to use “second snow” or “later snow”: snow from after the first couple hours of snowfall.
• Make sure to collect your snow from a clean surface (above and below) that has not been trodden on or touched.
• Fluffy, dry snow works best for this recipe.  That’s one of the bonuses.  My kids are always disappointed when the snow is not packing snow, but at least we can make snow cream!
• Packing snow occurs when the temperature is within a couple degrees above or below freezing.  Fluffy snow comes when the temperature is more than a few degrees below freezing.

Vegan Snow Ice Cream Recipe 

INGREDIENTS
All amounts are approximate and should be adjusted to taste 

• 4 – 8 cups clean snow
• 1 cup soy milk* (or other plant milk)*
• 1/3 cup or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

* You can use any flavor of milk that you choose – vanilla, chocolate, sweetened or unsweetened, almond, coconut, hemp, flax, macadamia, cashew, etc.  If you use a flavored and/or sweetened milk, you may desire to adjust the amounts of sugar and vanilla.

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the snow in a large bowl.  (Leave the snow in a bowl outside or in the freezer until ready to stir it in.
2. Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes.  (This step is optional, but snow cream melts very quickly and this step helps it last just a bit longer).
3. Mix in the snow about 1/2 cup at a time until the snow cream reaches a consistency just thicker than soft serve ice cream.
4. Serve and enjoy immediately!

As always, if you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments, like, and share this post!

Disclaimer:  All food comes with a risk.  I can’t guarantee that eating snow is safe, though I certainly feel comfortable with the snow ice cream we make and enjoy.  I find this article has good information on the comparative safety of consuming snow:  So You Want To Eat Snow. Is It Safe? We Asked Scientists

The post Snow Ice Cream appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

A friend of mine was kind enough to share her Taco Soup recipe quite some time ago, but I lost my phone (and therefore the pictures) shortly after I tried it out.  I think that actually turned out for the best, as it was even better this time!

For the fast, easy version of the recipe, simply go with the canned versions of all the listed ingredients, pre-mixed taco seasoning, and don’t bother with the toppings bar.  For a fun twist on Taco Night, lay out a whole spread of toppings – lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, avocado, various salsas, tortilla chips, and so on.

Taco Soup Ingredients:

• 1 – 2 diced onion(s)
• 2 tbs oil suitable for sautéing (I used grapeseed)
• 46oz can tomato juice (low sodium preferred)
• 29oz can crushed tomatoes (low sodium preferred)
• 1 – 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 ½ cups prepared red kidney beans (or one can rinsed)
• 1 ½ cups prepared black beans (or one can rinsed)
• 4-5oz can of diced green chilies (mild to hot to your taste)
• ½ – ¾ cup Salsa (chunky)
• Taco Seasoning* to taste
  • Cumin
  • Garlic powder
  • Chili powder and/or cayenne
  • Cilantro
  • Garlic Salt
• 1 diced green bell pepper

Serve with:

• Diced avocado
• Shredded lettuce
• Tortilla chips (crunched up)
• Nutritional Yeast
• Olives
• All your favorite taco toppings!

*If you want to mix up taco seasoning to keep on hand, try this recipe.

Directions:
Note: This is a super flexible recipe.  The amounts of vegetables, beans, salsa, and seasonings are all completely flexible based on your tastes.  You could even add a lot more vegetables or tailor it to you preferred taco ingredients/toppings.

1. Dice the onion(s) and, in the pot the soup will cook in, briefly sauté them in the oil – only until they just start to soften.
2. Stir in everything else except the green bell pepper and the “serve with” ingredients.
   • You can thaw out the corn first, for slightly faster cooking
3. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add green pepper; simmer for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to heat the pepper through but not soften it.
5. Serve! Top bowls with crunched up tortilla chips, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, olives, nutritional yeast, and/or all your favorite taco toppings!

The post Vegan Taco Soup – Fast, Easy, Delicious appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

    Summer is the time for BBQ, and these Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushroom sandwiches are a major crowd pleaser in addition to being super easy to prep.  I hate to even reference meat here, but this really is an amazing vegan pulled pork alternative – and much healthier (though BBQ sauce is still pretty high in sugar – and watch out for brands with high fructose corn syrup).

