The remodeling has begun and a $100 cookbook challenge

There are many things going on in our lives right now. Yesterday the remodeling of our kitchen started and today I was there to see how things are going. Wow, the only thing left right now is the stove and fridge and I have to say we're little freaked out to be doing this so close to the baby's due date. They have promised me they will be done no later than December 17 but that is still close considering big sister came 3 weeks early. You can see a before and what it looks like now on our family blog. So for now we're in a very small beach house and all I can say is 19 more nights to go before I'm home in my own bed again.

The second and really big and fun news is that I will have a cookbook soon. It's estimated to be done before Christmas and I'm so excited. Right before Thanksgiving we were shooting all the pictures for the book and this weekend we'll shoot the cover. One thing we're still working on is a name so we have a challenge and you all can enter with a name suggestion and have the chance we pick your name and you can win $100!!!! Just click on the this link and learn more about the book and start adding as many names as you want. Good luck!

High fiber bread

We're in full swing of packing up our kitchen for the remodel but I still made some time to bake bread for the week to come. I like adding a lot of "fun" things to my breads and I think maybe I went a little overboard this time but who cares when it all worked out so well. So this is a low sugar, glycemic index friendly and high fiber bread. It's the kind of bread that will keep you full and digestive system working. It's good as is with jam in the morning, or with butter together with soup. Today I actually used it as a hamburger bun for my veggie burger.

1 packages dry yeast

2 cup spelt flour

3 cups all-purpose flour, maybe more

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup wheat germs

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup grated zucchini

2 ounces olive oil

2 1/2 cup warm water

• Mix yeast with flour, salt, wheat germs, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds together in a large bowl.
• Mix olive oil and water and add to flour mix and blend well.
• Add zucchini and carrots and blend well.
• Place a towel over bowel and place in warm place to rise for 1 hour or until it has double in size.
• Place dough on flour dusted baking area and knead the dough for about 1 minute.
• Divide dough and roll into rolls and place on a cookie sheet.
• Let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to F450
• Bake middle of oven for about 15 minutes or until center is dry.

Holiday spiced nuts

Bella is finally but slowly recovering from her ordeal so Thanksgiving was a very mellow day fabulous feast cooked by James and my friend Jess. All I had to do was sit on the sofa with Bella and then come and make a chantarelle gravy which ended up being very nice too. We're moving out of Sunny yoga kitchen for three weeks because we're remodeling our kitchen. I'm so excited to have a brand new and more functional kitchen but I'm not looking forward to be moving out, especially so close to my due date. I will however be blogging from our "new" kitchen.

I've been itching to make Christmas goodies the whole week so today I made these gingerbread spiced nuts. They are perfect for a holiday party or just as a fun snack with tea.

200g or 7 ounces nuts, I used a mix of almonds and walnuts

2 tbs maple syrup

1 tbs pumpkin pie spice

1 tbs cinnamon

Preheat oven for F400

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, making sure all nuts get coated. You can also chop nut if so desire. Place on a parchment paper on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake until golden but not black (it happens very fast) about 10 minutes.

Non-dairy green bean casserole

I bet many of you are in full swing getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I went to Whole Foods yesterday and it was a mad scene already 9am.

Usually we spend Thanksgiving in Hawaii but this year because of our pregnancy we're staying home However, we wont be celebrating Thanks Giving this year because Bella is really sick. Last night she had a temperature of 105 and although she is feeling a little better today we will not be taking her any where right now. Tomorrow will be a simple dinner cooked by our friend Jess and the movie Charlotte's Web.

I still want to share a vegan green bean casserole recipe for you all who are cooking for tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Vegan green bean casserole

2 tbs canola oil

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced thin

2 tbs vegan chicken bouillon powder

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup unsweetened mimic cream

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp marjoram

Black pepper to taste

salt to taste

2 cups green beans, steamed

1 can vegan french fried onions

Preheat oven to F350

Heat oil in frying pan and fry garlic for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms a single layer at the time to get a nice browned mushrooms. Remove from frying pan and repeat until all mushrooms are fried. Return to pan and add bouillon powder, milk and cream. Simmer for 1-2 minutes on low heat. Add sage, marjoram, salt and pepper and mix well. Place green beans and half of onion in a baking dish. Add mushroom cream and top of with remaining onions. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until onions begin to brown.

