Author: Gina

One of Those Days

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Hello and happy Friday! I hope you have some fun weekend plans in store. Weather permitting, we’re going to a party on Saturday with a group of friends I’ve known forever and I’m really looking forward to it.

But backing up for a second, I want to talk about Wednesday. This past Wednesday I took Jackson for his first swim lesson at our local YMCA. (Quick sidebar, I’m no longer at my former job, which is why I was able to do this during the week. It’s kind of a long story and one for another post!) We have him in daycare twice a week and I wanted to find at least one activity to take him to on the days it’s just the two of us. I figured swim lessons would be great because he generally loves the water and enjoys being around other kids. This week was the first class, and I fully expected it to go well. I imagined Jackson having a ball and not wanting the class to end. Man, I could not have been more wrong! I’m not exaggerating when I say it was a complete and total disaster. Continue reading “One of Those Days” →

Simple Vegan Cornbread

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Vegan Cornbread

Hi there! I hope my fellow East Coasters are staying warm and safe in the big snowstorm. What a winter we’ve had already and it’s only the beginning of January! Yikes. Anyway, I wanted to follow up yesterday’s chili post with a recipe for cornbread since the two so often go hand in hand. I was planning to include the cornbread recipe along with the chili, but the first version I made was just not up to snuff and I wanted to tweak it before sharing. In my first attempt, I tried going the no oil route and used apple sauce in its place. While this swap works in many recipes, like brownies, it did not work for this cornbread. It turned out waaay too dry and crumbly. I also used too large of a pan (13×9), which resulted in slices that were a bit too thin for my liking. For my second attempt, I used coconut oil and a smaller 9×9 pan, and the result was just what I was going for–moist, hearty, and delicious!

Vegan CornbreadVegan Cornbread

Most cornbread recipes, like the original recipe I used as inspiration, call for cornmeal and regular wheat flour, but I opted for oat flour instead of the wheat to keep the cornbread gluten free. You could go either way.  I topped it with a pat of Earth Balance (admittedly not as large as in these photos) but a vegan maple butter would be even better! Like the majority of things I make, this is super easy to whip up and won’t leave you with a stack of dishes to wash at the end. I hope you try it and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, oat flour, baking powder, and salt together.
  4. Warm the coconut oil in the microwave (or on the stove) until it’s melted. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup to almond milk/vinegar mix and stir well.
  5. Add the oil mixture to the dry mixture and stir until well mixed. Pour the batter into a greased (I used coconut oil) 9×9 pan and bake for about 45-55 minutes, until bread is firm. 
    *Adapted from Isa Chandra’s Vegan Cornbread

Note: To store this, make sure to use an airtight container or wrap it extremely well. I simply put a piece of tinfoil over the leftovers kind of haphazardly and it dried out pretty quickly. Don’t be lazy like I was!

 

Simple Vegan Cornbread

Three Bean & Veggie Chili

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Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you had an enjoyable holiday, however you chose to spend it. We party animals over here ordered in Thai and were in bed by 10pm, ha. I’ve never been a huge New Year’s Eve person to begin with and now that I have a little one, it’s all the more reason to lay low and have a relaxing night at home. The freezing cold weather was another motivator for staying in close to the fireplace. Feels like 1 degree? No thank you!

Speaking of the weather, given how frigid it has been the past week, I wanted to make something warming and hearty for dinner New Year’s day. What better than a big pot of chili? This version is packed with fiber-rich beans (three different kinds, in fact!) and veggies to fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours.

Veggie Chili

It’s also low in sodium and fat. Tomato products tend to be loaded with sodium so I always try to buy versions that are low sodium or no salt added, like I used in this recipe. Personally, I find the other seasonings to add enough flavor that I don’t even add any salt to my bowl, but it’s easy enough to salt it to taste. Best of all, this is beyond easy to throw together and can last for several meals. The next time you’re on the hunt for a wholesome and delicious veggie chili recipe, I hope you give this one a try! If you do, let me know how you like it.

Veggie Chili

Veggie Chili

 

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions
  • 3 cups of carrots (about 3 large)
  • 3 peppers (I used 2 green and 1 red but any combo will work)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 cans kidney beans, no salt added
  • 2 cans black beans, no salt added
  • 1 can white beans, no salt added
  • 3 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 16 oz bag of frozen corn (I like the fire roasted kind from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s)

Directions

  1. Spray the bottom of a large soup or stock pot with oil (you can also use veggie broth if you’d prefer not to use oil).
  2. Chop onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic and add them to the pot. Set on medium/low and let the veggies cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick.
  3. Add in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
  4. Drain and rinse the beans and then add them to the pot and stir well.
  5. Stir in all the spices and let the chili cook on low for about an hour to 90 minutes, until all the veggies are tender.
  6. Add in the frozen corn and stir again. Leave it for a few minutes to warm.
  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This recipe makes a LARGE pot of chili. I always like to make a big batch so that it can provide multiple meals. Sometimes I even freeze some of the leftovers to have later.  If you’d rather make a smaller amount, I suggest just halving the recipe.