I’ll lay out the basic recipe with a few alternatives to kick it up a level or two:

Required Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Mushrooms (should be about 3 cups when raw and roughly sliced)
  • Best mushrooms for this recipe are, in order:
  • King Oyster
  • Oyster
  • Shiitake
  • Other mushrooms are an option as well, but the best texture is achieved with mushrooms similar in firmness and texture to those listed above.
• 1 cup BBQ Sauce
• Buns
• Oil appropriate for sautéing

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small Onions
• 2 tbsp minced Garlic
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 2 tbsp Dry White Wine
• 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• Thick Sourdough Toast
• Hoagie Rolls

Amounts:

• This is a very flexible recipe and the amounts of the various ingredients will vary based on the overall amount you want to make.  For the purposes of this recipe, I will include rough amounts that make enough to feed 4-6 people (depending on the size of the buns you use).
• If you don’t use onions, you will need more mushrooms.  My amounts presume you are using onions.

Easiest Possible Preparation:

1. Slice Mushrooms into rough, thin strips.
2. Saute mushrooms over medium high heat until they begin to soften.
3. Add BBQ sauce.
4. Mix well and continue to sauté until desired consistency is achieved (mushrooms will get softer and sauce will get thicker as dish cooks).

Preferred Preparation:

1. Dice onions and place in pan (no heat yet).
2. Dice red pepper  and place in pan (still no heat).
3. Slice mushrooms into rough, thin strips.
4. Saute the onions, garlic, and pepper over medium high heat until the onions just start to become translucent.  If desired, add white wine, liquid aminos, and/0r Worcestershire sauce (I use all 3!).
5. Add the mushrooms.  Stir.  Saute until the mushrooms start to soften and release their liquid.
6. Add the BBQ Sauce.  Stir and Saute until the sauce thickens and reaches desired consistency.  Add more Worcestershire or liquid aminos to taste.

Note: Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.  Avoid over-cooking the mushrooms, you want mushrooms not mush!

Scoop some onto a thick slice of sourdough toast with some nutritional yeast (or a hoagie or a regular bun), and enjoy!

The post Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushrooms appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

Firey leaves, cozy sweaters, hot apple cider, and ALL THINGS PUMPKIN.  That time of year is just around the corner.  Normally, I would wait until at least September to post my recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, but an excellent article published on Food Babe yesterday, combined with a couple other factors, has me breaking out my favorite recipe early this year.

Fall is my very favorite season.  I could wax poetic for pages about the tangible magic I feel in the air throughout the autumn season (but I won’t!  I promise; no need to click away).

I will be the first to admit that I still feel some lingering trauma from the Polar Vortex that turned a glittering Michigan winter into a flesh cracking Jack Frost  Hell dragging its icy talons across the midwest all the way into MAY.  I am still joyously embracing every moment of muggy heat and asphalt fumes this August, and I refuse to openly admit that I enjoy a feeling of anticipation on the intermittent Fall-like days.  I still cringe at every buzzword mention of the Polar Vortex, whilst battling flashbacks to the 90’s and the most overused weather buzzword of all time:

And yet, even while fighting every inkling that there is yet another winter just around the corner, it didn’t take much to push me into Fall mode several weeks early.  And that little push was this incredibly well researched, and fairly disturbing, article on what actually goes into a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

It is completely unethical for Starbucks, or any other business for that matter, to attempt to cover up their use of unsavory ingredients just to preserve profits.  Either come up with better ingredients, or accept the fact that a lot of us don’t want that garbage in our bodies.  Especially when making something just as delicious and MUCH more nutritious is so easy.

Similar to the Starbucks confection, most grocery store coffee creamers are full of all sorts of yucky stuff: hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and worst of all (in my opinion) factory farmed milk. The way those cows are treated is enough to make me wretch. And I can’t even bear to think about what they do to all those little baby calves.  Not to mention the stomach-turning health detriments caused by dairy.