Knifes designed for little helpers

Bella always want to help out cutting things but I don't feel comfortable letting her use a "real" knife until now when I found a knife specially designed for kids at the Great News Discount cooking store. It's has a comfortable plastic handle for easy grip for small hands and designed so kids can cut with it except not their hands. Bella used it for the first time making fruit salad with white chocolate shavings and toasted nuts, mmm.

Fruit salad

1 orange, peeled and diced

1 banana, peeled and coined

1 apple, peeled and diced

1 cup grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup roasted hassle nuts, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup white, milk or dark chocolate, grated

Mix the fruit in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to really mix the flavors. To serve, place fruit salad on a plate or bowel, sprinkle nuts and chocolate on top.

Antioxidant packed juice

Good morning everyone!

There are so many colds going around Bella's school and I really don't want or have the time to get sick again. Antioxidants helps the body fight bacterias and viruses so with my breakfast I made this antioxidant juice which tasted so good.

3 oranges, juiced

1 pomegranate, juiced

1 large carrot, juiced

1 cup spinach, juiced

Mix them all and drink right away.

Pasta pomodoro

Sometimes when I get lazy or like yesterday when me and Bella got stuck in traffic and came home late I make it very easy on my self and cook a fast dinner with just pasta and vegetables. When we came home Bella was starved and I knew I had about 10 minutes to make dinner so pasta pomodoro is a perfect dish to have up your sleeve. It's both practical and nutritional. Pasta pomodoro can be made many ways but Usually do contain garlic, basil and fresh tomatoes, I added arugula for more vegetables which Bella liked just o.k so I also steamed some green beans for her too.

Quinoa spaghetti or whole wheat pasta for 4 persons, cooked

1 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, grated

2 cups tomatoes, diced

4 large basil leafs

2 cup arugula leafs, diced

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and fry garlic until glossy, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and fry another 30 seconds. Toss with cooked pasta, arugula, basil, salt and pepper.

Earthlings, an important documentary

Here is a trailer of the award winning documentary Earthlings about human abuse on animals narrated by well known animal activist Joaquin Phoenix. It's a very disturbing movie but something that has to be seen to understand it's it's not ok to abuse animals as much as it's not ok to abuse humans.

You also have a option to download the whole movie on this site. Please spread the word about this important documentary. I know it's easier not to know how the animals ends up on our plates but please take the time to understand and see for your self.

mushroom stuffed pasta shells

How is your weekend going so far? We had a great Saturday with starting the day with pancakes, a long nice walk along the bay, some play time at the play ground and then Sea world. It was a long and warm day so when we got home we all were starved.

There were some mushrooms in the bag of goodies from Sea Breeze this week and I always think mushroom and pasta go so well together. I also had pasta shells in the pantry and a little leftover tomato sauce and voila we ended up with this creamy pasta dish. Mushrooms can be a tricky food to get kids to eat sometimes but I guess "hidden" under in pasta, under a layer of creamy tomato sauce Bella did not notice it and ate with with good appetite.

10 Pasta shells

3 cups mushrooms

1 cup arugula, chopped

2 tbs oil

salt to taste

a couple of pinches nutmeg

1 can roasted tomatoes, diced

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp chili pepper

1 cup cream (I used mimic)

Salt & pepper to taste

• Boil the shells in a large pot of water according to package and then drain.
• Heat oil in frying pan and fry mushrooms in a single layer until browned. Add arugula and mix in and let them wilt. Add salt and nutmeg. Use a tea spoon to add filling to pasta shells. Place in a serving dish or baking dish.
• Mix tomatoes, ketchup, chili pepper, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 1 minute. Add cream and simmer another 30 seconds. Pour all over shells.

Granola bars

Being out and about and pregnant I need something healthy and easy to grab for eating when hunger sets in and granola bars are perfect. It used to be granola bars were god for you but then they started adding a lot of strange ingredients such as chocolate chips. I want just healthy stuff so making my own seems like the best thing to do. Here is a breakdown of each ingredients and its nutritional value:

• Oats--great dietary fibers and iron
• Flax seeds--high in Omega 3 fatty acids and dietary fibers which helps lower cholesterols
• Chia seeds--high in calcium, fiber and antioxidants
• Sesame seeds--a good source of calcium, magnesium, fibers and zinc
• Pumpkin seeds--zinc and omega 3 rich food
• Millet--protein, iron, vitamin B and folic acid
• Coconut flakes--contains anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and fibers
• Dates--contains vitamin A, antioxidants, iron, potassium and copper
• Almond butter--calcium and iron
• Coconut oil--same as coconut flakes
• Maple syrup--manganese and zinc

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 tbs sesame seeds

2 tbs pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup puffed millet

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

10 dates, pitted and soaked in water for 1 hour

1/3 cup creamy almond butter

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/8 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to F400

Place everything in a food processor and blend until mixed. Spread on a parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned and dry. Cut into bars and let them cool before wrapping them individually in paper, plastic or foil.

