What a busy weekend! Busy, but fun. We went to COSI and saw the Sesame Street exhibit and we took the munchkin to her first-ever dentist appointment. We also had a breakfast play date with some of our friends and their son, who is our daughter’s age. When we weren’t busy running around town, we were at home eating some good food. Here’s the rundown:
Saturday
For lunch, I made the Rice Patties recipe from Cooking with Peta
Instead of using rice, though, I used couscous. These patties were incredibly easy to make and the only change I made to the recipe was that I added 1T of flaxmeal mixed in with 2T of water for binding purposes. When I was done mixing the ingredients called for in the recipe together, I was skeptical of their ability to form patties, so that’s why I added the flax mixture. It did the trick, because these patties stayed together exceptionally well. We ate our patties alongside some roasted beet chips:
Before…
and after…
I used some really small beets for this, so a few chips burnt very quickly. The ones that didn’t tasted awesome!
For dinner on Saturday, I made this recipe:
Pumpkin and Apple Risotto with Tofu Pieces from Vegalicious
This was a delicious fall-inspired dish. It made a huge amount of food and the only trouble I had was that no matter how much liquid I added and no matter how long I cooked it, I couldn’t get the rice to soften. We ate our rice al dente that evening, but it still tasted great!
The friends who hosted our breakfast playdate on Sunday were so nice in accommodating my family’s veggie needs (my friend can make some mean pancakes (not vegan, but they looked so golden and beautiful!)), but I brought some Graham Flour Fig Scones (from the tremendous My Sweet Vegan) to contribute. I’ve posted about these before and anyone who has tried these knows they are delicious, but I just wanted to mention a few changes I made this time that worked out really well. This time, I soaked the figs in almond milk the night before, which made them easier to chop up the next morning and made them a little more tender when baked in the scones. I reserved the fig-soaked almond milk, which equaled 4T of liquid and I added it to the batter as part of the liquid called for in the recipe. This lent an overall fig-infused flavor to the scones which was really delicious. Also, I try to watch sugar whenever I can, so I replaced the sugar called for in the recipe (I made a 1 1/2 batch, so that would be roughly 9T of sugar) with 1/4 cup of Sweet Simplicity (erythritol – all natural, can be purchased at Whole Foods) and 12 drops (equivalent of 2T of sugar) of liquid Stevia. I don’t have much experience baking with either of these sugar substitutes, but I was incredibly pleased to find that there was no “off-taste” to the scones and the texture was exactly the same as when I made them previously using sugar.
Sunday
Sunday lunch was nothing special, but Sunday dinner was amazing. I made some BBQ tofu and black beans to go on top of some Skillet Cornbread (Veganomicon recipe).
Since I had so much good luck using sugar subsitutes, I used them again in this recipe. Unfortunately, I can’t remember how much I substituted. It was either 1/4 cup erythritol or 12 drops Stevia (I think it was the Stevia). This cornbread was the easiest and best I’ve ever made. It was so dense and so flavorful; I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert!
For the tofu and black beans, I made an easy BBQ sauce recipe. To replace the maple syrup, I used 1/4 cup agave nectar and 2T erythritol, I added 1T of applesauce instead of canola oil, I only used 1/2t (instead of 1t) ginger powder and I didn’t add the liquid smoke. My husband ranted and raved about this dish. I couldn’t believe how much he liked it. He said it was a “9.5 out of 10″ and that he only gave it a 9.5 because he couldn’t even imagine what a 10 would taste like. I’m quite pleased to get such rave reviews out of such a simple recipe! He also said that he rarely likes BBQ sauces, but the one I made was the best he’d ever had. Knowing him as I do, I think what he doesn’t like about most BBQ sauces is how syrupy-sweet they can be. To make the tofu and beans, all I did was dice up the tofu into small pieces and dry-fry them for a few minutes. I added a bit of the sauce and then 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans. I stirred everything together and then added more BBQ sauce until all the tofu and beans were well-covered. I cut a slice of cornbread, scooped some tofu and beans on top and served it alongside some steamed broccoli.