Any way you slice it, whether it’s health concerns, sugar issues, fat issues, lactose issues, ethical, or humane issues, I just couldn’t continue buying those creamers. Your purchases say something! Not just about you, but about where you stand on various issues. I try very hard to keep my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So here it is, my most popular recipe, which also happens to be on of my easiest, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer:

Special Holiday Note: This creamer makes a wonderful and ethical gift.  Pour it into a clean, reused glass jar, maybe paint or glue some used wrapping paper on the cap, use strips of re-used wrapping paper to create a ribbon or bow, and pop on a gift tag made from old holiday cards or wrapping paper, and Voila!  An affordable, easy holiday gift sure to please!

Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups of creamer
2 cups Almond Milk*
2 tbsp mashed pumpkin (canned is fine, but make sure it’s just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie)
2 tbsp maple syrup**
1 tsp cinnamon***
¼ – ½ tsp nutmeg***
¼ – ½ tsp ground cloves***
¼ – ½ tsp ground ginger***
½ tsp vanilla extract*

* If you use Vanilla Almond Milk, you may not need to add any additional vanilla. You can also use Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Flax Milk, or Hemp Milk. Do not use animal milk – it will separate, go spoil quickly, and taste off.

** Adjust to taste and desired sweetness. If you use sweetened Almond Milk, you won’t need as much sweetener. Fair Trade/Equal Exchange brown or white sugar or agave nectar can be substituted for the maple syrup. The Maple just Falls up the flavor that much more.

*** Adjust spices to taste. You can also substitute pre-mixed “pumpkin pie spice.”

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients, except vanilla if you’re planning to add some, together in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Ensure all pumpkin is completely mixed in.

2. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.

3. Whisk in vanilla.

4. Pour into a jar for storage.

It’s that easy!

Shake before using, as the spices may settle.

This stuff makes my morning!

In addition to being a great gift, substituting this creamer for milk in any recipe is a great way to fulfill all your pumpkin spice desires:
Cookies,
Cakes,
Cupcakes,
Oatmeal,
Pancakes,
Chia Seed Pudding, …

What flavor would you like to see me try out next?  

What do you put in your coffee?

And as a final Fall themed bonus, I would like to share the following link in memory of my brother, Boo.  I spend days cracking up every time I read it, and I can see and hear him reading it in my head.  Fair warning, it is heavily peppered with rather “colorful” language:

It’s Decorative Gourd Season Mother******s.

You’re welcome.

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and Why to Avoid the Starbucks Version appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

The vegetables I used are just that: the vegetables I used.  There are several other vegetables that would work just as well.  Basically any vegetable that will stand up to roasting and goes well with hummus will work on this pizza.  Go with what you like!

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Roasted Veggies:
– 1 medium onion, diced
– 1 small egg plant, sliced
– 1 small zucchini, sliced
– 8oz mushrooms, sliced
– 6 asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
– 2 tbsp minced garlic
– 2 tbsp of safflower oil or another oil with a high smoke point (450 or over)
– 3 tbsp za’atar* or Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spice mix
Other Ingredients:
– 1/4 c fresh parsley finely chopped – optional: sprinkle the parsley with lemon juice and olive oil or EVOO
– 8oz hummus (here is a recipe for home-made hummus, if you’re so inclined)
– 4 slices whole grain na’an bread
– extra za’atar or herbs as garnish

Directions:
1.  Toss all the Roasted Veggies ingredients listed above together, coating the vegetables with the oil and spices.
2.  Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3.  Roast 20 minutes at 450F, stirring/turning over once.
4.  While the vegetables are roasting, spread a thick layer of hummus on one side of each slice of na’an, this is your “pizza sauce.”

5.  Sprinkle the parsley over the hummus.
6.  When the vegetables are brown around the edges, take them out of the oven and spread them on top of the na’an.
You can serve and enjoy them now, or, for crispy crusts:
7.  Place the pizzas on a baking sheet (you can re-use the vegetable sheet, a little oil and za’atar on the bottom of the pizzas will just add flavor and save you dishes!).  Reduce the oven temperature to 250F and bake for 20 minutes.

The kids and I ate ours after step 6.  Without the added baking time to crisp the crust, they are pretty floppy, but you also get the more authentic taste of the na’an.  I folded mine in half like a taco, and it was perfect.  Flintstone and Punky also developed their own methods:

Burrito Style

Flatbread Style

I just love both his face here and the fact that his “Mediterranean pizza burrito” is standing up on its own.