Cream sauce for pasta or seitan

I love sauces and according to hubby, I'm the master at making dairy free ones:) This is creamy Marsala wine sauce I made for our grilled seitan, roasted potatoes and green beans dinner we ate on Sunday night.

1 1/2 cup cream ( I used unsweetened mimic cream)

2 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's or soy sauce

2 tbs Marsala wine

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs dried thyme

Salt & black pepper to taste

Place everything in a sauce pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Raspberry mousse

Mimic cream has now a new whipping cream and Sunny yoga kitchen has tried it and loved it. I've tried other non-dairy whipping creams and always been disappointed by the texture, taste or failure to stay firm. Mimic is acting like "real" whipping cream and taste wonderful as well as has more nutrition than dairy, soy or rice creams. The trick is to make sure cream is very chilled so I put it the freezer before whipping it but be careful not to freeze it solid. I also place the bowl and whisk in freezer prior to whipping it. I used this cream to make a raspberry mousse and it tasted wonderful. I can't wait to experiment with this cream for more fun creations.

1 package Mimic whipping cream

2/3 cup raspberry puree, seeds strained

1/2 cup powdered sugar, shifted

1 cup fresh raspberries for decorations

Whisk chilled cream in chilled bowl until fluffy. It took me a few minutes using a kitchen aid. Mix raspberry puree with sugar really well. Fold in the puree and sugar mix into the cream. Spoon into serving bowls or glasses and decorate with raspberries or chocolate shavings. Keep in fridge until serving. Yum!

Mexican casserole

I always say if you have tomatoes and cooked beans at home you can make a meal. Today was one of those days when we had been out and about all day so when we came home in the evening we were starved and I had to come up with something fast. So this is my fast mexican bean casserole. I did use more than just beans and tomatoes but I did add vegetables that was available to me. I made it to a casserole with cheese on top but if you are in a real hurry just skip the baking part and make it a stew instead. Serve this dish with rice, pasta, bread or other grains for a complete meal.Bella asked me at the dinner after she said I made dinner, dessert and unpacked grocery bags, how I can so fast. That's me speedy mommy:)

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 tbs olive oil

1 small zucchini, diced

1 cup corn, frozen

1 can roasted diced tomatoes

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs taco seasoning

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder

Salt to taste

1 can kidney beans, rinsed

1/4 cup sour cream (dairy or non dairy)

1/2 cup grated cheese

Turn oven to high broil.

Heat oil in a pot and fry onion, garlic and zucchini for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, corn, ketchup, spices and simmer until vegetables are cooked, about 5 minutes. Add beans, sour cream and mix well. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Broil until cheese is melted, just a few minutes.

Lentil and coconut stew

On Wednesdays I take a prenatal class and is not home during dinner so I prepare dinner for James and Bella to eat without me. When I came home yesterday they both were raving about the stew I've made and was a little embarrassed to say I didn't even taste it before I left so I had no idea if it was good or bad. I guess it all worked out anyway. I've made a similar stew before but added whatever vegetables I could find which in this case was one large yam, onion, garlic and zucchini. I love it when it all comes together to a winning dish. Serve this dish with rice, millet, barley or quinoa for a complete meal.

1 tbs canola oil

1 yellow onion, diced

I large garlic clove, grated

I large yam, peeled and diced

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can light coconut milk

1 cup zucchini. diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

Heat oil in pot and satay onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add yam and lentils and satay for another minute. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, cinnamon and coriander and simmer until yam, lentils and zucchini are cooked (about 10 minutes). Add salt to taste.

Dessert to help with strep throat

On Saturday we found out Bella has strep throat and today we found out I have it too. We are equally miserable and our only hope is that our nurse (see dad) wont get sick too. I made this dessert which is a Swedish classic; rose hip soup. Rose hip flour is loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C and flavonides which all boost the immune system. To add a little kick to it, I served it with a spoonful of coconut vanilla ice cream and some graham cookie crumbles on top. The soup can be enjoyed either cold or hot.

2 1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup rose hip flour

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbs corn starch.

Whisk rose hip flour little at the time into the water until there are no lumps. Mix in the maple syrup. Mix a little of the soup with corn starch and stir into the soup and stir until soup has thicken.