Your Vegan Mom

Monster Milkshake

So, this is actually nothing but our current house smoothie - easy, action-packed nutrition all blended up into a creamy cold sweet treat, but that color makes it perfect for a Halloween breakfast or after school snack to fuel up for an evening of Trick or Treating.  Happy Halloween!  

Monster Milkshake
Makes: about 3 cups
Takes: about 5 minutes 

• 1 1/2 cups rice milk
• 1 seedless orange, peeled or 1/2 cup orange juice (depending on your blender)
• 1 tablespoon raw hemp seeds, or 1 teaspoon flax oil
• 2 leaves of kale, stems removed, or 1 big handful baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks*
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks*

If you are using a high-power blender, blend the milk, orange, seeds and greens until you have a nice smooth brilliant green milk.  Add the frozen fruit and puree again until smooth.

If you are using a regular blender (and if you're not sure, then you're using a regular blender), blend the milk, orange juice, flax oil, greens, and frozen fruit until smooth.  

*Tip: For ease of measurement, 1 cup of fruit chunks will displace 1/2 cup of liquid, so add the pineapple until the smoothie level has increased by 1/2 cup, and then do the same with the mango. 

Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes

You could also call this a fairly healthy seasonal smoothie if you prefer.  The rich creaminess comes from the combination of toasted pecans soaked overnight in soy milk (or almond) and the frozen pumpkin.  It had never occurred to me to use pumpkin in this fashion, until I read about it on this blog (Thank you Dawnie-Q!) and became totally smitten with the idea.  Such a clever use for leftover frozen pumpkin!  Though I'll be honest, I went ahead and dedicated two whole cans to the milk shake cause.  You freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop it into the blender.  So you could even call this breakfast as you start to peel potatoes (or not) and make pie crust.  And I guarantee it will make a perfect accompaniment to your tofurkey and cranberry sauce sandwich on Friday.   Cheers.

Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes

Makes 3 cups of shake.  This will make 2 large servings or 3 or 4 smaller ones.  

• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
• non-dairy milk to cover pecans and make 1 1/2 cups, soak overnight
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, frozen in ice cube trays
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons black strap molasses
• pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Serve.  

Berry Lemonade

 

We live in a four-plex with a narrow shared backyard.  Since three of the four households here have kids, summers are dreamy times when kids runs amok with only occasional interference from moms and dads.  We put water in the kiddie pool last week.  And the neighbors pushed over their slide.  Then the eldest discovered that if we run the hose through the old laundry line support, we can have a trickling water fall running onto the slide and swooshing into the pool.  Shoes have not been worn since.

And clearly, in this summer space, there is a great need for lemonade.  We happily helped ourselves to some fragrant yellow fruit set out in a cardboard box at the edge of a lawn down the street.  And Desmond and I went berry crazy at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday.  So when some more pals popped by yesterday to play in our jury-rigged backyard oasis, Paul and Desmond whipped up some berry lemonade.  It was mostly made with strawberries, and a few stragglers from the pint of squishy boysenberries that we gobbled up as soon as we got home from the market, but you can use any combination of berries you like.  With Fathers Day Sunday, I think it is an appropriate time to mention, that Desmond and Felix have one rad dad.  I love that guy.  And his summer drinks are pretty great too.    

Berry Lemonade

• 1/2 cup lemon juice (or the juice of 2 - 3 lemons)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup 
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups of hulled (That means take off the stem.) berries

Put all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.  Strain if you like, we don't, and serve in a big pitcher with lots of ice.  

Strawberry Milkshakes and SunPower Natural Cafe

 

About a year ago, shortly after they opened, we had a quick lunch at SunPower Natural Cafe.  We happened to sort of be in the neighborhood, and I had heard good things.  Paul, Desmond, and I sat in a sunny window seat and shared a couple sandwiches.  There was a good seitan salad (the cafe is not entirely raw).  And something else.  And something on the side.  It was pleasant.  We enjoyed it.  If it were in our neighborhood, we'd be regulars, but since it's not it's just a fuzzy memory of a pleasant lunch and a mental note for anytime I happen to be passing through North Hollywood.

But what does remain vivid, what I have thought about approximately everyday since is the strawberry milkshake.  It was so rich and creamy and perfect, and magically created without actual ice cream, the sort of decadent treat that you really don't mind your kid indulging in.  But it's in North Hollywood.  And we're not.  And we have two small children.  So that shake might as well be in another state.  We needed to make one at home.  And really, you do too.

Raw Strawberry Milkshakes

• 1/2 cup raw cashews 
• 1 cup water
• 6 ounces (or half a 12-ounce bag, or about 1 1/2 cups) frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or to taste)
• a teensy, tiny pinch of salt  

In a blender, cover the cashews with the water and set aside to soak for at least an hour or overnight. Puree the water and cashews until very smooth.  Add the strawberries and agave nectar.  Blend again until smooth and thick.  Taste for sweetness.  Slurp.   

Makes 2 cups.  Or enough for Paul, Desmond, and I to each have a very small milkshake.  

 

 

Instant Hot Cocoa says Merry Christmas

Hot Cocoa Mix 

• 3 parts powdered soy milk
• 1 part cocoa powder
• 1 part sugar

Mix and then sift before funneling into clean dry jars for gift giving and holiday sipping.  To serve, use 3 1/2 tablespoons of dry mix to 1 cup of hot water.      

What are you making for holiday gifts?