MacGyver was at a networking event, so I left his in the oven until he came home.  His crust was stiff and crunchy – definitely more “pizza” like.  Just the way he likes it!

Enjoy!

*Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mix, so not technically Mediterranean.  Likewise, hummus is technically a Middle Eastern food, not Mediterranean.  Perhaps I should change the name of this recipe, but Middle Eastern Pizzas doesn’t flow very well.  I’m open to suggestions on this point.

The post Mediterranean Pizzas appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

Oddly enough, I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I love all things pumpkin spice – Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, and pretty much any iced pastry with “Pumpkin Spice” in the title.

This is my go-to breakfast in the cold weather months.  Oatmeal is already a healthy, hearty breakfast, and the pumpkin and molasses both add an extra kick of vitamins and minerals.

The recipe below is for one bowl (great for before school/work).  You can also multiply everything by 4 (or whatever number you want) and make it in a crock pot.  Also please note that the amounts for Oatmeal and Water will vary based on the kind of oatmeal you use; I use a mixture that is 1/2 steel cut oats and 1/2 muesli mix.

Ingredients
1/4 cup dried oats
1/3 cup water
—–
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses*
1 tsp real maple syrup*
1/2 tsp cinnamon*
1/4 tsp allspice*
1/4 tsp ginger*
1/8 tsp cloves*

* SUBSTITUTIONS:
– You can substitute the cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cloves for 1 tsp “pumpkin pie spice,” but watch out for added preservatives.  I make my own (in roughly the proportions listed above).
– You can substitute brown sugar for the molasses and/or the maple syrup, but the flavor won’t be quite as perfect.  Also, if you subtract the molasses, you’re losing an excellent source of iron, calcium, manganese, and copper.

Directions
1.  Mix the oats and water in a microwave-safe bowl.2.  Microwave for 3 minutes.  Stir.  Add an additional tbsp water if necessary.  Microwave for one more minute.
–OR–
1.  Prepare one bowl of plain, unsweetened oatmeal according to package directions.
2.  Stir in the pumpkin, molasses, syrup, and spices.
3.  Serve and enjoy!

Stay warm, friends!

The post Easy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

The beer sauce on this Stir Fry is incredibly versatile.  Beer sauced broccoli is a favorite in our house; the sauce is a quick and easy vegan dinner idea that can be used for stir fry and pasta dishes alike.  You can put it over nearly any vegetable you want, but I find that it goes best with cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, rapini, and greens of all kinds – kale, collars, chard, cabbage), and mushrooms.  It is amazing with mushrooms!

This is also a sneaky vegan recipe.  As in, it wasn’t designed to be vegan, but it just so happens to be.  A delicious, plant based dish to please any skeptical omnivore (especially one who likes beer!).

The amounts in this recipe are designed to feed a family of four with leftovers (to put in thermoses for lunches the next day!).

Ingredients

Vegetables of your choice.
1 large Onion
2 cups diced mushrooms (or more, if you like!)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or substitute 2 tbsp high heat oil like avacado, palm, or grapeseed)
1 – 2 tbsp sesame oil (optional, for Asian style stir fries)
***
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 12oz bottles of beer (3 cups)
3 tsp vegetable or mushroom bouillon granules (OR substitute 2 tbsp BBQ sauce OR 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos OR replace 1/3 of the beer with vegetable broth)
1 1/2 tsp dried Thyme (3 tsp fresh)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
4 tsp maple syrup (or brown sugar)
4 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

Directions

1.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

2.  Put your rice or noodles on to boil (or in the pressure cooker, etc.) or prepare you potatoes.  Bake tofu (if desired).  This is an excellent topper to this dish.

3.  Stir together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

4.  Heat the vegetable broth in a large wok or skillet to sautée the vegetables.  Add the garlic and the toughest vegetables (onions, broccoli, cauliflower, halved brussels sprouts, kale, chard, or collard stems, etc.).  Stir fry over high heat for 3 – 4 minutes.  Keep just enough broth (or oil) in the pan to keep the vegetables from sticking.

5.  Add the mushrooms and any other fast cooking vegetables (chard, greens off the stem, bok choy, asparagus) and stir fry for another 2-4 minutes, until all the vegetables are just softened.

