Garlic Feet!

Ife was having serious congestion with a low-grade fever. We blended up some raw garlic and put oil oon the bottom of his feet first, then the raw garlic blend. Within minutes his body temperature had gone down dramatically. Just the congestion and coughing remained.

Remove the Sweets and the Appetite Returns

Ife had a doctor's visit recently for an ear infection. After seeing his conventional pediatrician, anti-biotics were reluctantly prescribed. We dreaded the idea of adminstering these meds to him. We ended up seeing a wholistic doctor that Ife actually liked. She gave him a check-up and offered us some dietary options and a laundry list of things to do for our Son's optimal health. Some of the things on the list were no dairy (no preoblem, lol), no wheat, limited soy, no sugar and no cookies! It was a daily ritual that we'd give to him as we thought that these were healthy. They are spelt cokies sweetened with agave. The doctor gave us a stern NO. So we did all of the necessary supplements she prescribed and implemented the necessary dietary changes. Surely after a while we noticed some substantial improvement. Not in just his health, but his appetite! Now Ife appears hungry a lot more and he now eats more diverse foods. He is getting stronger and healthier than before and I believe that the power of his immune system is really starting to kick in. We are satisfied with our doctors and will recommend her to anybody!

Blend it Up

Jonathan made a delicious soup (delicious to us) It was a hearty winter tonic containing :
japanese eggplant
red potatoes
spinach
onions and garlic
ginger powder
cumin powder
lentils
tomatoes
soy milk
Ife asked for frozen peas on top. Then he only wanted to eat the frozen peas. Lola commented "He only likes blended up soup." "Well, blend it up" Jonathan suggested. Lola did and Ife devoured it.

Shopping Cart With Food

Ife's grandparents bought him a toy shopping cart with toy foods at the Dancing Bear toy store in Asheville and we had to pick it up. Neither Ife nor my wife and I had ever been to this store. I said to Ife "I think it's on Merrimon Ave." Ife corrected me, "it's on Tunnel Rd." Jonathan called the store, and the clerk had informed him that it was indeed on Tunnel Rd". We believe that Ife has a very keen sense of direction.

Ife's Second Day of School

In protest of not being able to eat his cookie
first, he kept his protest up for the whole 4 hour
school day abstaining from food and water. I will
not be sending cookies in his lunch box anymore.
On Monday, I'll try gojii berries.

Budget Hunter: Amazing Savings

You can tell by now that we are huge fans of bananas,,,,right?
Amazing Savings has a sale on organic bananas @ .25 cents per pound. Get them while supplies last. These are on the ripe side, but not too ripe. Cut them up and put them in freezer bags in the freezer. Use them for smoothies later on.

Super Anti-oxidant Smoothie

This one packs a helluva health punch and we definitely recommend this cor making you more alkaline and healthy during these intense dog days of August.

1 1/2 cups of blueberries
1 large ripe banana
3 large leaves of lacinato kale, sliced
2 cups of hemp milk or rice milk
1 tbsp of mangosteen powder
1 tbsp of acai powder
4 cubes of ice (optional)
1/8 of cup of agave syrup to taste (optional)
Blend and serve. Serves three thirst athletes. Enjoy!

frozen blueberies save the day

Feeding a pickey eater at home is a chalenge. The chalenge increases at my parents house. Ife is excited and full of energy. He doesn't want to sit down for meals. He doesn't even want to eat his standar favorites; frozen peas, beans, noodles, and soup. The kid is about to lose it. Then Grandma steps in with a bowl of frozen blueberrys. Ife's reaction is,"Mmm! I was sad and then the blueberrys helped me be happy." We have repeated the blueberry trick several times with similar results.

One Dollar For a Pint of Ice Cream!

Our freezer at the French Broad Food Co-op took an overnight break last night. However, they will never be the same again and this is why they must go! If you are in Asheville, NC come by the coop while they last. Vegan ice cream is going quick at $1 dollar per pint. Get you some!
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Life is But Some Food

Ife loves to sing. Lately his songs have a right way and a funny way to be sung. Yesterday he was singing row row row your boat the funny way. "Row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but some food." When we asked "Ife, is that the meaning of life? Food?" He answered, "Yes!" Interesting coming from a boy who won't even eat his dinner without frozen peas.

Redi-et Ethiopian Cuisine, OH YAY!

First of all, let me tell you that there is no standing Ethiopian eatery where we live in Asheville....YET. My wife and I had a chance to go out on a date and thank God for happycow, we found this one. We had been craving Ethiopian food for a very long time. Upon seeing this place, it was a cute little, but comfortable place. It was not set up for us to eat on the floor with our hands, but we liked it nevertheless. The first bread our waitress brought to us was not exciting in the least. I was hungry so I ordered a side of french fries; she laughed at me ;o) When our food came out, my wife and I were overjoyed! The food was the bomb! No forks or spoons needed thank you. She even gave us a side of bread to take home with us. (Don't even bother asking, lol) If I am ever on a family vacay in Myrtle Beach, we know where we are going out to eat.
p.s.: GET THE VEGGIE COMBO (You get 3 choice sampler!)! If you're on a date or with a friend, you get that and have her/him get the yummy spinach dish! Share the love yall.
Peace
http://www.veggie-baby.blogspot.com

Red Kneck Grove!