Three Bean Veggie Chili

My Sleep Training Experience

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There are different schools of thought when it comes to sleep training (whether or not to do it, the best approach to take, the optimal time to start, etc.) and few topics seem to spark the kind of debate that sleep training triggers. Before I had Jackson, I didn’t know how I’d feel about it, honestly. And I didn’t have to think much about it until Jackson was almost six months old, because from about two to five and a half months, he was a great overnight sleeper (although daytime was a different story). For a while I thought I’d hit the jackpot with an amazing night sleeper and would never have to deal with the dreaded sleep training conundrum. But alas, that turned out to be major wishful thinking. Continue reading “My Sleep Training Experience” →

First Snow!

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At the time I’m writing this, we’ve actually had a second snow, but I wanted to share some pictures David and I snapped last weekend on our first snow day of the season. You’d think having grown up in the Northeast, I’d be totally indifferent to snow at this point, but there’s just something about the first snowfall each winter that will never get old. It helps when you don’t have the pressure of having to get anywhere, and since the snow hit on Saturday, we were able to lay low and really enjoy it. I’m sure a couple of months from now I’ll be longing for sun and sand, but around the holidays, I’m all for the snow! Seeing the snow through Jackson’s eyes made it all the more magical too. We got so many cute pics of him experiencing the snow for the first time and I’m so glad we were able to capture such a memorable day. Here are some of my favorites: Continue reading “First Snow!” →

Life Update

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After a pretty lengthy blogging hiatus, I’m excited to get back into regular posting. Over the past several months we’ve been busy with some pretty major life changes–mainly buying and moving into our first house!–but things are finally beginning to settle down and it’s so nice to have a place we can call home for the long haul. Bring on ALL the holiday decorations! Continue reading “Life Update” →

Baby Recap: Ten Months Old

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This past Monday Jackson hit ten months. In just two more months we’ll officially have a one-year-old on our hands. That is so crazy to me! As usual, the past thirty days flew by, but I’m happy to report that I think we’re FINALLY over the hump of illness around here (knocking on wood). Jackson did catch a couple more colds that then passed on to Mom and Dad, but they were no big deal, especially after the ordeal that was Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (If you missed the nine month recap, you can read all about that fun virus here). I’m really hoping this means we’re over the worst! Onward and upward. Continue reading “Baby Recap: Ten Months Old” →

Happy Birthday to My Hubs!

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Shortly after David and I first started dating I attended a party for his twenty ninth birthday. Today he turns 38! It’s hard to believe we’ve been celebrating birthdays together for close to a decade, but you know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun. I know David’s not thrilled about being another year older, but I personally think he has a lot to celebrate this year. This is his first birthday as a dad, for one! And after a very hectic 2016–we moved halfway across the country and then back again over the course of six months–we’re happily settled back on the east coast. With all the craziness of the past year, I haven’t been great about expressing my appreciation for everything David does for me (and now Jackson), but there’s no time like the present! So here goes. Continue reading “Happy Birthday to My Hubs!” →

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (Vegan & Gluten Free)

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Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

For some reason I never think to make stuffed peppers, even though they’re one of the easiest and most versatile things to make on the planet. But inspiration struck on Sunday. I had two cored out peppers left over from a crudités platter I bought on Saturday and it was pretty obvious what I should do with them. Based on the ingredients I had lying around, I decided to do a Mexican version with quinoa as the base. A little corn and onion, some black beans, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro, and voila! A delicious and spontaneous meal that was on the table in about 90 minutes. 

You can stuff peppers with just about anything you want. Rice is popular, as is ground meat, but I personally love the texture of quinoa and think it works great in this recipe. And you can’t get any easier or healthier than canned beans (just make sure you get beans without salt or any other junk). I chose to use black beans in keeping with the Mexican food theme but you could use any kind of bean you like or even a mixture of beans. Anything goes! If you’re looking for a simple and quick recipe that’s big on flavor, give these stuffed peppers a try. 

 

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

  • 4-5 large bell peppers
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 15 oz can black beans
  • 1  14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup chopped red onion
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • A few bunches of fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Wash peppers, cut their tops off, and discard the seeds. Place peppers on a 13×9 baking dish and set aside.
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Add quinoa to two cups of water in a pot and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and cover. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add frozen corn to hot quinoa and stir.
  3. Transfer quinoa and corn mixture to a mixing bowl.
  4. Rinse and drain black beans and add to quinoa and corn mixture.
  5. Add the stewed tomatoes with juices. Slice large tomato chunks into smaller pieces.
  6. Add red onion, lime juice, and all the spices and cilantro. Mix well.
  7. Lightly brush outsides of peppers with olive oil and spoon quinoa mixture into each pepper shell until mostly full.
  8. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until peppers are tender.

Note: I’d add avocado to these as a topper but didn’t have any on hand when I made this batch. Although definitely not a necessity, I think avocado would take these peppers to the next level!

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Baby Recap: Nine Months Old

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I’ve been seriously slacking on posting over the past couple weeks and really have no excuse other than the fact that the weather has left me majorly unmotivated. This time of year always makes me super antsy to get outside and back into nature, while uninspired to do anything indoors. Anyone else out there in the same boat? But, our little peanut is nine months old today, so I had to pop on and at least write a monthly recap!  Continue reading “Baby Recap: Nine Months Old” →