6.  Move all the vegetables to a serving dish (or get a separate saucepan).  If you’re making an asian-style dish, drizzle the sesame oil over the veggies.

7.  Stir sauce mix well and add it to the pan.  Cook on high heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in vegetables (and optional tofu) until well and evenly coated.

8.  Serve over rice (for asian style), noodles (for european style), or potatoes (for US style).

Let me know if you try it!

The post Beer Sauce Stir Fry appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a quintessential flavor of Fall. But if you, like me, live way too far from the nearest Starbucks, or if you just don’t like to dish out $4.25 every time you want that quintessential flavor, perhaps you should try out this simple, but utterly delicious, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer recipe.

Part of the reason I love Fall so much is because of the flavors. Hot, spicy drinks. Pumpkin, squashes, and other roasted Fall veggies. Cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger! Wonderful. And, thankfully, all things I can use to get my Fall fix even on those odd days when there are no beautiful Fall colors, crisp breezes, or hayrides and when the only sweaters I’m wearing have short sleeves.

Even though I am a complete coffee house addict, I’m still not the type to be spitting up almost $5 a pop on a regular basis for fancy coffee drinks. MacGyver and I hit up coffee houses as a treat. One of our favorite impromptu dates is always to grab coffee down by the waterfront then go for a long walk. Those rare treats don’t even come close to filling my Pumpkin Spice coffee requirements for the season, though.

Enter, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamers. My absolute thrill at discovering these fancy holiday creamers in the grocery store was short lived. Most grocery store coffee creamers are full of all sorts of yucky stuff: hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and worst of all (in my opinion) factory farmed milk. The way those cows are treated is enough to make me wretch. And I can’t even bear to think about what they do to all those little baby calves.  Not to mention the stomach-turning health detriments caused by dairy.

Any way you slice it, whether it’s health concerns, sugar issues, fat issues, lactose issues, ethical, or humane issues, I just couldn’t continue buying those creamers. Your purchases say something! Not just about you, but about where you stand on various issues. I try very hard to keep my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So, while I was sitting around pouting about the fact that the nearest coffee house where I could get a soy Pumpkin Spice Latte, was 40 minutes away, it occurred to me that there really isn’t all that much to coffee creamers. I mean, really, it’s just sweetened, flavored milk, right? So why not try to make my very own Urban Earthworm Ethical, Vegan, Healthier Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer? And, that night, that is just what I did.

I kept the recipe simple (mostly because I was trying to do this before making dinner ;-)), and was surprised by what a breeze this was to make. And, like most of my recipes, it’s pretty easily customized based on what you have on hand.

Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups of creamer
2 cups Almond Milk*
2 tbsp mashed pumpkin (canned is fine, but make sure it’s just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie)
2 tbsp maple syrup**
1 tsp cinnamon***
¼ – ½ tsp nutmeg***
¼ – ½ tsp ground cloves***
¼ – ½ tsp ground ginger***
½ tsp vanilla extract*

* If you use Vanilla Almond Milk, you may not need to add any additional vanilla. You can also use Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Flax Milk, or Hemp Milk. Do not use animal milk – it will separate, go spoil quickly, and taste off.

** Adjust to taste and desired sweetness. If you use sweetened Almond Milk, you won’t need as much sweetener. Fair Trade/Equal Exchange brown or white sugar or agave nectar can be substituted for the maple syrup. The Maple just Falls up the flavor that much more.

*** Adjust spices to taste. You can also substitute pre-mixed “pumpkin pie spice.”

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients, except vanilla if you’re planning to add some, together in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

2. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.

3. Whisk in vanilla.

4. Pour into a jar for storage.

It’s that easy!

Shake before using, as the spices may settle.

This stuff makes my morning!

What flavor would you like to see me try out next?  My co-workers have requested eggnog.

What do you put in your coffee?

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Vegan) appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

Despite the recent progress made by some schools to improve their school lunch programs (examples here, here, and here), I remain steadfast in my decision to pack my children’s lunches at home.  There are just too many foods offered (or even forced) by the schools that violate our Ethical Eating standards, not to mention my own demanding nutritional standards.  (Pizza is NOT a vegetable, and factory dairy is downright evil!).

