Just in time for Thanksgiving: Vegan Apple and Pumpkin Pie Recipes!

Happy Thanksgiving Lovelies!

Fall/Winter has always been my favorite time of the year, partially because my birthday is this month, but more so because I looooove to cook! 

Some of my non-negotiable recipes for Thanksgiving are: 

Sweet potato casserole, Green bean casserole, Mac N Cheeze, Vegan Fluffy Rolls, and some sort of dessert. This year I'm going to be trying a new green bean casserole recipe along with an additional recipe- this tasty Pumpkin Lasagna with a Creamy Basil sauce!

If you follow me on Instagram (@lovelyveganladies),

 you probably saw my delicious pies I posted last night. ;)

 

I've never made a pie before this year so I was very excited to try my hand at it. I cheated a little bit with the apple pie, because I just bought a pie filling at the grocery store. The crust is homemade though so I'll be happy to share that portion. I'm proud to say that the pumpkin pie is completely from scratch! So, without further adieu, RECIPES.  :)

Apple Pie Recipe

**Crust: 

2 cups all purpose or pastry flour

tsp salt

1 1/2 cup vegan margarine (I used Smart Balance: Light w/Flaxseed Oil)

1/2 cup Almond milk (other milk substitutes can be used as well)

In a food processor, mix the flour and salt together. Add the margarine and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add almond milk and blend until well combined and dough forms. Remove dough, roll into a two dough balls and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take out the dough and with rolling pin, roll one of the balls out into a 10-11 inch circle. Gently lay the dough into a 9 inch baking pan (it will droop over the edges). Roll out the second ball into more of a rectangular shape. You'll want to cut out 14 strips of dough about 10 inches long and about an inch thick. Pour your apple pie filling (I used Lucky Leaf Premium Apple Pie Filling) and spread it evenly. Begin laying your strips over the filling. I started in the middle and wove on strip over and under another to get the look pictured above. Bake the pie for 35-40 minutes. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

**Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This recipe is quicker to make than the apple pie, simply because you do not have to refrigerate the dough. 

Crust: 

1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp ice water

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the oil, vinegar, and water and stir until well blended. Press into your 9 inch baking pan. 

Filling:

1 14-oz can unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinammon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, blend together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie crust. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar evenly over top and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve at room temperature. 

**Recipes are adapted from La Dolce Vegan!

I truly hope you enjoy these recipes, this time of year, and your Thanksgiving! 

Send me your pictures or let me know how your versions turned out!

-Cali 

Adventures in Vegan Cooking

Hi Lovelies,

Amy here! I hope you all have been enjoying Cali's Series on Raising a Vegan Child! I know that even if you choose not to be vegan, the health benefits of feeding your child whole, non-processed foods is unmatched!

Check out the series here:

Raising A Vegan Child- Topic #1: The First Six Months- Breastfeeding vs. Formula

Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #2- Supplementing Vitamin B12 is a MUST

Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #3/4- A Well Balanced Diet is Key/Timeline for Introducing New Foods

Part 5 is still to come!

I am finally back from my travels and trying to get back into the normal swing of things! This week, we did a lot of cooking at home. There is something about traveling that makes me want home cooked food.

I didn't do super great on eating vegan while on vacation, but i did have one incredible vegan meal that i plan on posting about in more detail! Literally, i can not stop thinking about this amazing meal, and am still plotting on how to re-create it!

This week I made some of the most delicious recipes ever. I just had to share one of them with you! They can all be found on my Pinterest board, but i thought i would quickly include the recipe here!

Image Source

This recipe is from Vegan Chicks Rock! It is a Lentil Chili and it was amazing! I did a couple of things differently, which i will put in {}. 

Lentil Chili with Cumin and Green Onions

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves 
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (add more to make it hotter) {I used a LOT of cayenne and it was amazing!}
4 cups (or more) water
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed {I actually used organic canned lentils, but plan on using dry lentils next time. I just didnt have time to go out to the store and was trying to utilize what i had}
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped green onions {I did NOT put in the green onions}

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano leaves, and cayenne pepper; stir for 30 seconds. Add the 4 cups of water, lentils, and tomato puree. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam from the surface {I didnt have to do this because . Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls as needed if dry, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup green onions. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper.

