Floral Baths

With the coming of spring and warmer weather with sunny days my mind had turned to the flowers that bloom with their sensual scents and beautiful colors. So I decided to give a few special recipes for floral baths to spoil yourselves in. Remember dim the lights, light a candle and maybe some soft music and give it a leisurely soak. Each of the following recipes are named after a Goddess from various cultures.

Tiamat's Salt Water Retreat
1/2 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons chamomile flowers
2 Tablespoons lavender flowers
2 Tablespoons rose petals
1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Tablespoon orange peel
4 drops jasmine oil
3 gardenias (yes, whole flowers)

Tie the chamomile & lavender flowers, rose petals, cinnamon, orange peel with the jasmine oil drops inside a piece of cheese cloth, tie with some string. Hang the cheese cloth bag from the faucet under running water. Fill the bath with warm water adding the sea salt, stirring with your hand to dissolve. Float the gardenias on top of the water.

Birth of Venus
2 Tablespoons spearmint leaves
2 Tablespoons rose petals
1 Tablespoon orange peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 drops rose geranium oil
2 drops tangerine oil
3 pink roses
1/2 cup violet blossoms

Tie the spearmint leaves, rose petals. orange peel, vanilla extract and drops of rose geranium & tangerine oils inside a piece of cheese cloth, tie with some string. Hang the cheese cloth bag from the faucet under running water as the tub fills. Float the pink roses and violet blossoms on top of the water.

Kaun Yin's Protection
1 Tablespoon apricot kernel oil
3/4 cup rosewater
1/4 cup vegetable based liquid soap
5 drops ylang ylang
4 drops synthetic musk oil
2 drops jasmine oil
6 star anise
6 gardenias

Stir the apricot kernel oil , liquid soap, and rose water together. Add the ylang ylang and the jasmine oils and stir well. Pour the mixture under warm running water as your bath fills. Float in the star anise and the gardenias.

Athena's Blessing
1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
1/2 cup lavender water
3/4 cup vegetable oil based liquid soap
5 drops orange oil
4 drops grapefruit oil
1/2 cup honeysuckle blossoms

Stir the sunflower oil, lavender water and liquid soap together. Add the orange & grapefruit oils and stir well. Pour the mixture under warm running water as you fill the bath. Float in honeysuckle blossoms.

Hathor's Heaven
1/2 cup dry nonfat milk powder
1/4 cup jasmine water
1/2 cup vegetable oil based liquid soap
2 tablespoons honey
4 drops lemon oil
2 drop jasmine oil
1 drop peppermint oil
1/2 cup jasmine flowers

Stir the milk powder, jasmine water, and liquid soap and stir until the milk powder dissolves. Add the lemon, jasmine, and peppermint oils and stir well. Pour under warm running water as you fill the bath. Float the jasmine flowers.

Pele's Passion
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup orange water
1/4 cup vegetable oil based liquid soap
4 drops palmarosa oil
3 drops patchouli oil
1 drop lemongrass oil
4 large hibiscus blossoms

Stir together the oil, orange water, and liquid soap. Add the palmarosa, patchouli, and lemongrass oils and stir well. Pour under warm running water as you fill the tub. Float the hibiscus blossoms.

Happy bathing!

Menu Plan Monday

Hope everyone had wonderful spring days and you had a chance to get outdoors. I made the round about the yard and found the peonies popping their heads through the warming soil, daffodils and Naked ladies (a type of lily) in bloom and the yard had begun to grow and is full of purple little flowers. After that late snow we had this last weeks weather was greeted with much happiness. This weeks menu is filled with quite a few quick meals and the recipes are posted.

Sunday - Pastatini, garden salad, garlic toast

Monday - chik'n and spinach enchiladas, seasoned pinto beans

Tuesday - acorn squash filled with apple "sausage" dressing, sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli

Wednesday - fried rice, vegetarian egg rolls ( from the deli section at Walmart look for 100% vegetarian ones)

Thursday - braised red cabbage and apples, sugared parsnips, baked beans, fried potatoes & onions

Friday - baked potatoes with vegetarian chili, mixed green salad with strawberries & pecan, pumpkin cookies

Saturday - taco salad (lettuce, tomatoes, taco seasoned crumbles, black beans,whole corn, salsa in a flour tortilla bowl)

Have a brilliantly blessed week!