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Ife makes the sale

Ife came to visit me on my break working at the Co-op. He asked for a bouncy ball like he does most days. I gave him a quarter and he happily put it in the bouncy ball machine and retrieved an orange bouncy ball. On our way back to the break room some customers asked for pine nuts. We walked them over to the pine nuts. Ife put a package of pine nuts in her hands. Then he picked up a package of dates. I asked Ife why he was picking up the dates, "Are you trying to sell them dates too?" "I'm trying to sell them dates too", he replied. The customers agreed to buy the dates and Ife told them,"I'm a very good helper."

Veg on the cheap July Co-op Sales

VEG ON THE CHEAP JULY CO-OP SALES
1. Wholsome Agave on sale 23.5 oz is $4.99 co-op Advantage coupon $1.00 off.
2. Thai Organic coconut milk $1.69.
3. Organic raw Sunflower Seeds
4. Wildwood organic Tofu burgers pack of two $2.79.
5. Cascade 10oz frozen vegies $1.99. Look for manufacture coupon on some of the packages for $1.00 of two.

Vegan Quiche Recipe! :o)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Have this;
1 unbaked 8" spelt pie crust
Sautee 2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil and 1 medium choppen: Cover thd onion

When onions are soft add to:
1 1/2 lbs. tofu, mashed
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix well. Pour tofu mixture into pie shell. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until set.
You can also put 1/2 cup of baked tempeh in the bottom of the crust and THEN fill it up with the tofu mixture and bake. Serves 6 to 8, hope you are hungry!!!
(This is idiot proof because if I can do it any one can, enjoy)

Food Not Bombs is veg on the cheap

Folks you can't get any cheaper than this! Food not Bombs serves free vegan food every Saturday at 4:00 pm at Prichard Park in down town Asheville. Sometimes they even have food you can take home. Menu varies.

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie
Two leafs kale
two bananas
10 seedless grapes
1/2 avocado
1/4 hemp protein powder
1 cup rice milk
4 ice cubes
1 tablespoon mangostein powder
blend and serve
Ife wasn't interested at first. Then I added more ice to his cup, and he gulped it all up.

Our Sponsons :-)

Many of our sponsor's products are vegan! Please support us by checking out our sponsors ads. (:D Thanks!

Vegan French Toast

4 oz of silken tofu
1/2 of medium size banana
1/2 cup of unsweetened soy milk
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 TBSP of nutritional yeast
2 tsp of maple syrup
1/2 loaf of sliced bread
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Place all ingredients (except bread)in a blender and blend for about 1 minute.
Heat up pan, I prefer a non-stick pan for this to make it easier
Put oil in pan a little at a time
Dip bread in batter to make sure both sides are COMPLETELY covered ;-)
Place slices in pan gently two at a time.
Cook until golden brown on both sides.
Voila! My 2 year old Son Ife told his mommy:
"I want to eat the pancakes!"
Enjoy!

Vegan Gluten-Free Soy Free Cheeze (Yeah Baby Yeah!)

Okay! First off giving honor to God (heehee) I am grateful that I am able to post this as a recipe. After the first experiment was a success, I wanted to share it with the world. Soooooooo here we go!
Ingredients:

1/4 cup of organic chopped cashews
1 1/2 cup of water
3 TBSP of organic lemon juice
i TBSP of miso
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp of garlic
1/4 tsp of yellow mustard powder
1 tsp of realsalt
1/4 tsp of dill
2 TBSP of organic tahini
5 tsp of agar agar flakes
Place water into a sauce pan to slight boil. While water is preparing, put cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, mustard powder, realsalt, tahini and dill into a food processor or blender. When water is simmered add agar agar flakes. Gently but consistently stir till it gels evenly (about ten minutes). Turn off stove and dump water and agar agar mix into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend thoroughly and stop occasionally to scrape down the sides. Blend again. Processing should take approximately five minutes. When finished, pour contents into a tube or container to let mold. refrigerate overnight. It is finished. Slice, grate, do what you will. But please enjoy it!

More Sales

Earth Fare
Yesterday I checked out the Earth Fare in South Asheville in search of sales.

1. organic bananas are $.49 a pound.
2. Zevia soda (sweetened by stevia) six pack for $4.99

That's all that I saw.

Super Green Potatoes!

I've long had a concern that our Son Ife has not been getting enough green vegetables in his diet. He often says, "I don't want to eat it" whenever I try to feed his kale or collard greens. However, he LUVS potatoes! And just the other day I found a way to 'sneak' this health vegetable into his breakfast. It's what inspired me to come up with this recipe:
8 regular sized red potatoes. Rinsed and cut into quarters
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 leaves of fresh organic lacinato kale, diced
1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tbsp of virgin coconut oil or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup of water.
1,2 tsp of realsalt
1/2 tsp of dulse flakes
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of nutritional yeast flakes
Put oil into pan to heat. Add cumin seeds. When it pops add garlic, then onions and the potatoes. While potatoes are cooking, place greens in a blender with water and blend until fine. When potatoes are finished cooking add 'green water' and simmer. Mix in remaining spices and serve!

At first Ife didn't want to touch it. A moment later, he reconsidered and said he wanted it with avacado. I mixed in avacado and he ate three bowls. "Yumm! "he declared.