I plan on making this again this week! It literally was SO amazing. I cant wait to have it again. It was VERY filling as well! 

This would be the perfect cool weather, stay at home and chill kind of dish! This would even be a great party dish to serve! 

XOXO

LVL - Amy

Juicing for 2 - The cost, recipes, weight loss and more!

Good evening wonderful readers! 

Cali, here and I hope you have all had a lovely week. Last month, my hubby and I ate at home for EVERY meal, ALL MONTH LONG. Now to most people this may not sound like much of a feat, but cooking for every single meal and snack requires much more time, effort, and planning than the average day. 

We embarked on this journey for a few different reasons. We wanted to see how much money we could save on food, open ourselves up to new recipes, and see if we could lose any weight. We threw a week of juicing in the middle to give our system a reboot during this month. 

If you don't know much about juicing, I strongly suggest you watch the very popular documentary- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. The documentary features two stories of overweight men who completely turn their lives around and revitalize their health through juicing. You can check out the video here:

I think of juicing like this- every day since you were born, your body has been working non-stop to digest the food that gets put in it. Unless you stop stuffing food (and unhealthy food most likely) in your mouth, your body just never gets a break. So, how do you get all the nutrients you need and more without actually eating? By juicing!! The juice from fruits and veggies contains all of the goodness your body requires. Fact of the matter is, most of us don't even get all of the vitamins and nutrients we need in our food because what we put in isn't actually that great for us. That being said, if you aren't comfortable doing a "Juice Cleanse" alone, I would suggesting trying to add at least one fresh juice to your daily diet. 

So, how did I plan for this week of juicing? Well, my weeks generally go from Monday-Sunday in terms of meal planning. I sat down on Sunday and spent about an hour looking through juice recipe books and online recipes. My favorite book to choose from is The Big Book of Juices.   

  

Buy this book on Amazon.com!

I wrote down the juices that we would drink every day- breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. Approximately 4-6 juices every day. After writing down the recipes, I totaled up the amount of produce that was need and headed to the store. Now grocery shopping like this takes some time as a lot of produce is required. I spent about an hour at the store and about 90% of what I purchased was ORGANIC. The total cost for hubby and I to juice for one week was $110. This came out to about $8 a day for each of us. Surprising? It should be! Juicing gets a bad rep for being way expensive, especially if you buy organic. Planning is key! That hour I spent writing out our recipes and tallying up how much of each fruit/veggie we needed, saved us a lot of $$$ as we did not purchase food that would get wasted or spoil in the fridge. I will list the juice recipes we used at the bottom of the post. 

We have a Breville Juice Fountain Elite that we use to make our juices. It works great and is relatively easy to clean. We bought this juicer as a combined Christmas gift to each other and used a Visa gift card a family member had given us to knock down the price. It pays to save in every way! You may notice the plastic bag on the pulp container. We use our plastic produce or left over grocery bags as a liner to make the clean up process much quicker and cleaner! 

If you do decide to try out juicing, be prepared to have your fridge and counter tops covered/filled with goodies. I like to organize my fridge by using dishes to separate them by color.

 It makes for a pretty looking fridge. :)

During this wonderful week of juicing, I was hungry a lot the first two days, but then the hunger passed and the juices, water, and green tea was sufficient. I don't just limit myself to the juices I make- I still drink water and tea as well. I lost 6 lbs for the week and my hubs lost 8! I'm going to juice again this next week so this post makes for great inspiration once more! I hope you'll try juicing for yourself and see the amazing benefits it has in store. Not only will you lost weight, but you'll also experience clearer skin, that "healthy glow", and feel energized (after the initial detox which can take 3-5 days if it is your first time juicing). 

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns- please share! I'd love your feedback and to hear your experiences with juicing as well. Cheers!

~Cali via LVL~

P.S. It'd be a great idea to brush your teeth after each juice you have as the sugars can be hard on your teeth. :) Keep it all healthy y'all! 