I was so pleased with how much time I got to spend in the kitchen this weekend and how well everything I made turned out. Tonight, though, will be leftovers night. I’m thinking that I’m going to have the rest of the pumpkin and apple risotto and I know my husband can’t wait to eat the small amount of BBQ tofu and beans that were leftover.
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Now, a plea for advice…
My daughter, who is now 18 months old, eats like a horse at both my Mom’s house and at the sitter’s house. However, she rarely eats any of the meals I serve her. At first, it seemed “quirky” that she would eat so much (and that she especially loved lunch) at my Mom’s and the sitter’s, but now it seems like she is simply rejecting the food I’m serving her (which is not much different than what she gets at the other places (everyone serves her vegetarian food)). For lunch yesterday, I gave her SoyBoy ravioli lightly tossed in some EB and a little garlic powder and she took one bite and had what can be best described as a panic attack (it was different than a tantrum). It took quite a while to get her to calm down. I tasted the ravioli and thought it was good and her dad ended up eating it all for his lunch.
I would love some advice as to new foods to try with my daughter that she might really enjoy eating. Although I let her sample everything we eat, she rarely wants to eat a lot of it (I think most of it is too spicy), so she eats a lot of mac and cheese (but she won’t eat nooch-based sauces) and grilled cheese. Does anybody have or know a child whose eating habits resemble my daughters?
I would love any advice on food that might be super kid-friendly (I’ve also tried giving her peanut butter toast (we waited to try PB until she was 17 months old and she doesn’t appear to be allergic (she has no other food allergies)), but she doesn’t seem to like peanut butter (which is crazy to me – what kid doesn’t like peanut butter?!!??!!).
Thanks everyone! Have a great VeganMofo week!
twoveganboys said,
October 6, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Wow. The food you made over the weekend looks delicious. Sorry to hear about your dlilemma with June. Arthur doesn’t like mac and cheese which boggles my mind because every kid seems to like it. Though, he will eat baked ziti. For Arthur I offer him milder versions of our dishes. I take out a serving for him and then add heat to ours. It is tough because with toddlers it is either feast or famine and you don’t want them living off of an all cheese diet. Does she like mixed veggies? I will give Arthur rice with a corn, carrot and pea veggie mix. Season it with a little margarine and salt and he enjoys it. Also see if she wants to feed herself. It is messy, but sometimes that is why they will refuse to eat. They are stating their independence. It is tough. I think every parent has been there. You feel like you are starving your child. Though you are not. It still feels that way. Best of luck.
Shelby said,
October 6, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Those couscous patties look delicious! I love making my own patties and burgers from grains or beans…they are so good. I really want to try beets now, those chips make them look scrumptious. And the skillet cornbread!? Now I’m going to have to go make some…I just remembered how amazing it was. The problem is that I can’t stop eating it!
jessy said,
October 6, 2008 @ 5:26 pm
oh man, Jennifer – i wish i had some advice for you and your munchkin! that’s gotta be quite frustrating. i bet other people will have some awesome advice that will be most helpful and have her trying some new yummies (and liking them) in no time. hope her first dentist appointment went well!
i love that you used couscous in the rice patties – and good call on the flax mixture to help them bind better. they look really tasty! beets chips = brilliant! next time i buy beets i’m totally making some. mmmmmmm! hooray for a 9.5 out of a 10 on the bbq tofu ‘en black beans – the dish looks glorious!
and your skillet cornbread looks perfect! thanks for the tips on Hannah’s scones – would you believe i’ve never had a scone?! i need to make some! mmmmmmmmmmm!
Celine said,
October 6, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
that was so smart of you to use couscous instead of rice! love it.
I don’t know much about kids, but do you think she would like other nut butters? like hazelnut, or almond, which might be a bit milder-tasting?
mihl said,
October 6, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
I would really, really love to spend a, no every weekend at your place!
I am sorry, I can’t give you any advice as I have no kids and don’t know many of them too.
bex said,
October 6, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
everything looks so tasty as usual.
