Monthly Archives: September 2015

Sep 4

Monthly Crochet Review: August

August flew by. I spent time working on several crochet projects. I also finished crocheting two more blankets for Christmas.

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Here is a tiny Miss Lula mewing at me to stop joining hexagons, and play with her instead. She is a really noisy kitten, but seriously adorable.

I’ve got three big projects in the works, and all of them are for Christmas.

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Two grannysquare blankets, for two adorable ladies that should be arriving this month…

And a really big multi-stripe blanket for somebody awesome.

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I keep this project in a laundry basket and take it all over the house. I work on it a row at a time, whenever I get a minute.

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The three blankets are coming along nicely.

I finally finished these two.

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The granny-burst blanket is done!

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I loved how this blanket turned out. I think I’m going to have to make one for our house.

I also finished the multi-hued Hexagon blanket.

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This blanket turned out beautifully.

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I love all of the different colors.

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The blanket stack is growing. Three more to go before the holidays.

Sep 3

August’s Veggie Meals

August was a tasty month filled with lots of garden goodness. I tried out a bunch of new recipes, and tried my hand at some vegan baking too.

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First up I tried out a batch of vegan vanilla rice pudding.

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I also made a batch of vanilla chia seed pudding. This dish has quickly become one of my favorites.

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One new recipe I made was for an amazingly tasty Polish dish called Haluski. Oh my goodness, this was absolutely delicious, and I will have to make it again.

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Roasted Chickpeas and Steak-fries. Filling and vegan.

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Since I had Chickpeas hanging out in the fridge, I decided to roast them for a snack. This batch I flavored with Chex Mix ingredients, and they were really good. Perfect snack, even though the kids still wouldn’t try them.

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I made some tasty Panko Fried Okra with okra from our garden. I also was lucky to receive some tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden buddy. So tasty!

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Homemade Cheese Pizza. Some for the kids, and some for me.

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I can’t get enough Roasted Veggies. Again, this dish was vegan and filling. I also finally used up all of the chickpeas hanging out in the fridge.

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O.k. so I’ve been thinking about baking, well vegan baking. I’ve been adjusting recipes, and veganizing them. First up was a batch of oatmeal muffins. I used Chia seed as my egg replacement, and Almond Milk instead of regular lactose free milk. The muffins were sweet, delicious, and baked up perfectly.

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I finally finished up the last of the veggie soup that was hanging out in the freezer.

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One more dish I made vegan, was Homemade Pizza, and now my eleven year old will never trust me again. This pizza was amazing! It was light, crispy, and filled with garden goodness. Again my garden buddy brought me over a giant tomato, and red bell pepper. Crazy good!

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I’ve been craving take-out, and this homemade veggie stir-fry hit the spot.

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Simple and delicious vegan Red Beans and Rice. I slow cooked beans (for chili) all day in the crock pot.

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We even had a few late season Green Beans from the garden. We are still picking a few okra here and there.

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I tested out a batch of vegan dinner rolls. They turned out perfect, and they were light and fluffy. Everybody really liked them too.

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One more batch of roasted veggies. This batch included roasted okra from our backyard.

Sep 2

August’s Tasty Treats

I promise I really was in the kitchen all August, I just didn’t get that many photos. Probably due to the fact that the kiddos ate everything before I could get a decent picture. I do have just a few to share.

I was craving Boston Cream Pie, but I didn’t want to spend all day in the kitchen. Also I didn’t know if my family would give it a try. I found a great Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake recipe on pinterest.

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The cake turned out fantastic, and the kids even liked it too.

I also tried making a homemade batch of Caramel Sticky Rolls.

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The homemade Caramel was easy to make, and the rolls were absolutely delicious.

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The kids even liked them.

Lastly, I tried out a bunch of vegan recipes throughout the month.

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I made a batch of Chia Oatmeal Vanilla Muffins. I used Chia seed to bind the batter instead of egg. I also soaked the Oatmeal in Almond Milk instead of regular milk. They were vegan and delicious!

I also snuck in one vegan recipe for the family to try.

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Vegan Dinner Rolls.

I used Vegan Butter, and skipped the egg.  I also added a bit more flour and yeast, and I gave the rolls plenty of time for the dough to proof. They were light, delicious, and the family had no idea. I will be revisiting this recipe often.

Sep 1

September’s Monthly Menu

I can’t believe that it is September already. August seemed to go by so very slowly, but then poof school arrived, and here comes September. I’m ready for cooler weather, and meals in the Crock Pot. I’m still sticking with my veggies, but making a regular menu for my family. I’m also taking a little break on Friday nights and opting for take-out or leftovers.

Here we go it’s September’s Monthly Dinner Menu:

  • 9/1/15: Chili (two ways), Saltines, Corn Chips, Cornbread, and Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • 9/2/15: Panko Fried Chicken, Veggies, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/3/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/4/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/5/15: Bacon, Toast, Banana Muffins, and Greek Yogurt Parfaits
  • 9/6/15: Panko Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Green Beans, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/7/15: Burgers, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Pasta Salad, and Potato Chips
  • 9/8/15: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/9/15: Salmon Bites, Salad, and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 9/10/15: Beef Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/11/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/12/15: Monkey Bread, Bacon, Toast, and Breakfast Potatoes
  • 9/13/15: Pot Roast with Potatoes, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/14/15: Chili, Veggie Soup, Saltines, Cornbread, and Tortilla Chips
  • 9/15/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/16/15: Snack Dinner! Lil’ Smokies, Chips & Dip, Fresh Fruit, and Veggie Sticks with Pita & Homemade Hummus
  • 9/17/15: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/18/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/19/15: Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon, Toast, and Fresh Fruit
  • 9/20/15: Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Corn, and Homemade Fresh Bread
  • 9/21/15: Homemade Beef Rice-a-Roni, Homemade Wheat Rolls, and Hominy
  • 9/22/15: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/23/15: Chili, Potato Soup, Cornbread, Saltines, and Tortilla Chips
  • 9/24/15: Beef Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/25/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/26/15: Toast, Bacon, Breakfast Potatoes, and Muffins
  • 9/27/15: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/28/15: Panko Chicken Cutlets, Roasted Veggies, and Homemade Veggie Minestrone Soup
  • 9/29/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/30/15: Snack Dinner! Lil’ Smokies, Chips & Dip, Fresh Fruit, and Veggie Sticks with Pita and Homemade Hummus

Time to make a shopping list, and get to it.