More Co-op June Sales

There aren't as many coupons this month, but there are some sales worth mentioning.
1. Cascadian Farms Vegies two for $5.00.
2.Muir Glen 14oz tomatoes. two for $3.00
3. Living Harvest Tept Hempmilk 2 for $5.00. Look for the $1.00 off coupon on some milks.
4. Westbrae org. beans 15oz three for $4.00
5. Bionature organic pasta 16oz $1.99
6.Amy& Brian coconut juice 17oz $1.79
7. Newman's organic 7-8oz pretzels $2.29

The co-op is located at 90 Biltmore Ave. in downtown Asheville.
The phone number is (828) 255-7650

Veg on the Cheap: Coop and Amazing Savings June Sales

French Broad Coop Sales:
R.W. Knusen's Simply Nutritious juices: $2.79 Grab a Mumbo Sprouts coupon for .75 cents off

Spectrum Naturals Unrefined Coconut Oil is $6.99

Amazing Savings:
Organic Bananas: .99 cents per pound
Organic Haas Avocados: .99 cents each
Amy and Brian's Coconut Juice (12 0z cans: .79 cents each

Sorry no Coop Advantage coupons this month. More Coop sales to come.

Delicious

Yesterday Jonathan made waffles from scratch. They were hearty bananna Waffles. I enjoyed them. Ife took A bite. "Delicious," he declared. A moment latter he added, "I don't like it."

Ice Cream Cookie Snack

Referring to a Rice Dream Pie Ife says, "this ice cream sandwich cookie snack is vegan".
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"I Love You"

Ife is nursing and Lola looks at him and says "I love you Ife". Ife responds "I'm busy" and continues to nurse.

Ife Lov'es Cherries

Ife loves to pick cherries from our nanking cherry trees. We have to pick the pits out for him.

Veg on the Cheap: Amazing Savings

So Delicious yogurts that are Agave sweetened are currently .49 cents. We were happy to see this since we are avoiding sugar. Assorted chips are $1.00 each instead of 3 for $2.00.

Rawsome Energy Bars

1/4 cup of ground cacao nibs
1/2 cup of organic dry apricots
1/4 cup of organic raisins
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/8 cup of rice bran oil
pinch of Real Salt
put all ingredients in a food processor do not over-blend. There still should be some crunchiness remaining. Form into balls. EAT!

Ife's appetite returns! After giving up the doctor recommended colloidal silver Ife's been eating like a pig.

Veg Wedding Follow Up

Lena and Ryan had a beautiful wedding this past Saturday. For some video footage, go to youtube and do a search for Lena and Ryan's Wedding. There was so much delicious vegan food, by the time we got through the line our food that we brought had been gobbled up. Ife was most excited about the strawberries.
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Food Fit for a wedding

Tomorrow our friend Leana is getting married. I made a couple of raw vegan recipes because it is a potluck wedding, and I wanted to make delicious food. Stay tuned for how the food is received and a few wedding highlights.
Rawsome uncooking

Choclate Coconut yummies

1/2 cup cacoa ground in coffee grinder
1/2 cup raw coconut butter
1 cup coconut datelets
1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup shredded coconut
pinch of real salt

Take all ingredients except for shredded coconut, place in food processor.
Mix until smooth. Roll into small balls. put in bag of shredded coconut and shake until coated in coconut. Enjoy fresh or frozen.

Pesto Bites back

This pesto doesn't really bite back, you might expect it to because of the stinging nettles.
2 cups stinging nettles, lames quarters and other green from your yard or farmer market.
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 heads of garlic
1/4 inch ginger
1/4 to 1/2 cup rice bran oil
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Put all items in food processor and mix thoroughly. Makes a good topping for noodle or rice.

Veg on the Cheap: Amazing Savings

There were not many interesting things worth post. Chips are now .99 cents each instead of 3 for $2.00. We'll be checking out whole foods soon. Ife is still picky as ever :-(.

The Picky Eater Returns...

"Hot potato! Hot potato!" Ife whined. The evening meal consisted of noodles, tomatoes, frozen peas, and tofu. There were no hot potatoes, not one. On the theory that Ife's picky eating was testing our boundaries we decided to hold strong. I said, "I am not feeding a fussy baby, only a grateful one." We turned his chair around so he can look out of the window and cry out his expectation of hot potatoes. After a good cry we turned his chair back around to the table and he ate!

Banana for the bus driver

A few months back it started to snow. "It's snowing" said Ife. Yes" I replied "Isn't it pretty?" "It hurts the bus driver" declared Ife. Later that night, Ife suggested to giver her a banana to help her feel better. The Asheville City bus that Ife and I ride regularly had been hit by a car on a snowy day. Our favorite bus driver, "Charlene" was injured. We carried a banana with us everyday we rode the bus for the next week, but Charlene was nowhere to be found. A couple days ago we were pleasently surprised to see Charlene back in the driver's seat. The next day, Ife handed her a banana. And today she reported that it helped her feel better.

Veg on the Cheap: More Coop May Sales

1) Organic Hass Avocados.99 cents each, while supplies last.
2)Honest Tea regular price $1.69, sale price .99 cents look for coop advantage coupon for additional .20 cents off.
3)Organic frozen blueberries and strawberries on sale for $2.99, coop advantage coupon for an extra $1.00 off.

Happy Mother's Day!

Yes I know it's not food...