***Note for all the MAMAs out there: If you are breastfeeding, I advise against juicing as I personally noticed the "fat/nutrient" layer of milk had diminished. If you are looking to lose some additional weight while nursing, I suggest drinking two green smoothies a day, one cooked meal a day, and the rest raw fruits and veggies. Happy nursing, happy babies!

Juice Recipes for my buddies J

Orange Basic: 2 oranges, 1 apple, 3 carrots, 1 celery stick, and 1 in. ginger root

Capple Kiwi: 3 carrots, 1 apple, 2 kiwis

Minty Peach: 2 peaches, 1 apple, 1 lime, 1 bunch of mint

Carrot Deep Cleanser: 6 carrots, 1 apple, 1 beet, 2 celery sticks, 6 kale leaves

Water apple: 3 apples, 2 thick slices of watermelon, 1 lime

Apple Cleanser: 4 apples, 1 beet, 4 kale leaves, 2 celery sticks, 2/3  cucumber {my favorite}

Carrot Lift: 4 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 1 bunch of parsley, ½ lemon

Celery Jointaid: 3 celery, ½ pineapple, 1 in. ginger toot, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil

(^^^I didn’t try this one)

Williams Orange: 2 oranges, 2 pears

Digestaid: ½ pineapple, 1 thick slick of white(green) cabbage, 1 in. ginger root, 1 bunch of mint, 1 pear

Water, Water, Everywhere: 1 cucumber, 1 thick slice of watermelon

Blue Pear: 2 pears, 1 handful of blueberries, 1 handful of blackberries {hubby's favorite}

Pear Dream: 3 pears, 4 apricots

Veggie Carotene Catapult: 3 carrots, 1 red bell pepper, 1 broccoli spear, ½ sweet potato

Green n’ Pearit: 8 broccoli spears, 3 celery sticks, 2 pears

Green Citrus: 2 handfuls of spinach, 2 celery sticks, 2 oranges

Green Piney Hit: 1 lg handful of spinach, 1 handful of parsley, 1 handful of mint, ½ pineapple

Green Waldorf: 5 kale leaves, 2 apples, 2 celery sticks, ½ tbsp. flaxseed oil

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Let me just tell yall. I have NOT had a Pumpkin Spice Latte (SPL) yet, but these muffins have me ready for fall weather! Break out the sweaters, boots, and scarves. I am READY!

Photo: Lovely Vegan Ladies

I am honestly not the best baker. I have baked some things before, but generally, i do not make muffins and cupcakes from scratch. These were relatively easy. I learned that i used way too many dishes. I still have not mastered minimalist baking (maybe one day). But i tried to clean as i went which helped. My kitchen was a disaster, but these babies were well worth it!

I will include the original recipe and will put my notes in {}. This is not my original recipe. I found it on Pinterest. Click HERE to find the original recipe. I have included it below with more detail about each step. I had to google "how to melt coconut oil" because i had no clue.

This recipe made 12 muffins! 

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ($1.98)
2 teaspoons baking powder ($1.56)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (already had)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (already had)
1/2 teaspoon allspice ($4.99 for a fairly large container)
1/2  teaspoon nutmeg (already had)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (already had)
pinch salt, optional and to taste (already had)
3/4 cup granulated sugar ($1.76)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed ($1.86)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree ($1.78) (not pumpkin pie filling) {I did use Pumpkin Pie Filling because i could not find Pumpkin Puree at HEB.} **My mom sweetly explained to me that Pumpkin Puree is canned pumpkin, which i did not know. So, for those of you who were unsure, there ya go! So, i did use canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling. On my Canned pumpkin it did not say Puree.**
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted ($6.99) {To melt the Coconut Oil, i put it in a mason jar (Already measured) and set it in HOT water from the sink in a Tupperware dish. It took about 10 minutes for it to fully melt. At the end, i stirred it really well to get the last bit melted.}
 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk ($1.73) ON SALE WHOOO HOOO!!!
 2 tablespoons mild or medium molasses ($2.78) {I used a mild molasses. I just chose the cheapest one at HEB.}
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (already had)
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips  (Link to the ones i used HERE.)(already had) {I used mini-chips for mine. In the original recipe, she states you can use mini- or large, but i preferred mini.}
{Cupcake Liners - Optional - In the original recipe, she opted NOT to use cupcake liners. I did use the Liners and the muffins, thankfully, did not stick. I wasn't sure, but they did not.} ($2.99)

