African Spicy Chickpea Dip, The Vumilia IDP Camp and T-Shirt Sales

 Last summer my daughter Liz went to Kenya to volunteer at a refugee camp for a month. She fell in love with the people there. This week were the Political Elections we pray that it was not violent. I have been in touch with her host mom Cate and she say's they are ok! We are trying to raise money through our T-shirt sales and through donations. The money goes directly to them. We are trying to help them move out of the camp and to feed the children who sometimes go for days without eating. We are looking for more sponsor to help the children go to better schools. I will be sharing the story of Peter who Liz found a sponsor that helped to send him to college. It is a wonderful story. We hope to have many more. Please follow our journey by going to Liz's Facebook link The Vumilia Project . There you can find out how you can help or just follow her journey. 

A message from my daughter Liz:

The 2007 post-election violence ultimately led to the devastating displacement of our friends at the Vumilia IDP camp. By accepting the past, I hope that everyone is able to put tribal and political identities aside, move forward with compassionate intentions and continue to rebuild the beautiful country that is Kenya <3

The tents that the families live in which often get flooded when it rains. 

Couple of the adorable children!

Liz with some of the children from the camp

Some of the women that Liz is trying to help raise money to buy a plot of land
 that will help family's move out of the camp.

Liz brought a bag of rice and beans to camp and fed the children.
Some of them go for days without food.

What a cutie!

Goats that Liz purchased with some of the money that she raised through donations.
One had a baby after Liz left and they named it "Liz". 

T-Shirt Sales

We are selling t-shirts to try and raise money to continue helping the families at the camp. All profits go directly to the families. They sell for $20.00 each and come in Mens sizes S, M and L. To order one you can contact me and I can direct you on how to purchase one. We will be ordering women's sizes in the next batch. 

We are not a Non For Profit yet but hopes to be soon.

Feed ~ Resettle ~ Educate ~ Empower

African Spicy Chickpea Dip

This is a really good appetizer which is like a hummus and can be served with crackers or pita chips. I put it in a pita pocket and toped it with red pepper slices, cucumber slices and kale. It was so yummy!

Serves 4 (Gluten Free) (Soy Free) (Quick & Easy)

 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
 3 tablespoons of minced shallots
 2 tablespoons of chopped jalapenos
 1 garlic cloves, minced
 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a food processor, add garbanzo beans, shallots, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and process until well mixed. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

 2. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper and mix well. Stir lemon juice mixture into garbanzo bean mixture until well-combined. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

As a teenager I would spend my summers at my grandparents cottage in Deposit, NY on a lake called Oquaga Lake it was about a half hour south of Binghamton. There was a resort called Scott's, it was kind of like the Resort in Dirty Dancing. They had a place where you could get ice cream and go bowling or they would have activities that would go on. But my favorite thing was to get ice cream!

 I had been thinking a lot about my childhood love of chocolate ice cream lately, wondering why I had yet to make a veganized version.  Perhaps it's because I had no real idea how to make it, cocoa powder or melted chocolate chips?

About a week ago, I decided to just wing it, with the thought in mind Simpler is better.  Lucky for me, it turned out perfectly.  The entire recipe was consumed within record time!

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
2 cans light coconut milk
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine both cans of coconut milk and sugar.  Whisk until sugar has dissolved.  Add cocoa powder and continue to whisk until mixture is uniform in color(like the color of chocolate milk) with no clumps.  Remove from heat and pour into glass container, preferably with a spout.  Allow to cool on counter for about a half hour before covering the top with plastic wrap and chilling in the refrigerator.  Chill for at least 4 hours.

After ice cream mixture is chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.  About 5 minutes before ice cream is done churning, add chocolate chips(at the 20 minute mark for me).  Once finished, serve immediately, or transfer to a flexible plastic container with a lid and place in freezer.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Treats for Your Four Legged Friends

My Dog Mackenzie passes away a few years ago. When she was alive she loved treats... almost too much. Lets just say that she was a little over weight. I tried to substitute her treats with carrots, and put pumpkin puree in her food to try to fill her up. She was a beautiful black lab and had a heart of gold. My son Kevin got a puppy from his girlfriend, now his fiancee Amanda for Christmas in 2011. I forgot how much I missed having a dog. 

This is Bailey, he is such a great dog. He loves when he comes to my house, he knows when we are close. I have to duck when I open the door or he will just run over me! He is getting better now that he is getting a little older. Kevin can leave him alone when he goes to school now. I am so proud of him!

We live on Lake Ontario and Bailey loves to go for walks with Kevin and his sister Zoe along the shore. Zoe is a miniature Doxin.  

Zoe just got back from the groomers.She is showing off her new scarf, she is so sweat. Her and Bailey love each other. It is so funny to watch them. Because Bailey is so big and Zoe is so small even though Bailey thinks she is small too. 

Oh and then there is Baby. Zoe and Baby belong to Amanda, Kevin's fiancee. Baby was the first in the family. I don't think she was really happy about Bailey and Zoe. 