Mother's day cake! I am a rule breaker when it comes to recipes because I have a tendency to follow my tuition when it comes to baking. So here we go!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of spelt flour
1 cup of cold water or rice milk
3 tsp of baking soda
ener-g egg replacer or ground flax
(2 tsp of either to 3 tbsp of warm water mixed)
1/4 cup of agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup of maple sugar or add 1/4 cup more maple syrup with a tbsp more flour
1 tsp of vanilla
1/4 tsp of stevia
1 cup of blueberries
Mix flour, baking soda, and stevia in a food processor so as to evenly and thoroughly mix everything. This is very important if you want your cake to rise up!
Empty dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in blueberries. Mix all wet ingredients togerher. Slowly pour into dry ingredients while stirring. mix batter with a cake mixer or stir consistently with a spoon for 5 minutes.
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
empty contents into an oiled cake pan and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.
Stick a knike or fork in it. Comes out empty? Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Icing
Small box of mori-nu silken tofu, 1/4 of agave, 1 tsp of lemon juice, tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of ginger. Blend in food processor. Smooth over cake. Voila!
Lola and Jonathan devoured it, Ife spit it out and asked for ice cream instead. We have come to the conclusion that Ife is not fond of cakes. He's had a similar reaction to his grandpa's birthday cake.

Seaweed Amaranth Stew

1/2 cup of organic amaranth
6 cups of water
1/2 cup of tvp
4 large strips of kombu strips
1 1/2 tsp of garlic flakes
1 cup of crushed tomatoes
2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tsp of basil
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1/4 cup of green peas
1/2 tsp of unrefined salt
1 tbsp of red miso

Bring water to a boil
Add oil and salt
Next add amaranth and tvp
Wait one minute before adding remaining ingredients EXCEPT
RED MISO!
Let simmer for 20-25 minutes on low heat.
Turn off stove and after one minute add miso
Serves 4

Ife said "yummy!" and he wanted mommy and daddy to say yummy too.

Veg on the Cheap: Coop May Sales

1)R.W.Knudsen organic Recharge reg price $3.39, sale $1.99. Grab a healthy clippings coupon for an additional 75 cents off.

2)R.W.Knudsen 4-pack spritzers. Reg price $4.99, sale $2.99. Healthy clippings coupon add $1.00 more off!
3) Traditional Medicinals Mothers Milk and PMS teas. Reg $5.49 each, sale $3.79. Health clippings coupons valued at $1.00 off ( makes it $2.79)

4)Purely Decadent ice cream. Regular price $5.79, sale $3.79 (yummy!)

5)MuirGlen canned tomatoes 28 oz. Reg $3.49, on sale for $1.99. There are coupons on SOME cans; $1.00 off for two. Bringing the price down to $1.49 each. Great deal!

6) Fair trade organic bananas. 79 cents per lb. While supplies last.
Happy Beltane everyone!

Sweet Potato Soup

There was some guilt at serving Ife a meal from a box. Ife was delighted in his packaged sweet potato soup served with frozen peas and frozen corn. You'd think I had prepared a gourmet meal by his reaction. "I love soup!" he exalted. Ife polished off three large helpings.

Update On Cold

The vitamin C and the apple cider vinegar does not appear to be working yet. However, Ife loves to sing his ABC's all day long. We'll let you know more soon.
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Ife Doesn't Eat Much With a Cold

It all started with a cough, then a sneeze. We dreaded the possibility of Ife getting another cold after he had just gotten over TWO of them recently. We had looked up some home remedies for him at earth clinics website. That's where we found the apple cider vinegar/ water remedie (with a little agave and rice milk) He gave no complaints drinking it but it took a while. Not feeling well has effected his apetite today. Ife ate some apple, raisins, frozen peas, frozen corn and a little bit of miso soup with black beans and fresh kale from our yard. We'll post again soon to let you know how the apple cider vinegar worked.

Green Smoothie

2 medium sized bananas
2 cups of rice milk or your favorie fruit juice
1/4 cup of strawberries
1 cup of fresh kale
1 tbsp of ground flax seeds
1/4 cup of spectrum rice protein.
Water to desired consistency.

Preblend kale until finely processed. Next, pur blended kale into a juicer. Add all ingredients and blend on low for 1 minute and then on high for 1 minute.

Ife poured most of his share of smoothie onto his adzuki beans.
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Happy Earth Day!

Love thy Mother (and father) so that your days may be long on the earth which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
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Lunch at the new school

Ife has started attending a Co-operative pre-school. It is a Bilungul School. We are excited about Ife learning Spanish, and picking up a few words ourselves. The kids and teachers sit together at a kidney shaped table, so the teacher can look at and talk with all the kids. During a four hour day they serve; toast, breakfast, snack and lunch. Ife tends to skip, the toast, breakfast and snack. He eats a lot at lunch. The school respects that we are vegan and the lunch so far has consisted of fruit, veggies and soup. Ife is doing great in school, except, when we aren't there with him, he won't drink water or use the potty.
Any advice?

Amazing Savings April

Amazing Savings 277-0803 Sweeten Creek Rd. Asheville

1. 12 soy or rice milks same kind $8.00.
2. Chips under 11oz $.99, some are organic.
3. Olive oil not organic, a variety of brands
We got Elonia 500ml for $5.99.

Amazing Savings deals vary day to day. You can get some good deals.
Remember to check dates. Happy veggie hunting.

Veggie on the cheap not Earth Fair

Jonathan went to the Earth Fair on Hendersonville Rd. He was tasked with reporting back on the deals. After extensive search there were none to be found. Better stick with the Food C-op and Amazing savings.