TOTAL COST: $28.42 Per muffin About: $2.37
The good thing about this, the main cost comes up front. I have plenty of ingredients to make many more batches! The only thing i will have to buy next time is the Pumpkin!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. {Place your cupcake liners in your muffin pan. If you aren't using muffin liners, you may want to spray your pan so they don't stick. But i did not do this.}
2. {In a mixing bowl mix together all of your dry ingredients except for the sugars. We will add those into the wet mixture. I did this step first and just set it aside while i measured out and put together my "wet" ingredients.} {Also, i opted to use a pinch of salt!} {I also had to buy mixing bowls, because mine are in storage, and i am currently cooking in the worlds tiniest kitchen.}
3. {In a separate bowl add your sugars}, pumpkin, oil, milk, molasses, and vanilla. {I put the sugars 1st, then the molasses, then the vanilla. I stirred that all together well while my coconut oil melted. Like i said, it took several minutes for it to fully melt using the method i found, but i don't think it effected the outcome.}
4. {Next, i poured the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients slowly, stirring as i poured, until they were well combined and all the flour was well mixed.}
5. {I then added my chocolate chips slowly, stirring as i poured them in!}
6. {I then scooped the batter into the muffin cups using a spoon. I just gave each cup a scoop and then went round and round until the mix was gone!}
7. {I baked them for 18 minutes. The original recipe says 18-19, but my oven "almost" burnt them, but thankfullest they came out perfectly! Just keep an eye on them, and do the old toothpick trick!}

Please visit Averie Cooks if you want to read exactly how she did hers! They looked delightful. I am so glad i stumbled across this recipe and actually tried it out! I cant wait to make these again.

LVL

Amy

Three Day Challenge Pt. 4

Sorry for the delaying in post the final installment of the 3 Day Challenge!
 
For the last night of the challenge, i decided to make a Skinny Mediterranean Pasta Toss i saw on Pinterest. Link here.


The original recipe had feta cheese, but i just left that out.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil(already had)
• 2 small zucchini, sliced($.74)
• 10 small sweet bell peppers, sliced($2.99 for a whole bag at Sprouts)
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ($2.78)
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced ($.22)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced(already had)
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs($5.81)
• 1 teaspoon salt (already had)
• 1 15 ounce artichoke hearts in water, drained and sliced in half($2.48)
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil($2.59)
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar(Already Had)
• 1 1/2 ups dry whole wheat penne($1.18)

Total Cost:  18.79

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, zucchini, peppers and cherry tomatoes and saute till tender.
3. While vegetables are cooking, bring pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions till al dente.
4. Drain (reserve a little of the pasta water) and hold.
5. When vegetables are tender, add Italian herbs, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.
6. Mix well, then add balsamic vinegar.
7. Allow the vinegar to reduce for a few minutes, stirring often. The balsamic will become sweet and sticky and will coat the vegetables.
8. Add the drained pasta to the vegetable mixture.
9. Toss to coat the pasta, adding hot pasta water if necessary.
10. Serve topped with feta crumbles and cracked black pepper.

Nutrition Info and Tips

Per Serving (1/4th of mixture):

Calories: 289
Fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 39.7g
Fiber: 7.7g
Protein: 9.2g
Sugars: 7.5g
WW PP: 7 points

I LOVED this dish. It was SO yummy. I ate it for snacks and for many days after we ate it for dinner!

What health challenges have you given yourself lately? How successful were you? Don't get down on yourself if you make a mistake! Just look forward. One good decision at a time! 

LVL

Amy 

Three Day Challenge Pt. 3

Day 2 I decided to make this yummy Kung Pao Broccoli and Tofu. You can find the link to the original recipe here. This is NOT my own recipe.