Braised Red Cabbbage and Apples

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions
8 cups thinly chopped red cabbage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 apples, peeled & cored & chopped
1 cup vegetable stock or apple juice
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper to taste

In a large heavy stock pan, over medium heat, heat the oil then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

Stir in the cabbage, garlic and apples.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the stock, vinegar, sugar and bay leaf.

Reduce the heat , cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until cabbage is soft and liquid has evaporated.

Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

4 Tablespoons firm tofu, pureed

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together. Mix in the flour, salt, baking powder and spices until well blended.

In a small bowl mix together the pureed tofu , pumpkin and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Combine this with the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts, raisins and cranberries and stir until well combined. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes.

Natural Cleaning and Bath Products

In 1992 when my oldest daughter was 13 she began having horrible reactions to various soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc. She would get things from rashes to hives, breathing problems and even ending up in the emergency room getting cortisone shots for the reactions. It was at that time I began researching what was actually in our cleaning and personal care products. I was shocked at the low to no standards at all that the government had and still does allow. I realized the true quality of what was used in our lives was up to me. So I begin reading and researching where ever I could to get a grasp on this monster.

True I could simply purchase natural products from a Health Food Store ready made, however the price made it near impossible for this to be a steady reality in our lives. Over time I learned it was much more economical to simply buy up the supplies make my own and not only was it cheaper in the long run, it lasted longer. We always had what we needed at hand.

A gallon of non petroleum based liquid soap could be used for bubble bath and body shampoo as well as for dish washing, floor cleaning and in all purpose cleaner. Basically anything that you needed to wash you could use this - even the dog. It was safe didn't cause and allergic reactions and cleaned like a dream! Then there was the essential oils you could add for scent and aromatherapy reasons.

So I made base recipes for various things and created different blends to suit whatever purpose I needed or wanted. the based consisted of soaps, body shampoos, bubble baths, dusting powders, bath salts, fizzing bath powders, bath oils, body scrubs, herbal bath teas, milk baths, floral baths, bath vinegars, hair rinse infusions, facial cleansers, facial toners, facial masks, foot baths, message oils, hand & body creams and butters, colognes and after shaves even dog shampoo, ear oil, and flea powder, etc. You get it, it goes on for ever it seems.

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Macaroni and Cheese

5 Tablespoons non-dairy margarine
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 cups  milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups grated Extra Sharp Cheddar

Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions.

Melt the margarine in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. using a whisk add the milk, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, black pepper, and 2 cups of cheese, and stir well. Add the macaroni and stir well. (Now here is where I get a bit different. I don't put the mac & cheese in the oven. We prefer the creamy type, which is where it is at now. Baking in the over gets a drier type of mac & cheese that we don't care for. But if you prefer just pop it in a 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.)

We also like the following mixture sprinkled over the top, but use just a bit it is very snappy! I keep it in a container with a little shaker top that we just pass around the table. 6-8 servings.

Emeril's Essence
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper (I use 1 teaspoon here and it is still hot.)

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an air tight container. This recipe makes about 2/3 cup.

Welcome Spring

Happy Spring Everyone!! I'm not really sure how the weather is holding out where you live but the bottom fell out of the bucket here in Oklahoma. Yesterday it was a gorgeous spring day. The temperature was 70 degrees not a cool breeze blowing. The boys were riding their bikes off and on most of the day and playing soccer. I was cleaning off the front porch, cleaning out the herb cauldron and the begonia pots. Although I knew this was coming - you know the weather man isn't always right, however this time he was.

Last night around 7:00 the wind began blowing and turned cold. Freezing rain began falling around midnight and changed over to snow and its still snowing and is to continue until noon tomorrow. The winds are blowing 45-65 miles an hour. At present it is 28 degrees. So for our spring celebration we have buckled down and huddled up sort-of-speak.
Baylyn is spending the weekend with us so all the boys have been crafting, playing the play station & Wii and watching Dennis the Menace, the Beverley Hillbillies (the boys got a hillbillies thing- go figure) and the Brave 300 . I put a pot of Veggie Irish Stew in the oven for dinner and to help heat the house. I know it wasn't on my menu but its cold folks. Snagged a bag of Oreos at the grocery yesterday for snacking tonight. Kody walked across the street to spend the night with mom. I've been reorganizing my blogs with all this indoor time and hubby has been watching TV and catching up on his sleep. His hours at work have picked up and he's been run ragged. So its been a final celebration of winter rest and family.