Veg on the cheap more co-op deals

More supper deals at the co-op for April
French Broad Food Co-op Asheville NC ph (828) 255-7650
1. Select cascade 10 oz frozen organic vegies $1.99
look for coupon on product for $1.00 of two.
2.Amy's burritos have two vegan choice, dairy free black bean and the Breakfast Burrito.
They are on sale for $2.59. Look for the $.75 off coupon hanging next to the product, or in
the Co-op Advantage phamphlet.
IF THIS INFORMATION IS HELPFUL TO YOU PLEASE SUPPORT US BY CHECKING
OUT OUR SPONSERS ADDS.

Three Spits and You're Done!

Last night Ife spit out his food three times. We took him out of his seat and he was done eating for the night. I was concerned because Ife had of recent been a hearty eater at least at dinner time. It wasn't as if he didn't like the food, the bite before he spit it out was a yum bite. The dinner consisted of some of his favorite; beans, coconut milk, noodles, beans, frofen peas and frozen corn.
Today I talked to an elder, a Mother and Grandma, she suggested we not make a big deal about it, when he is done he is done. Tonight we tried it. Ife spit out a bite of food. I very calmly explained this was his first warning, after three bites spit out ther would be no more food that night. He didn't spit out any more food, and comunicated verbally when he was done eating. We took a little walk, then the three of us indulged in vegan cocunut ice cream.

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Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza!

With frozen peas of course. Ife's favorite past time.
Recipe:
Two Sammi's Millet Pizza Crusts
1 24 oz can of organic tomato sauce
1 cup of cooked organic black beans
One heaping cup of frozen spinach
3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
1/2 of medium onion
1 tsp of basil
1/2 tsp of oregano
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/4 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of oil
1/4 medium sized beet
1 block of Vegan rella cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook for twenty minutes or until cheese is melted

On another note, Ife is enjoying being a forager. He ate raw kale from the garden and fennel, and horse mint flowers.
Ife's saying of the day; "Mommy is a woman, Ife is a kitty cat."

Veg on the Cheap: Coop April Sales

R.W Knudsen Simply Nutritious Juices 32 oz.
Regular price $4.19 Sale $2.29, grab a mung sprouts coupon and get $1.00 off
Organic Bananas 79 cents per pound
Nature's Path 32 0z cereals
reg $8.99 sale 5.99 add $1.50 off coupon from Healthy Clippings
Nutiva Coconut Oil
Regular Price $11.99 Sale? $5.99!!!! AND there's a $2.00 off coupon! Yes!!! Go get some!!!

Another Surprise from Ife

While Lola was on the phone talking with an employee of the local newspaper (Asheville Citizen Times), Lola was asked about our blog address from her and could not remember. I was preoccupied with something else. All of a sudden Ife shouted out "veggie dash baby dot blogspot dot com! We were both surprised that Ife knew about the web address before Lola did. There's always something exciting and new with our beloved child.

Banannas fall out of favor

"No Bananas, no bananas!" Ife called out in his sleep. Don't offer Ife a banana. he is suddenly offended at the very offer. Give his soup with frozen peas and he will be happy. Yesterday Jonathan made some chili. He gave me the tip to call it Chili soup. I did so and Ife proclaimed delicious. He ate two bowls with frozen peas of course.
I am trying to remember the blog address. I asked Jonathan, he started,"veggie-baby" Ife continued,".blog spot.com" We think he's brilliant!

Veg on the Cheap: Earth Fare Grocery Outlet

Earth Fare
Deals at Earth Fare are few and far between. Even the couple I found I was nt too excited about.

1) Organic raw sunflower seeds are on sale for $2.19 per pond

2) Bagels are at an everyday price for 79 cents. (They do contain sugar)

The best deal at Earth Fare may be going to their web page and signing up for coupons at their website at
http://www.earthfare.com
And a chance to win a $250.00 gift card at
http://www.earthfarecares.com

Go Grocery Outlet

This place a a few so-called natural products with nothing organic in sight.

1) Kashi Pizzas $2.49 each for VEGAN ones

2)16 oz Conventional frozen blueberries $1.00

3) Gallon of white vinegar $1.99

4) Canned conventional vegetables 2 for $1.00

5)Cheap conventional produce

Dora Bowl

The Dora bowl that Grandma got Ife does make a difference. Our sometimes (often) picky little eater has incentive to finish his food and to find Dora and Boots the monkey hiding at the bottom of his bowl. Frozen peas also help. Some nights each bite has to have a generous helping of frozen peas. Tonight's dinner is frozen Kashi pizza, seasoned artichoke noodles with fresh organic tomatoes, seaweed salad, and sauteed blend of seasones tofu, white mushrroms, eggplant, leeks in tomato sauce. Al the while Ife's enjoying his food saying "I love pizza with frozen peas on it!"

Veg on the Cheap: Firestorm Cafe

Firestorm is one of the most ethical businesses that's on our list. They are a worker owned and worker run business that has a 99.99% percent vegan menu that uses primarily local, organic and/or fair trade ingredients. Some of their menu items are a real deal.

1) Soup n' Salad for $5.00
2)Grilled Pita w/ Hummus $2.25
3)Garden Salad Plate $4.00
4)Bagel Sandwich with Hummus or Vegan Cream Cheese, Tomato, Cucumber and Sprouts $4.00
Add organic Baked Tofu or Hummus for $1.50
They have a lot of other tasty things on their menu ranging in prices from $6.75 to $9.00 at the most. This is a great place to be with lots of zines, mags, books and various other enlightening discourse info. This is where our next night out will be! Visit them here:
48 Commerce St. Asheville, NC 28801
(828)255-8115 http://www.firestormcafe.com

Veg on the Cheap: Green Life

Deals at Green Life are few and far between. Here are a few.