                                   
So as a good Grandmother I like to spoil my grand-dogs with cookies. I bought a dog treat cookbook from a friend of mine who was selling them for the Empire State Keeshound Club. These are some of Bailey, Zoe and Baby's favorites. I hope your dog likes them too!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

3 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups peanut butter

1 Tbsp molasses

Combine flour, oats and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix the milk, peanut butter and molasses until smooth, add to dry ingredients. Knead dough with hands, it will be stiff. Roll out to 1/4" thick and cut into shapes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn off oven and leave in oven until cool. Store in airtight container. Makes 30 biscuits. 

Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms on Quinoa

I just love this picture of my nephew Drew. His mom writes a great blog called Migonis Home. Drew loves the camera! I wish I lived closer to him because I would be first in line. He should hang on to that booth it may come in handy in a few years!! LOL

This is a great simple recipe that I found over at She knows vegan blog, I just love fresh basil and pine nuts. You can find hydroponic basil in the produce section in most grocery stores. Not sure how to cook quinoa? I have instructions below. Enjoy!

Sauteed peppers, red onions, and mushrooms turn quinoa into a colorful and delicious vegan dinner dish.

Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms on Quinoa

Serves 4

Ingredients:1-1/2 cups quinoa

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded, sliced
• 1 red onion, halved, sliced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• Handful of toasted pine nuts

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring quinoa and broth to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add peppers, onion, and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until peppers are lightly charred.
5. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve quinoa topped with pepper mixture. Garnish with basil and pine nuts.

  How To Cook Quinoa

What You Need

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (any variety — white or golden, red, or black)
Olive oil (optional)
2 cups liquid, such as broth or water
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Tools

Fine mesh strainer
2-quart saucepan with lid
Spoon

Instructions

1. Measure quinoa and liquid. Measure out 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups liquid.

2. Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water. Drain.

Why rinse quinoa? Rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home. Some cookbooks suggest soaking the quinoa but, in our experience, this is unnecessary.

3. Dry and toast quinoa in saucepan. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate.

4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the liquid and the salt (if using) and bring to a rolling boil.

5. Lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

7. Fluff and eat! After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. (You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.)

Additional Notes:
• One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.
• Some people like to add olive oil, butter, salt, or pepper. Cooked quinoa can also be used as the basis for pilafs, salads, breakfast porridges, and more.

A Letter to My Daughter Erin on Her 33rd Birthday!

It was 33 years ago today that I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that we named Erin. Dad was in the Navy, and we were stationed in Charleston S.C., dad was out to sea for three months and was expected back in 2 weeks. I went back to New York to have you and to be close to family. Well you were very comfortable and came 3 weeks late. When we went to meet dad the Red Cross had never notified him to let him know that you were born. Needless to say he was beside himself with worry!  One of our neighbors on the other crew told him that he had a beautiful little girl. When he finally got off the ship and had you in his arms there was a sign of relief that all was ok. It was a great moment, that I will never forget.

Erin as a baby

You being the first born were the one that we made many mistakes on I am sure, trying to be the best parents that we could. But we were young, and had no idea how to take care of a baby. But you were swimming at 10 months, then ended up swimming in college, you were and still are always smiling.

Erin with her brother Greg

I will always remember when we moved to Oswego, you were starting the 6th grade, on the first day of school I made you wear a dress because where we had lived before, that's what they wore on the first day of school. You begged me to take you home to change. Liz was a newborn, it was to far, and it was the first day of school! I am sorry I should have taken you home and let you change into shorts like the rest of the kids.

Erin's 4th Birthday - Look at my blonde hair...Wow!

Erin's High School Graduation ( Erin on the right)

 The day I took you to college was so hard, I  cried all the way home. That Dixie Chick song made me cry every time I heard it! But you survived and made many lifelong friends.

Erin on the right with the glasses (Erin with roommate Debbie)

Now you are grown, have a great job and can support yourself but, I will always have the urge to take care of you. I just want you to know that I have always meant to do my best to be a good mother. Many time I wish that I could be with you when you need me. I just want you to know how much I love you! Happy Birthday!!

Love you,
  Mom

Meet My Kitty Cat Patches

Meet Patches, my father in law got him from some children on a farm in the town that he lives in. Long story short, but my father in law decided he couldn't take care of him anymore. So my husband and I said that we would take him till we could find him a new home, because we already have 2 cats at our house. Mike's sister said that she would take him but just never came for him. After $500.00 invested in having him fixed and groomed to remove the fleas, we decided to keep him. We named him Patches because he was white with grey patches all over him. After a while we noticed that when he stood with his front legs together that one of his patches was shaped in a heart. How perfect for Valentine's day! Needless to say he has won our hearts and rules the house. There is know way that that he is going anywhere...but our house. 

   For some reason Patches likes sleeping in the middle of the vacuum hose! 

Mike and I were going out of town for a few days, Patches was laying on my suitcase making sure that he wasn't left behind.

    Patches hiding behind a plant, I think he thinks he is in a jungle!