Stir-fry:

• 1 container of firm or extra tofu, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces ($1.19)
• 2 bunches of broccoli, cut into small pieces (about 6 cups) ($.75)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil ($7.99)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water ($2.48)
• 5 or 6 dried chile peppers ($.36)
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts  ($2.77)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced ($.68)
• Rice noodles ($2.25)

Sauce:

• 1 cup vegetable broth (Same box as above, there are about 6 cups in one box) ($2.48)
• 1 tablespoon tamari or Braggs Liquid Aminos ($2.38)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (already had)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (already had)
• 1 teaspoon garlic chile paste ($2.00)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil (same as above)
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar ($1.92)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or vegan Worcestershire sauce Annies Brand $4.49)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch ($.71)

Total Cost: 29.97

Directions:

1. Prepare the noodles according to the package. Set Aside.
2. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cook the tofu pieces in the peanut oil tablespoons of peanut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Flip occasionally and cook until the pieces are golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add the broth and the broccoli. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Add the tofu back to the pan along with the sauce and the dried chiles. Stir thoroughly and cook for about 5 more minutes, until heated throughout. 
5.  Serve over brown rice noodles and top with scallions and peanuts

 

 

(This is a picture of my 2nd attempt making this, last night! I did MUCH better with the tofu being cut into larger pieces.)

 We really loved this. It was even yummy on day 2. My only mistake was cutting the Tofu pieces too tiny, so they werent really manageable when i tried to flip them over. I would also recommend continually stirring the sauce once you make it. It kind of settles so, i had to stir mine several times before it was time to poor it into the pan!

I also HATED the smell of the peanut oil. I dont know why it made me so sick, but all in all the dish was really wonderful once it was done. 

 LVL

Amy

Vegan Three Day Challenge Pt. 2

The 1st recipe I chose for the 3 Day Challenge that my husband & I did last week, is called Vegan Fajita Soup.

Literally, it was the most tasty soup I have ever had.  The only thing i will probably do different next time is puree my veggies ones they are cooked (Minus the mushrooms).

My husband really doesn't like "chunks" in his food, so that was his only complaint. But he LOVED the flavor. He said it was even better than Baby A's Famous Tortilla Soup, which is his all time favorite.

I also used Salt/Pepper/Tony's to spice it up. I used more veggie broth because i allowed my soup to simmer for a few hours instead of the suggested 15 minutes. The recipe can be found below. Even if you are not Vegan, this a crowd pleaser for sure. I plan on making it in the fall for any parties we might have at our house! It would be the perfect cold weather delight!

This is from the book: Great Gluten Free Vegan Eats.

Ingredients:

1/2 cu. chopped red bell pepper ($.50)
1/2 cu. chopped yellow bell pepper ($.50)
1/2 cu. chopped orange bell pepper ($.50)
2 cups chopped zucchini ($.74)
1 small red onion($.84)
6 mushrooms sliced ($5.00 for a lb. @ Farmers Market)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (already had)
1 can black beans drained/rinsed ($.74)
1 can diced tomatoes ($.98)
6 Cups Veggies Broth ($2.48) (Sprouts sells it for $2.99 HEB sells it for $2.48)
2 teaspoons cumin (already had)
1/2 tsp chili powder ($2.89)
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (5 for $1.00, i used 2)

Total Cost:  $16.17

Directions: 

Heat a large pan; medium heat, just until hot.
Toss in peppers, zucchini, onion, mushroom, and oil.
Saute over medium heat until veggies are tender (10-15 Minutes)
[While the veggies were sauteing, i pureed my diced tomatoes, drained/rinsed my blackbeans, measured my spices, and prepped my lime juice/broth.That way when the veggies were done, i was ready to throw everything into the pot.]
Transfer cooked veggies to a large pot, stir in black beans, diced tomatoes, veggies broth, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice.
Add salt to taste
Simmer until heated through.
[I actually let mine cook for several hours, and just added more broth/water as necessary}
We ate this for several days, so the cost was definitely worth it!

LVL

Amy

Veggie Pot Pie Recipe

Visit our Tumblr to get this yummy recipe (Link in the Side Bar)!

 

LVL

Cali