1) Vegan muffins and cookies $1.25 (Sugar free options)

2) One pound bag of organic baby carrots on sale for $1.29

3) Organic russet potatoes $.99 per pound

4) Organic bananas $.99 per pound. (You can get them for the same price at the Frech Broad Food Coop)

70 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-2323
(828) 254-5440

Grandparents and food

Grandparents came. A whirlwind of activity and food ensued. The following are a couple of recipes I like;

Cream of carrot soup

six carrots
one onion
one head of garlic
half inch of fresh ginger
one potato
tablespoon of tamari
teaspoon of cumin
one cup water
one cup rice milk
one cup orange juice
two tablespoons of agave

Cook veggies in water till tender.
Blend and return to the pot.
Add remaining ingredients.
Cook on low heat for twenty minutes stirring occasionally.

For one meal Ife ate carrot soup and oranges. Everyone else enjoyed the carrot soup as well.

Candied yams
Let's start with the contents of this yummy dish. You need 3 medium sized sweet potatoes baked and sliced, garnet yams preferred, 1 banana sliced, 1/4 cup of organic raisins,
1/2 orange, 2 tsp cinnamon tbsp 1/8 cup of melted earth balance, a squirt of tamari and 3 tabespoons Agave. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into thick pieces. Use a little bit of earth balance to oil one baking pan. Layer the sweet potato slices with the banana slices in between. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over sweet potatoes and abanas. Next spread raisins evenly over contents. Next pour agave syrup over all contents. Last, drizzle remaining earth balace over all ingredients. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and place dish into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool for an additional 30 minutes in oven. Finished.
Despite the fact that he eats regular baked sweet potatoes, he would not eat this at all. But hey, more for everyone else.

Go Bananas!

Tomatoes and frozen peas have been usurped. Bananas are the new staple food. Ife's first word when he woke up this morning was "banana". Yesterday, Ife ate two bananas and asked for a third. Dora the Explorer's 'banana song' fuels his enthusiasm. He often asks for it to be sung. If you have a toddler you probably know it too. No need to repeat.

Potluck for a Rainy Day

Today it has rained pretty hard to the point that we heard thunder and saw lightning. We pray to the good Madame that spring is in the home stretch. However, we are here in the WNC area and the weather is pretty unpredictable. Anyways, we had a small community potluck with a couple of extra friends invited. Everything went well. And the food? Magnafique! I had prepared three dishes; pinto beans surprise (I needed to give it some kind of name), creamy garlic tahini, and creamy spinaci e aglio (Italian for spinach and garlic). Ok. Here are some of the ingredients.
Garlic Tahini:
1/2 jar of organic tahini
2 tbsp of agave syrup
5 raw garlic cloves
1 tbsp of fresh ginger
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
4 tbsp of organic wheat free tamari
2 tbsp of lemon juice
3/4 cup of water
*Blend ingredients except water and then slowly mix the water in until creamy and smooth.

Spinaci e Aglio:
2 packs of 10 oz. frozen spinach
5 garlic cloves minced
6 oz of coconut milk
1/4 cup of spelt flour
1/8 cup of nutritional yeast
2 tbsp lemon juice
tsp of brown mustard seeds
tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of garlic powder
2 tbsp of shou tamari
1 tbsp of olive oil
pinch of black pepper (careful, it's all recalled!)
*Heat oil ad mustard seeds and cumin seeds until it starts a poppin'. Next add minced garlic for 30 seconds. Then add spinach and cover until spinach is completely defrosted. Now add flour and nutritional yeast then stir in coconut milk and water until creamy. Last add shoyu tamari. If need be add water to desired consistency. Finished
Ife ate the garlic tahini on toast. The garlic tahini is a great dish to serve to your family and friends around this time of year. Garlic is anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and nature's most powerful anti-biotic. Enjoy

Nursing Video Banned!

You will not see Ife eating his favorite food on this blog. Ife's favorite food is "nursies" and one of our videos of Ife breastfeeding had been banned from youtube. We do attend to shout about this and fight it but for now we will not be making anymore nursing videos on youtube or the blog. Luckily eating his second favorite food which is coconut milk ice cream does not violate the internet's standard of 'family values.'

Veg on the Cheap: Amazing Savings

Come prepared to check expiration dates with an awareness that you may get the occasional stales chocolate bar or freezer burnt vegan ice cream. True to its name, this place does have some amazing deals:

1)Three 6 oz bags of assorted chips (potato, popcorn, veggie twists, etc.) for $2.00

2) Twelve 32 oz soy or rice milks, same kind for $8.00 (please, please, please check the dates!)

3)Soy yogurts .49 cents each

4)Zensoy Vanilla pudding .79 cents each

5) Celestial Seasonings Tea, buy one and get one free. This adds up to two boxes for $1.49, wow!

While supplies last because each day can be a different sale.

Veg on the Cheap: Featuring Rosettas

Eat out for $5 dollars or less!

