For a Balanced Life
Sarah! Congratulations and you should receive an email from me today, so I can get this awesome cookbook out in the mail to you!
Don’t be sad you didn’t win this one, =) you can still buy this amazing cookbook here.
Thanks to all who entered and look for the next giveaway this week. I have four weeks until baby #3 comes, so I have lots to do and offer you all! =)
xoxo,
Jen
If your answer was Cashew Cream, you guessed correctly! =)
Of course, the first thing I made was a delicious, mouth-watering, smoothie with NO CHUNKS that made me so happy I jumped up and down in the kitchen for a few minutes! I’ve been waiting soooooooo long for a Vita-Mix. But, it was definitely not in the budget and we had a perfectly good blender that did the trick most of the time. Also, my Cuisinart was very capable of getting a pretty creamy cashew cream and other nice sauces. I knew though that once I got my hands on a Vita-Mix, it would change everything. The day my blender broke, my wonderful hubby just looked at me and said, “Let’s just order a damn Vita-Mix already.” I ran straight to the computer and had my order processed before he could rethink what he just said. I’m kind of laughing at myself writing this! I must be crazy to get so excited over a kitchen tool, but I love to cook and being in the kitchen creating awesome recipes is what I love to do. Okay, I admit it, I’m pretty lame now at thirty-seven! 😉
Okay, so how did my cashew cream turn out? Well, here’s a close-up…
Super creamy, super delicious, super awesome! The way cashew cream should be. =)
Don’t feel bad if you don’t have a Vita-Mix, I was very successful for the past couple years making a very creamy cashew cream, but this one is definitely the best when made with the right tool. It’s worth the investment.
I love my new Vita-Mix! It’s gotten me fired-up in the kitchen again.
Keep an eye on my blog for a delicious recipe for cashew creamed spinach this week. =)
Enjoy your day!
xoxo,
Jen
Sara. P who left this comment, “I love to make quinoa and spinach patties!” That sounds super yummy Sara and congratulations on winning the giveaway! I will email you shortly to find out where I can send your new cookbook. I know you will love it!
Thanks again to everyone who participated, that was a lot of fun and I loved seeing all the creative recipes you all make using quinoa. I can’t wait to try them out.
Have a great day!
xoxo,
Jen
Karen whose winning comment was “I liked the Sexy Vegan on Facebook!”
We like The Sexy Vegan too and Congrats Karen! I will be emailing you shortly so I can send out your new cookbook.
Thanks to all for participating, I have so much fun offering these giveaways. Don’t be bummed if you didn’t win this one, there are plenty more giveaways coming up! =)
Hope everyone is enjoying their day and getting ready to view The Transit of Venus – pretty exciting stuff!
xoxo,
Jen
Wendy from Healthy Girl’s Kitchen! Congrats Wendy, I know you will looooooove your new cookbook.
Don’t be bummed if you didn’t win this time around. Fortunately, I have received several awesome cookbooks to offer up to all you fabulous people.
Have a wonderful day!
xoxo,
Jen
Barb from That Was Vegan? Blog. Barb said in the winning comment, “I’m starting to feel a little funny about leaving all these comments.” Guess what Barb, it was worth all those bonus entries because CONGRATS YOU WON!!
I’ll email you today to find out where I can send this fabulous cookbook. Congrats again and thanks to everyone that participated. Don’t worry, the giveaways are not over, next one up is Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Get ready for Vegan Matzo Ball soup, I’m excited to try this for Passover!
I received an email yesterday notifying me that I have been I nominated for Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms- 2012 Contest. Wow – what an honor to be recognized. I’m kind of blown away by this.
Thanks to all of you for constantly supporting my little blog here. It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I’m looking forward to creating tons of new recipes and continuing to help others in their quest for delicious vegan cuisine.