As for your dilemma, I don’t have kids or take care of kids so I can’t help there exactly but as far as cookbook resources have you tried Dreena Burton’s stuff (I’m new to your blog so I haven’t had a check to look at some of your older posts)? You have her blog on your side bar so I’m guessing yes
I feel like she would be my go to vegan mama. I have Vive Le Vegan and it has a lot about kids and seems like more kid friendly recipes (Eat Drink Be Vegan is pretty kid friendly too).
Lisa said,
October 6, 2008 @ 7:43 pm
Wow! I want to stay at your place on the weekends! Yumm!
As for your little one, that is just about the age that they begin to try to control some situations. Eating is definitely one of them. My daughter lived on Kix cereal and animal crackers exclusively for several months. I was frantic; the pediatrician just advised us to feed her what she will eat, but be sure there are lots of different things available to her. So that’s what we did, and it worked!
The spiciness may be a factor. Try toning her portion down a bit.
Also, kids tend to eat more at other people’s houses. I don’t know why that is. My kids still do that…
Chessa said,
October 6, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
Hmmm, that’s an interesting situation with June. I know Silas loves to eat at his grandma’s because he gets (non-vegan) cookies (we let this one slide) and (vegan) pizza every time we go. It’s like a routine. Is that part of it, maybe, the routine? I don’t know how often she is with either of them, so it’s hard to say. Does she get to help in the kitchen? Silas is always a little more willing to eat the stuff he’s “helped” with – this could be dumping spices into the bowl or peeling garlic cloves that I’ve already smashed.
Honestly – and Silas eats like a horse, too – whenever we’ve had any kind of food related issue I feel like once I start to get a feel for it, he changes.
They’re stinkers like that. Some of my “healthy” standbys for Silas are: soy yogurt with all-fruit jam (or defrosted frozen berries) mixed in, black beans or chickpeas tossed with coconut oil and tamari, tofurkey sandwiches, broiled green beans (they’re french fry sized, so it’s fun to eat), and pasta with tomato sauce (especially something like penne that’s, again, easy to pick up and eat).
Your food looks amazing!!! We had cornbread this weekend, too! It’s the best. That’s a great thing to do with beets, too! I’m going to have to give that a try.
Good luck with June!
Chessa said,
October 6, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
Oh, and I forgot to say that Silas really didn’t get into peanut butter until just recently, and we probably started offering it around June’s age (he’s 28 months now). So, it might be a textural issue that she’ll grow into.
Now if he would only grow into avocado. Dang!
Courtney said,
October 6, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
Wow–all of your food sounds and looks amazing! Those beet chips are gorgeous! I love the spiral pattern in them. And thank you for the BBQ sauce and your changes–your variation sounds perfect! I am always looking for a good sugar-free BBQ sauce.
Just remember–kids will not starve! If you offer her healthy delicious foods, and she chooses not to eat them, she WILL eventually eat when she is hungry! I know you feel like she HAS to eat, but just remember…she will eat when she is hungry and she will not starve! That being said, I know it is frustrating and daunting when she won’t eat what you make. I hope that she comes around soon!
Courtney
Lauren said,
October 7, 2008 @ 12:27 am
I don’t have any advice for you on your little munchkin, but I hope everything works out. I was a very easy eater when I was younger, I loved all veggies (even brussel sprouts) and loved beans! Only dislikes- cheese and milk. Ha, I guess I knew what I was doing!
Everything looks so great. I LOVE beets! Great idea! And cornbread, WOW!! Good luck again, I am sure this phase will pass soon!
lisa (show me vegan) said,
October 7, 2008 @ 2:00 am
pumpkin risotto sounds like a perfect dish for this time of year. Good luck with your daughter’s eating habits!
River (Wing-It Vegan) said,
October 7, 2008 @ 2:23 am
First of all, your food looks amazing! That cornbread must be teleported to my belly ASAP!
I don’t have any kids, but I was one! Food sucked, I was never trying to be a little diva and “dominate” my parents through food. Eating was just honestly a very unpleasant part of my childhood.
The texture of some foods made me literally gag. Mild flavors and few ingredients were always easy to eat. Pasty stuff was torture. Stews and chunky dishes were big gag makers.
Everybody always raved about my mother’s cooking, but they were all adults. She cooked spicy, hearty foods that adults liked. But my young taste buds liked the simplest “naked” foods. No spices, no herbs.
