Post Christmas/Winter Solstice Veggie Menu Monday

Back at work today and determined to write more. When I don’t write here, I seem to cook more boring things. I love to try new things – even if they don’t’ work out so well.

I have a few articles to write for other blogs, but I promise to post at least one new recipe this week.

Happy New Year to you!!

Monday: Leftover tofurky with gravy, dressing, green beans, vodka lemon carrots

Tuesday:  Tofurky and Gimme Lean sausage jambalaya

Wednesday:  New Year’s Eve Dinner Party: Endive with cheesy filling, cream of spinach soup (or lentil spinach soup), grilled (or baked) polenta with goat cheese and veggie topping, chocolate almond mousse

Thursday: Go to Slow Food event and/or Leftovers and/or  a soup in the slow cooker

Friday:  Steamed Chinese dumplings and Thai carrot stir fry over jasmine brown rice

Saturday: Eat at Dawn’s and play games – do I need to being any food? Maybe another mousse…

Sunday:  Veggie balls over  whole wheat spaghetti with Cesar salad (yes I’m still obsessed with my Meyer Lemon dressing…)

Check out more menu’s here:

Veggie Menus:

• Life is a Journey
• Book of Yum
• The Thrifty Soaper

Merry Christmas Menu Planning Monday

I was doing too little blogging last week and going to too many required holiday functions. In most cases the food was less than stellar and the company was not making me feel very merry. I’m not much on enforced work fun, it can be worse than dining with your least favorite relatives.

But starting today I’m on vacation for a week. So that’s got me singing holiday songs and craving some home cooked food. This is the first Christmas that it’ll be just the two of us. And rather than feeling let down about it – I’m ecstatic! I can catch up on some writing (about 10 articles), knit some bday presents (4 Jan bdays – ack), and get into an exercise routine.

No, I’m not trying to do much on my vacation…ok maybe I am – only time will tell.

Merry relaxing Christmas to you!!

Monday: Roasted Acorn Squash Risotto and Cesar Salad

Tuesday:  Steamed Chinese dumplings and Thai carrot stir fry over jasmine rice

Wednesday:   Cesar Salad and Hazelnut Ravioli and chocolate torte

Thursday: Tofurky with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, vodka lemon carrots – hazelnut pumpkin pie

Friday: Tofurky Gumbo – my first time a variation based on this recipe (more leftover tofurky recipe links here)

Saturday: paninis from various leftovers and sweet potato fries

Sunday: Roasted cauliflower soup, meatball whole wheat spagetti

Check out more menu’s here:

Organic Coupon Finder

With food prices rising, you can pick up some of the slack with coupons. There may not be as many coupons for organics, but they are out there. You just have to do some leg work.

Make sure to look where you shop. At your local co-op and/or Whole Foods stores you’ll find some coupons right in the stores. Since they focus on organic and natural foods, you can usually find coupons for the products you really use. Whole Foods usually has some store-only coupons in their brochures that advertise the specials of the month.

Don’t forget the free magazines at the registers either. Mambo Sprouts and Delicious Living often have great coupons in them that you can use at any store that accepts coupons. Sometimes you can find the product on sale and many regular grocery chains double coupons for an added bonus. Delicious Living also has a page on their website that links to printable coupons, so make sure to check there before you take your trip to the store.

Manufacturer websites are another place to find coupons. Some people also have luck emailing customer service with praise and asking for some coupons. Amy’s sent me some awesome coupons this way.

Here are a few links around the web that you should take a look at:

• Sign up for Muir Glen’s Tomato Connoisseurs Club and you can print out a coupon for $1.00 off any Muir Glen product.
• Organic Valley always has coupons to print out on their website. They have a great selection of coupons that usually include cheese, butter and milk.
• Organic Valley’s sister site, Organic Prairie, has some coupons to print out for their organic meat. Right now that includes deli meat, hot dogs, steak and more!
• Horizons Dairy has coupons for butter and Milk Plus DHA Omega-3.
• Turtle Mountain’s sign-up will get you some of their non-dairy frozen dessert coupons by mail.
• Stonyfield Farm also has some tons of yogurt coupons online for you to print out.
• And Brown Cow also has coupons on their site, if they are your favorite brand.
• Take Earthbound Farm’s quiz and they’ll send you a $1.00 off coupon for any Earthbound Farm product.

While Seventh Generation doesn’t make food, they do have great green cleaners and coupons. Another site to sign up with is HealthESavers. They change the coupons monthly, and right now they have a .75 off coupon for Tofurky.

Keep track of how much money you save and the amount of time that you put in. I think you’ll find it’s really worth your while.

Happy Holiday Season Veggie Menu Monday!

Today I finally feel better. Woo hoo!! I think I caught a head cold in the middle of my virus and it wasn’t pretty. I have tons to catch up on, and I want to get the house cleaned and decorated. Then I can stop holding my breath and get in the holiday spirit 110%

Monday: Going out for Mexican, having an Anchor Steam Christmas Beer while I’m writing this and it is good!

Tuesday:  Some kind of Bean Stew with spinach and sweet potatoes – this week’s

Wednesday: Cesar Salad and Hazelnut Ravioli with a creamy sauce

Thursday: Steamed dumplings and Thai carrot stir fry with rice

Friday: Indian food with garlic naan

Saturday: Boca Chicken and gravy over rice

Sunday: Tofurky Panini

Check out more menu’s here:

More Veggie Menus:

• Uncommon Life
• My Journey to Health and Happiness
• Book of Yum
• Counting Sprinkles
• Min/Min
• Margaret’s Musings
• Coupon Clipper
• In the Key of Life

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Still not feeling great and craving comfort food. I’m also cutting down on my daily calories and that makes things even harder when you don’t feel up to making a meal from scratch. So today’s recipe is a simple one, but it makes a ton and it also freezes well.

The slow cooker saves me in so many ways – and when I’m sick it cooks for me while I take a much needed nap. I love my slow cooker…

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup – serves about 8

• 1 bag of split peas (I think it’s about 2 -3 cups)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 potato, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tb dried thyme
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• about 7 cups filtered water – make sure there is at least two inches of water over the other ingredients.

Throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. Puree with an immersion blender and serve with homemade croutons on top. Yum!

Belated Monday Menu

Sorry I didn’t post my menu yesterday. I’m fighting an upper respiratory thing, so I’m eating leftovers, orange juice and satsumas.

If you have some leftover tofurky try a few of these links:

• Various recipes including curry, chili, stew and much more!
• Leftover Tofurky Stroganoff Recipe
• Recipes from the Turtle Island Foods people

M – Leftover tofurky with green beans, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce

T – Leftover tofurky panini with spinach and cranberry sauce

W – Mock sausage gravy pie leftovers with Caesar salad

Th – Split pea soup with whole wheat rolls

F – Pasta of some sort

S – Tortilla soup and quesedillas

S – Another soup that’s to be decided later…