10 Tips for Eating Out as a Vegan

This past weekend we went to our local dancing with the stars. I had thought about calling ahead to see what they were serving. But I didn't! Well, when they started bringing out the food, first was the salad, everything in the salad was ok for me to eat. Next was the dinner... steak, chicken one small scoop of mashed potatoes and a few green beans! Needless to say I didn't eat much. I have had this problem before when I have gone to dinners or parties. I don't want to be one of those people that the host or hostess hates to have for dinner or feel like they have to accommodate me! So I started to do a little research and I found that the blog ohsheglows that I follow, had done a post on the problem that I was having. I hope this helps anyone with this same problem.

10 Tips for Eating Out as a Vegan

One of the most requested topics in my Vegan How To series is about eating out at restaurants as
a vegan. I can totally relate to your struggles with eating out. Even to this day, I find restaurant
experiences as a vegan can be very hit or miss depending on the restaurant/chef. The good news is that more and more restaurants are becoming sensitive to dietary restrictions and allergies, opening up new options on menus for those who need them. Plus, the more demand there is for something, the more change there will be in the future. I personally look forward to the day when vegan options on a menu are the norm, rather than scarce or uncommon. Oh yes, it will happen!

I’ve put together some of my tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over the past few years. I hope they’re
helpful for you. As always, I’d love to hear your own tips and experiences below!

1. Happy Cow Website

Searching the Happy Cow website is probably my best tip when you are looking for a veg-friendly restaurant in your area or when traveling. You simply type in your location and a list of veg-
friendly restaurants usually pop up. I use this website almost exclusively when I travel or just looking for new options in my own area (of course, asking you on Facebook is always helpful too!). There are also reviews and ratings, so you can read what others are saying about the restaurants. Many times people will write what dish they modified to be vegan or what the chef prepared for them on the spot.

2. Plan ahead and look up the restaurant menu online

Of course, it’s not always possible to eat somewhere that’s veg-friendly. Whether it’s a family gathering or a friend’s birthday, I attend my fair share of non-vegan restaurants. Before I go to a new restaurant I always scope out the menu online to see if there are any obvious vegan menu items. Hopefully, I can find a couple vegetarian menu items that can be veganized, but vegan options are often non-existent on many restaurant menus. If there are a couple vegetarian options or dishes that might easily modify to be vegan (such as removing chicken from a noodle stir fry), I will make a note of them.

3. Call restaurant for options

If there aren’t any obvious meal options on the menu, I will often call the restaurant and ask whether
they can accommodate a vegan. Don’t feel like you are being a pain in the ass because restaurants actually like to get a heads up whenever possible, or so I’ve been told. I’ve never been turned away (not surprisingly), but I have received my fair share of enthusiastic promises (“Oh yes we can makeanything you want!!”) only to get there and find out that the chef thinks a small plate of vegetables qualifies as a satisfying vegan dinner. It helps to be specific about what you would like. If there is a dish you have in mind (for example, a pizza or tofu stir-fry) don’t be afraid to ask if they can make it happen!

4. Ask if they have a vegetarian menu

Did you know that some restaurants have secret menus? What the heck! I discovered this only because my friend Heather told me that a local restaurant (Paradiso in Oakville) has a vegetarian menu. But guess what? They don’t even put the vegetarian menu on the table unless you ask for it. The horrors. I was so thankful that Heather told me about the menu because it has several vegetarian options and a delicious vegan option that I order every time I’m there (kinda obsessed with portobello steaks). I realize this isn’t the norm for restaurants to have separate menus, but it never hurts to ask and let them know that you’d love the option!

5. Get creative with sides

Sometimes vegetarian menu items can be made vegan quite easily by just replacing the butter for oil or
leaving off the cheese. If my options are limited I always ask if these swaps can be made. One thing I’ve done in the past is to order a few side dishes (asking them to hold the butter) to create a meal. A few sides of brown rice, beans, and veggies easily adds up to a balanced meal.

6. If you think options will be severely limited, eat beforehand

When I’ve done my research and suspect my options will be severely limited, I usually have a light meal beforehand to ensure that I don’t feel deprived at the restaurant. No big deal.

7. Seek out ethnic cuisines

Many cuisines have a lot of “naturally” vegan options or they can easily be modified. I absolutely love dining at Indian, Mexican, and Thai restaurants because they have so many options for me. Even dishes with cream can easily be made without impacting the overall flavour too much.

8. Try a fun beverage

Treat yourself to a fun non-alcoholic or alcoholic drink. Even if the food options are limited it will still feel
special to have a fun drink you normally wouldn’t have! [Side note: Barnivore is a good site for looking up vegan alcohol brands. Check out the apps too.]

9. Comment card or online review

As I was writing this, I asked myself…do restaurants even do comment cards these days? And then I realized, well, duh, people do online reviews! Silly me. Well, whether it’s a comment card or an online review, they are great ways to let your voice be heard. Feel free to ask for more vegan options – you can bet that most restaurant owners will be reading and taking note of common requests!

10. Don’t sweat it

I generally have low expectations when it comes to dining out at restaurants that aren’t veg-friendly, so I don’t let a less than stellar experience ruffle my feathers. Instead, I focus on the experience itself – the great company – and know that in the grand scheme of things it’s really not a big deal. Cheers to that.

What have your experiences been like eating out as a vegan?