I want to ensure that my children are eating at least one full serving of vegetables at every lunch.  I want to restrict or eliminate the presence of processed foods, fillers, dyes, high fructose corn syrup, weird chemicals and preservatives, and the million other questionable things that sneak into our packaged foods every day.  I want to limit our exposure to GMOs (genetically modified organisms).  And NO DAIRY (unless I find a humane, local source – and still very, very little dairy after that).

And I want to do all that in the 10 minutes or less I have per day to pack Flintstone’s lunch (MacGyver packs Punky’s lunch following the same standards – yay team!).  It is unlikely that Flintstone will ever open his lunchbox to find something like this:

It is beautiful and wonderful and nutritious.  And there is no chance in H – E -double-hockey-sticks that something like that will emerge from this working mama’s kitchen.  If you, however, happen to have the time and inclination to carve carrot pieces into bunny rabbits and other such fun, then you should totally check out Bentoriffic (the source of this image), for endless ideas!

Flintstone’s lunches are not always pretty and symmetrical, but they are healthy and delicious.  They are also quick and easy to prepare.  Here are a few tips I follow to ensure health, variety, and EASE:

• Cook Big Dinners – If your dinner Meal Plan includes dishes that can work as lunches (and most will), make a double batch.  Send some in lunches within a day or two of having for dinner and freeze the rest for real time crunches later on (if it’s freezable – a factor to consider ahead of time).  My kids LOVE finding spaghetti in their lunches.
• Dips Make All the Difference – An easy way to avoid monotony when you send as many raw veggies as I do is to change up the dips.  humus (which can be made or purchased in a variety of flavors) is one of Flintstone’s favorite foods in the whole world, but it is not the only dip he takes.  Guacamole, bean dips, simple salad dressings, and even peanut butter all bring a new flavor to lunch time.
• Go Beyond Carrot Sticks – Don’t get me wrong, carrot and celery sticks make a regular rotation in my kids lunches, but there are sooo many other dip-able veggies!  Bell Peppers (and other peppers) in all colors, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli,  cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, green beans, snap peas, mushrooms, swiss chard stems, endive, red cabbage, radishes – just to name a few.
• Get Them Involved – Not in the actual making of the lunch (G-ds no!), but letting them pick what flavor of humus they want or pick out a healthy salad dressing as a dip can go a long way in increasing their enjoyment of their food and is also a good opportunity for a little lesson on healthy food choices.  Why not take your kids on a stroll through the Farmer’s Market and see what dip-able looking vegetables you can find?
• Keep It Simple – Every lunch does not have to be completely unique from the one before it.  I am not Supermom and I don’t want to be.  Got a bushel of apples from the CSA?  An apple a day it is.  Maybe throw in some peanut butter to spice it up.  I try not to make any two days in a row identical, but depending on what’s in season and how busy we are, sometimes only one component of a lunch will change (see examples below).
• Start With Staples – Start every week with one or two staples in the fridge you can throw in lunches if no other idea strikes you.  I usually keep Tofurkey to use on sandwiches on days when there are no leftovers and we’ve eaten all the humus.  humus, ironically, is the other staple I keep on hand for when all else fails.  Soup is also beautiful for this.  Make huge batches.  Can or freeze it.  Instant lunch.  Just add crackers, local bread, or a piece of fruit.  And soup variety is nearly limitless!
• Don’t Stress – Some parents refrain from packing their kids’ lunches because they see it as a major, time consuming, or stressful task.  If that is the case, that is only because you are letting it be so.  It is just lunch.  I seriously spend less than 10 minutes a day on making lunch.  I do not make lunch with the kids around; I do not take orders (though polite requests may be considered); I do not negotiate; I do not fret.  The most in-depth planning I do is deciding to cook more at dinner or throwing a couple back-up lunch items in the cart at the store (humus, all-natural soup, Tofurkey, etc.).

One big crux of this is that I always have vegetables and fruits on hand.  I always hit whatever Farmer’s Market I can (which is much easier now that I work at one, but was true well before I got this job).  If I miss the market, I load up on veggies at the store.  I keep the freezer packed with frozen veggies.  That is just the nature of my kitchen, and it makes packing lunches that much easier.

What is a Waste-Free Lunchbox?