Rosettas is one of our fav places to dine. Their food is superb and mostly VEGAN. Now Rosettas Kitchen has a selection of awesome menu items for $5 and under. Here are some of the goods:

Apps
Vegan Queso Dip $4.50 (yummy)
Chips n' Salsa $3.50
Chips n' Hummus/garlic style $5.00
Fresh cut home made French Fries sm $3.00/ lg $4.50
Sweet Tater French Fries sm $3.25/ lg $5.00

Small Plates
Basic Burrito $5.00
Homemade Salsa $5.00
Corn n' Tatter Fritters $5.00
Tacos $5.00
Beans n' Rice Bowl $4.75
Corn bread n' Greens $3.00
Vegan Chili n' Chips $4.50 (gotta get the formula for this)
Fruit Salad $4.50
Hearty Miso Plate $5.00

A Scare on the Ride Home

As I was passing Lola's job today I had decided to call to see if she happened to be there. They had just come back from the Health Adventure and stopped by the coop to get ready for the bus ride home. They did not want to wait 45 minutes for the next bus so I thought they could ride home with me. Ife usually do not care for oranges, but today was an exception. Lola and Ife were eating a fresh organic navel orange in the backseat of the car. As we were in the homestretch, I here "Ife are you okay?" I turned around to see Ife choking and his face turning red. I pulled over and unfastened him from his car seat to try to get him to lean forward...he was still choking. At this point I panicked while Lola was forcing her fingers in his mouth to pull out this huge piece of orange pulp that Ife was choking on. (wheew!) Afterward he was able to breathe and he began to cry out of fear and relief. That was the scariest experience we've had with him in a long while. Thank Goodness he's alright!

March Deals at the Coop

Marked down, slightly expired 6 oz Sodelicious yogurt; $0.49

Cliff Bars; regular price $1.49, sale $0.99

Santa Cruz Crsnnectar beverage 32 oz; regular price $4.89, sale $2.99

Santa Cruz Orange Mango beverage 32 oz; regular price $459, sale $2.79

Santa Cruz White Grape beverage reg price $4.59, sale $2.79

Santa Cruz Concord Grape beverage reg price $4.89, sale $2.99

Don't forget the coupons for these drinks! Healthy clippings 75 cents off.

Celestial Seasonins Teas assorted,
reg price $3.59, sale $2.29
Check out the Mambo Sprouts coupon for these teas, $1.00 (This makes it $1.29 for a box of tea, how cool is that!)

Rudi's Country Morning White; reg price $4.89, sale $3.29 Same deal for the Multigrain Oat bread.

OOOH another coupon! Coop advantage 75 cents off.

Seventh Generation toilet paper (yeah it's vegan) regular price $1.39 each. Grab a Mambo Sprouts coupon for $2.00 off of two.

Live it up!

Ife Insisted on Flying to Dinner

After sitting on the milk crate for a minute and pretending to fly, he happily sat in his seat for dinner. Ife ate noodles, tomatoes, frozen peas and pistacios. And for dessert? Carob Chpis.

A Staycation Kind of Day

Today we were not intent on eating at the house today or at least preparing meals where we would have to clean up afterwards. It was a family day out. Our first time at the Fun Depot which is a local religous based fun center for children. We were feeding Ife french fries on the merrygoround Our darling son Ife had such a great time there playing very hard and throwing a terribly temper tantrum by the time it was for us to exit. We got a couple movies for rent from our local superstore.One for Ife (Dora) and one for the parents (that's us!). The movie was okay with a little bit of very bad acting here and there. But guess what? This was a movie with an apparent religous theme. However, dinner was great. I dropped off Ife and Lola at the house while I made a food run. First I went by the Mellow Mushroom to get a large 16 inch vegan pizza with tempeh and mushroom toppings Afterwards I stopped by the French Broad Food Coop to get a single serving salad with annies goddess dressing. By the time I came home Ife was napping giving Lola and me a litle bit of couple time for dining. Ife soon awoke to his share of pizza, yummy tomato and vegan coconut milk mint chip ice cream. Yes, today was a good day!

After Illness, Dinner with Gusto!

Ife gobbled up two bowls of dinner with gusto. It was a full regular meal too! This consisted sauteed tempeh, bok choy and potatoes covered in a red beet spicy tomato sauce. This is a great sign of progress since Ife had gotten sick Tuesday night. Oh boy...! Tuesday was the pitts. He seemed fine up until around 10:00 pm. I started with a cough. A couple minutes later another cough which Lola had noticed and stated her concern. Illnness had ensued within one hour of the first cough making our night very difficult. Ife was throwing up mucus in 10 to 30 minute intervals and he was feeling miserable. We all had about 2 hours total sleep each.
We thought that the rice water was a sure remedy for his as we had tried it on a previous occasion and it was very productive then. Not this time. Everything and the kitchen sink we utilized with no success. Every tincture, herb, electrolyte drink, rice water, probiotics, etc. By 8:30 the next morning I had called his doctor and they said he should come in. Whilst driving with my fingers crossed I could not help but to think of the horror of giving him anti-biotics. Well, the doctors said it was a passing virus and a possible ear infection and it should be over with quickly so there will be no need for antibiotics. Hallelujah! He's already on the mend and very active.
Ife is such a great child and he is full of compassion and goodness. It is by God's grace that we are blessed to have him in our lives. He wants everyone around him to feel good and he's aware when people are sad or hurt. He often says with sincerity, "feel better".