Anyway, the point of this rant is that maybe your daughter’s taste buds are oversensitive like mine were? Or that maybe it’s not just the flavors but the texture of certain foods. Maybe you could keep a log of the foods she eats at home and at your mom’s, and the reactions she has to them?
You are an AWESOME mother for trying to figure out what’s going on with her instead of shoving food down her mouth (people do that)! YOU ROCK!!!
rach-ums said,
October 7, 2008 @ 5:22 am
That cornbread is the best! Yours looks fab.
Anni said,
October 7, 2008 @ 6:13 am
Everything looks so lovely, and this reminds me to make beet chips – they are so good!
I’m not an expert on children in any way, but I have many kids around me and I’ve noticed that they sometimes go through periods of not eating much at all – it seems to be very normal. Another thing I’ve noticed: kids almost always eat differently at home than they do elsewhere. Home is a safe place to test their boundaries I guess. So picky eating might not be that much about the food itself, if that makes any sense! I hope your daughter will start eating more soon, I can only imagine how tough this is for you.
shellyfish said,
October 8, 2008 @ 5:39 am
I’m feeling your pain! Guppy was pretty much living on raw fruit & yogurt at 18 months if that’s any consolation. She also liked mashed taters, baguette, cornflakes, applesauce, etc. She didn’t start liking peanutbutter & jelly until about six months ago (just before turning 3). I always noticed (and still do) that she would eat/taste things at other people’s places, or off other folk’s plates if we were at a dinner party or if everyone was sitting on the floor, she’d just putter over and nibble. At home sometimes she would eat nothing more than two bananas and a slice of cheese in a day. It was frustrating, but I saw that though tiny, she wasn’t loosing weight, and when she was hungry she’d eat. She still eats way better at school or outside the home, all kids do, though I don’t know why (maybe because they hve less control over the situation?).
One thing I’ll say that I had to remember was don’t season your food – I mean like pinch of salt seasoning. Kids have, geeze, I forget how many more tastebuds than adults do. So a dusting of garlic powder to them tastes like a raw garlic clove. I still try to remember to take out Guppy’s portion before seasoning, especially because we are so used to hot, spicy, garlicy, I know I must put alot on.
When I was in the states this summer with her she ate so well I was floored – but she didn’t really eat any differently than here in France with me, but there were more people around (grandparents, aunts & uncles) and I think that made a big difference, too. Rather than just being with me or M. Fish and I, there were sometimes 4 or 5 people eating, and I think that’s part of it, too.
Don’t dispair. I know it freaked me out a little, but all kids go through this it would seem!
Heather said,
October 9, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
I feel your pain where June is concerned and I wish I had some sage advice for you. Keira (my 2 1/2 year old) is currently living on Veggie Patch Nuggets, sweet potato fries, yogurt and fruit. She will eat most of the vegan baked things I make like pumpkin muffins and such, but other than that, not a whole lot. I learned that with her, it’s a power struggle. Her fave one day she won’t touch the next. We give her vitamins and I make her these nutrition packed smoothies. I used to stress about it, but I think I was making things worse. Now, we just go with it and it’s gotten much easier. She still won’t try new things, but she will eat a whole meal most days and that’s all I can really hope for. I make sure she has healthy snacks available and that’s about as much as I can do. I hope it gets better, but if it doesn’t, you might have to get creative! After looking through your blog, that shouldn’t be an issue for you!
I have to try those patties and the pumpkin risotto, they both sound amazing!
Miss Marie said,
October 14, 2008 @ 1:20 am
The only idea I’d have for your daughter is to maybe serve her simpler dishes. Like mac and cheese
is really simple and plain whereas the ravioli may be too advanced for her palette.
Maybe have her try little green beans or almond butter on toast. Or maybe the tofu nuggets they
have in the freezer section. Things more “kid-friendly” may scare her off less.
(I don’t have a child but I’ve worked with TONS of them so I’ve had my share of picky eaters
and trying to work out healthy lunches with moms.)
And…to comment… that bbq tofu and beans looks wonderful! I’m such a sucker for cornbread!