Menu Plan Monday

Hope everyone had a pleasant beginning of spring. We have had a unusually late snow storm so I've been thinking warm and toasty for this weeks menu for the warm up.

Monday - Italian bean soup, mixed greens with pears, homemade rolls
Tuesday - Chik'n fajitas, Spanish rice
Wednesday - beans, cornbread, seasoned greens, fried okra
Thursday - Bavarian sauerkraut & vegan sausages, fried potatoes & onions, steamed broccoli, rye bread & jam
Friday - veggie burgers, oven fries, corn on the cob
Saturday - macaroni & cheese, garden salad, maple roasted parsnips, carrots, & Brussels sprouts
Sunday - Black-Eyed Pea & Rice Enchiladas, seasoned greens

This recipe was created by Julie Hasson who has a wonderful website  Everyday Dish It is the best thing to happen to my vegetarian life! I can watch cooking shows of food I eat!! If you have never been there you must fly on over - it is great FUN.

Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages- makes 8 links

2 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 Tablespoons Bills Best Chik'nish Seasoning
2 Tablespoons granulated onion (aka. onion powder)
1 to 2 Tablespoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground paprika
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes, optional
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/4 cups cool water
6-8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce


In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the water, garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce and using fork, gently stir into the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are mixed. If dough mixture is too dry, you can add another Tablespoon of water or as needed.
Scoop 1/2 cup dough mixture at a time and shape into logs. Place the logs on piece of aluminum foil and roll up, twisting ends. Place sausages in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Once sausages have cooled, remove from the foil and refrigerate until ready to eat. After cooling, the sausages may feel a bit dry on the outside. Don't worry, as they will soften and firm up considerably after chilling.

Variation: You can shape the dough into little patties instead of links. If you don't want to use aluminum foil, you can wrap the links in damp muslin or a tea towel.

The true wonders about this recipe is that it takes minutes to make and had and unlimited number of seasoning options. Just change the seasonings and BOOM you have another sausage to add to your cooking.

Have a brillantly blessed week.

Menu Plan Monday

Hope everyone had a great week last week and you are ripping to go for this weeks new adventures that life has to offer. So this week the plan is the following-

Monday-Baked BBQ black eyed peas & rice on a bed of seasoned greens
Tuesday- Green Chik'n Enchiladas with Spanish rice and spinach salad
Wednesday- vegan pepperoni and roasted red pepper pizza and a garden salad
Thursday- shepherd's pie, mixed greens salad and tomato slices (didn't get to this one last week)
Friday- BBQ Tofu, Roasted parsnips, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and cornbread
Saturday- Aztec frittata, biscuits & strawberry jam
Sunday- Tacos, guacamole & tortilla chips

Green Chik'n Enchiladas (vegan)
Makes 12

1 pkg. Morning Star Chik'n Strips (meal starters), diced
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 ounce) pkg. Colby-jack or rice/soy cheese alternative
2 cans (10 ounce) Mild Green Chile Enchilada sauce

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish. Heat tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute to soften. Mix together the diced chik'n strips and half the cheese. Fill each tortilla with the chik'n mixture and arrange in baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 3o minutes.

Spanish Rice (vegan)
4 cups rice
2 cans diced tomatoes, not drained
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups water

Put all ingredients in a rice cooker and stir. Cover and start - this will cook automatically until rice is done. This makes quite a bit of rice so it can be used for 2 meals.

Seasoned Greens (vegan)

1lb. collard greens or 1/2 collards and 1/2 kale
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup pace salsa
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Wash greens and chop into bite sized pieces. Put all the ingredients into a large pot and cover. Bring to a boil , stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat and simmer. Cook about 45 minutes or until greens are tender.