And what have I been up to? I’m sure you’ve been wondering where I am – I know I’ve gotten several emails asking. I mentioned my family was moving and I’m glad to say the move to beautiful Georgia was a success and we are finally settled. The past several months were absolutely crazy though. Consisting of packing and unpacking, having three rounds of visitors, finding a new school for our daughter. What else? I needed a new computer – can you say crash? My biggest problem was finding a great spot to take photos. That completely failed – no photo-worthy natural light where I need it at our new house – bummer. I finally ordered two new tabletop lights and they arrive today. So, stay tuned for that Giveaway I’ve been promising. I’m cooking up some of Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos from her cookbook Unprocessed and trying out those new lights tomorrow. WOOHOO! I’ve been missing my blog so much and I can’t wait to start creating and sharing again.
Thanks to everyone who has voted and continues to vote once a day for me. How cool would it be if I actually one? I’m not saying I’m competitive – okay I am a little lot – so thanks again for voting. 😉
You can vote every 24 hours until Feb 14, 2012 until 5pm PST so please click here to vote for Virtually Vegan Mama. Feel free to spread the word. =)
Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support. You guys rock!
xoxo,
Jen
Yes, indeed this is VERY exciting news for me to be published in a magazine for the very first time. I truly appreciate all the support from my fabulous readers – yes YOU – and most importantly to my wonderful, loving family. I started this little blog to get my family healthy, but I’ve also made a small difference in other people’s lives. I’ve received many emails thanking me for the inspiration to lead a healthy lifestyle as well. Wow, that just rocks doesn’t it? Makes me smile a little bit bigger. 🙂
Well, here it is.
My Vegan Oatmeal Cookies appear in the Holiday Issue of Natural Solutions Magazine on pg. 34 of the Holiday Sugar Overload article. You can also view the PDF version of the article HERE where you will also find some other amazing cookie recipes.
Well, must get back to packing up my house, we are moving next Monday and there is so much to do, but I wanted to share this exciting news with you all. I can’t wait to get back to cooking up all the recipes swimming around in my head. I have about 3 giveaways too, which is something new for me to do here. 😉
xoxo
Jen
We do a lot of our cooking around here on Sunday, so during the week there is less time cooking and more time to enjoy with our family. I love to roast a head of garlic on Sunday to use in a variety of recipes during the week. My all time favorite was spreading warm roasted garlic on a baguette slathered with warm, melty brie. Sorry if I made your mouth water, but now I will just be saving that for my once a year treat! Sitting here writing that though, I can honestly say I haven’t even been missing my old cravings since beginning this new journey. I’ve been having to much fun coming up with the most nutritious versions of my favorite recipes to even think about it. My energy level has been through the roof and I’ve lost 7 lbs in 2 1/2 weeks! See you later baby weight and you can temp me all you want delicious brie, I’m over you! HA! =) Anyhow, back to roasted garlic. I love the flavor of roasted garlic better than sauteed garlic most of the times. It’s got such a creamy, sweet taste and it’s not so garlicky that you will be tasting it for the rest of the day! Not only does it taste good, but is good for you too. Garlic is nutrient-rich and supports a healthy immune system that has been shown to fight off colds, cancer, heart disease and infection. It’s so easy to do and so worth making it…Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Roasted Garlic
Ingredients:
1-2 heads of garlic
Tin foil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a knife, cut off a 1/4 inch of the tops, exposing the cloves of garlic.
3. Wrap garlic glove in tin foil twisting the top to seal in the garlic.
4. Roast directly on rack or on a tray for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until cloves feel soft to the touch.
5. Remove garlic from oven and allow to cool slightly. I find the easiest way to get the roasted garlic out is just by squeezing a clove with my fingers or you can use a small knife and fork to get it out.
6. Use as needed.
Enjoy! YUM!
Dates are a wonderfully delicious alternative to sugar. Dates are a natural sweetener that are full of valuable nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates and fiber. They contain essential minerals like vitamin A, thiamine, potassium and riboflavin to name a few. Dates are also low in fat, calories and sodium. Here is a basic recipe for making your own Date Paste which can be used in a variety of food preparation like salad dressings, sauces, desserts, etc. Dates my new favorite sugar substitute and I’m going to be trying it out is so many different ways! This recipe is sooooooo yummy! Try it and you will love it too! =)