A Friday to Forget

It would be hard for me to not mention the emotional and epic rock slide that had occurred throughout the entire day. This morning was a $35.00 parking ticket, and dropping a case (glass) of liquid on my wife's foot(owwweee!), and many other things falling through the cracks. (sigh) Let's stay focused.
Today, Ife and I had gone to our fav play museum at the Diana Wortham Center; The Health Adventure. We frequent this place three to four times per week on average because there are many fun things to do in this safe and secure location. The staff here are very friendly and all treat Ife like a VIP/celebrity. We had gone over to the grocery store play area where various fake food stuffs are such as vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk and meat. All of a sudden Ife asks me "what's this daddy?" "That's a cucumber" I had responded. "What's the daddy?" "That's an eggplant" "What's this daddy?" "A peach". I think this is the first time he had questioned me with such an eagerness to know the names of the types of food there. And then "What's this daddy?" I paused as I was thinking about how I should answer this one. He was holding a peace of roast beef. Being perplex I felt prompted to call my wife at her job for some advice about how I should respond. She said that I should tell him the truth and to say "that was part of a cow that had gotten hurt and it's very sad. That cow was a baby at one point and had a mommy and a daddy that loved her just like you." I had chosen to be oblivious to the fact that one day he would know that some people eat meat. Well, today was some day.

Deal Finder: Veg on the Cheap

The The French Broad Food Co-op, where I work has many good deals.
1) Muir Glen 28 oz. canned tomatoes, regular price $3.39 each, on sale $1.99.
look for $1.00 off coupons on some of the cans too!

2) Imagine select 32 oz. soups, regular price $4.89, sale price $3.29.
Look for the 75 cent coupon on the shelf.

3) Whole Soy 6 oz. yogurts, regular price $1.19 each, look for slightly expired yogurts
marked down to 59 cents each.

P.S. Most Coops in the U.S are part of the Coop Advantage program meaning that you can get the same sales prices on the same product from any coop. The French Broad Food Coop is located at 90 Biltmore Avenue, Downtown Asheville, NC. There phone number is
(828) 255-7650

No high chair complaints tonight

When Ife saw that the dinner included noodles and tomatoes, he climbed right into the high chair! Ife happily sat in his high chair and ate two helpings of noodles with diced tomatoes, vegan cheese and frozen peas. He asked for the famous tomato song:

"Tomato, tomato
You are red
You are round.
I cut you up to eat you up
You come from the ground.
YUM!"

Dinner Tantrum!

I ate dinner to the accompaniment of a blaring radio and Ife's screams of displeasure that threatened to drown out the radio. He needed to nurse, not eat dinner. I finished my meal thinking that he'd calm down and eat something at any minute. It took him a little bit to get him back into eating mode. First I held him and let him see himself crying in the mirror. Then we sat quietly and nursed. Finally, Ife polished off his dinner of tofu-stuffed ravioli topped with chunky tomato sauce with string beans on the side. Dinner was NOT a Martha Stewart moment.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

One large head of broccoli
one medium potato
one yellow onion
two carrots
1/2 inch fresh ginger
four cloves of fresh garlic
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tamari
1 cup of rice or soy milk
1 tbsp miso (thick)
1 can of coconut milk 2 tbsp agave
dash of pepper

Cut all vegetables into large pieces. Add ginger, garlic and two cups of water.
Place in a large pot.
Cook until all vegetables are tender.
Blend cooked vegetables with one cup of rice or soy milk.
Blend until smooth.
Return mixture to pot.
Add all remaining ingredients except for miso.
Cook 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat and the add miso.
Serves six hungry Vegans. Enjoy!

I forgot to get the coconut milk and couldn't find any pepper. It turned out the only rice milk we had contained vanilla. Still it turned out well. I
Ife was squirmy and wouldn't sit in his seat. I let him sit on my lap, figuring the extra attetion wouldn't hurt since he has a cold and it teething again. He ate all his soup as did Jonathan and I.
I sometimes wish I was the kind of Mother who could make these kind of healthy from scratch meals every night.

Vegan Family Intro 1

On September 7, 2007 at 12:40 am, Ife Gabriel La Fey-Daniels came into this world with both hands raised. Since then he has faced life and the food he loves with the Same exuberance. As when he was a newborn, his favorite food is "nursies". Much of the time while writing this blog Ife will be nursing, Lola(mom) will be dictating and Jonathan (dad) will be typing.

We arrived home from work today and asked if Ife needed a potty-check, his response was "avocado snack" so we gave him some avocado for starters. After a shower bath Ife was ready for dinner. It consisted of; some soup with beans, broccoli, potatoes noodles and of course frozen peas to help it cool down. Ife asks for frozen peas at about every meal. He even tried to get me to put them in his tea. He loves frozen peas so much he often request the frozen pea song. I didn't know one so I made it up.

Frozen Peas
Frozen Peas
You are little and green and round
And oh so cold
I got you from the freezer
You cooled down my food
Eat it up
Eat it up
Yum yum Yum!

Dessert was some Turtle Mountain Mint Chip coconut milk ice cream and tension tamer tea and banana. We like this kind of ice cream because it is vegan, has no sugar and is delicious! All the food was organic, which is better for our family and the Earth.

After tea and dessert we are all in our pajamas watching his favorite cartoon video "Dora the Explorer" . As I lay here in bed typing this , Ife has surely interrupted the process of us all falling asleep by exclaiming "potty check!" This is an inconvenience of a potty trained child that we chose to deal with as it takes up to forty-five minutes of him sitting on the potty and one of us reading three or more story books to him. Much to our chagrin, there are times when he gets up from his potty check with an empty potty. After a long day of being over spent and exhausted, there are sometimes that I wish he that he were in diapers! :-)

Ife's wisdom for the day, "Bring the church home."