      A waste free lunchbox is one free of wrappers, baggies, paper napkins, plastic flatware, and other items of landfill fodder.  (I also strive to make lunches just the right size to limit food waste, but that’s not what waste-free lunch generally refers to).  The average US American child generates 67 pounds of discarded school lunch packaging waste per school year. That’s more than 18,000 pounds yearly for the average-sized elementary school.  Not only is that a huge landfill stuffer and environment polluter, but most of that waste is plastic, which is produced from petroleum in an energy intensive and environmentally toxic process.

Going waste-free is easy!  At least, it was for me.  Since I was not in the habit of sending my kids with packaged food-like products (*ahem* lunchables *ahem*), for me it was just a matter of switching from baggies to re-usable containers.  And these days, bento boxes are easy to find at nearly any store that sells school supplies.  These are more expensive at the outset, but a huge money saver in the long run since you don’t need to buy baggies every month.

The most vigilant among you will notice that yes, our re-usable containers are plastic.  I have glass, but I don’t send it to school with my 2 year old (almost 3, as he will tell you).  If I need to purchase more, I may pursue some of the metal options out there.  For now, BPA-free re-usable plastic is better than disposable!

We are not 100% waste free.  Occasionally an Equal Exchange chocolate in a disposable wrapper or some other little treat will sneak it’s way in, but for the most part we’re doing well.  We also use water bottles as opposed to disposable drink containers.

Vegan Lunch Ideas:

Here are the first few lunches I packed for Flintstone this year.  These were all packed in the midst of moving and are far from spectacular (plus half my pictures got wiped out).  Look to future posts for lunch ideas that are  little more creative and fun.

Sandwich: Hearty, high fiber, 100% whole grain bread, Tofurkey, broccoli sprouts, and Vegenaise;
Broccoli and carrots for dipping;
Newman’s Own Poppy Seed Dressing (oil based, so it could be better, but still pretty good ingredients);
Mixed fruit: Watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapes

Spaghetti made with 100% Whole Grain noodles, organic spaghetti sauce, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and green, red, and yellow peppers; and spinach;
Home-made garlic bread (whole grain bread, Earth Balance vegan spread, garlic powder, and oregano);
Farmer’s Market apple, sliced up and held together with a rubber band to prevent browning.
*This lunch is a waste-free fail because I put the garlic bread in a baggie.  We hadn’t unpacked the bento boxes yet.

Sandwich: Hearty, high fiber, 100% whole grain bread, Tofurkey, broccoli sprouts, and Vegenaise;
Broccoli, carrots, and red bell pepper (fresh from the garden) for dipping;
Newman’s Own Poppy Seed Dressing mixed with a simple mango dressing;
Farmer’s Market apple, cut into slices and held together with a rubber band to prevent browning (not pictured)
Vegan ginger snap cookies.

Sandwich: 100% whole grain bread, home-made strawberry jelly (made by a friend, not by me!); and a light spread of Earth Balance vegan spread (Flintstone goes to a nut-free school, which is a hurdle for us; more on that in a future post);
Red, Orange, and Yellow bell peppers from the garden, Farmer’s Market peas, and carrots for dipping;
Roasted Red Pepper humus;
Local Plum.

Sandwich: Whole Grain bread (leftover from the garlic bread I made), humus, red and yellow peppers, and broccoli sprouts;
Roasted cauliflower and broccoli (plus one spare pepper slice);
mango dip just in case;
organic raisins.

Spaghetti made with 100% Whole Grain noodles, organic spaghetti sauce, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and green, red, and yellow peppers; and spinach; Nutritional Yeast;
100% whole grain bread with Earth Balance vegan spread sprinkled with Nutritional Yeast;
Organic raisins;
Equal Exchange dark chocolate.

Mexican “dip” (leftovers from taco night all mixed together) = homemade spanish rice (brown rice, tomato paste, cumin, garlic, cayenne, oregano, other spices, peppers and onions), LOTS of red, yellow, green, and orange bell peppers from the garden sautéed with mushrooms and onions, and Amy’s Vegan Refried beans;
Stacy’s Pita Chips (Stacy’s are dairy free!  Yay!)
local pear from a friend’s tree, cut up and held together with a rubber band;
fruit snacks (waste free fail, but we had some left from our road trip).

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