Shepherd's Pie (vegan)
Serves 6-8
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup soy/rice milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 (12ounce) pkg. ground beef style crumbles
1 1/4 cup prepared mushroom gravy (your choice - I use Better than Mushroom Gravy Mix)
1 (6ounce) can mixed carrots & peas
garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with the margarine and the milk. Season with the salt and pepper. In a medium pan saute the onion in the oil translucent. In a medium bowl mix the cooked onions, crumbles, mushroom gravy, peas & carrots, and spices. Pour into a prepared pie pan or square baking dish. Top the crumble mixture with the potatoes, spreading to the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and the crumble mixture bubbles out the edges.

Garlic & Chive mashed potatoes make a really good topping on this!

The BBQ black eyed peas & rice recipe can be found in Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry.

March Day

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot

and the wind blows cold;

when its summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

~ Charles Dickens ~

Vegetarian Irish Stew

Twelve Years ago I started making Irish Stew for our Halloween meal, then it became our Halloween Eve birthday party stable for years. Of course in those days we were meat eaters so since becoming vegetarian I had to experiment with it and adjust it. The following is a wonderfully thick, rich and filling stew that is to die for. A must try for anyone. Vegan Friendly.

Vegetarian Irish Stew

1 lb. package baby carrots, rinsed
7 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary, this may need to be done by hand-need ground, not whole leaves
salt & black pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
4 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water

Place the vegetables in a large dutch oven or roasting pan with the 4 cups vegetable broth, 4 cups water, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil on the stove top. Once boiling place the pot in the oven for 2 hours at 350 degrees. Stirring occasionally.

When the vegetables are tender remove from the oven. Mix the 4 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour with the 3/4 cup of water until dissolved- not lumpy. Then stir it into the hot spot of stew to thicken the broth and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with crusty bread or on polenta and a side salad.

Happy Honey Bee Tea

Why are the bees so happy?

Because there is no honey used in this recipe.
HAPPY HONEY BEE TEA

1/2 gallon water
6 bags blueberry tea
3 bags herbal lemon tea
2 peppermint tea bags
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave nectar

Bring water to a boil, then steep blueberry & lemon tea bags for 10 minutes.

Add the peppermint tea bags and steep for another 3 minutes.

Remove tea bags. Add vanilla extract and agave nectar. Stir to blend.

Serve hot or cold.

Menu Plan Monday

I am a bit tardy getting this out, however, I am getting it done and if you know me - you know that is something! Don't you just love a place where you can go to get meal ideas from other people? I mean it makes life so much simpler so be sure to check out all the wonderful links at Menu Plan Monday. Oh by the way don't let the vegetarian thing scare you away. You might actually find a great meal to try out that could become your new favorite! Having said that here's what we are having this week...

 

Monday~ riblet hogies and oven fries

Tuesday~ bell peppers stuffed with black eyed peas, tomatoes, rice. seasoned greens and corn

Wednesday~ vegetarian Irish stew on top of polenta and brownies

Thursday~ French toast with bananas and vegetarian sausages

Friday~ potato & kale enchiladas, fried corn with green & red peppers

Saturday~ macaroni and cheese, peas & carrots, seasoned greens

Sunday~ shepherd's pie, Mixed greens salad with pears & walnuts

 

Have a brilliantly blessed week!!

Menu Plan Monday



I am a bit tardy getting this out, however, I am getting it done and if you know me - you know that is something! Don't you just love a place where you can go to get meal ideas from other people? I mean it makes life so much simpler so be sure to check out all the wonderful links at Menu Plan Monday. Oh by the way don't let the vegetarian thing scare you away. You might actually find a great meal to try out that could become your new favorite! Having said that here's what we are having this week...

Monday~ riblet hogies and oven fries

Tuesday~ bell peppers stuffed with black eyed peas, tomatoes, rice. seasoned greens and corn

Wednesday~ vegetarian Irish stew on top of polenta and brownies

Thursday~ French toast with bananas and vegetarian sausages

Friday~ potato & kale enchiladas, fried corn with green & red peppers

Saturday~ macaroni and cheese, peas & carrots, seasoned greens

Sunday~ shepherd's pie, Mixed greens salad with pears & walnuts

 

Have a brilliantly blessed week!!

Italian Bean Soup

Italian Bean Soup

1/2 cup diced organic carrots
1 cup chopped organic onion
2  garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces chicken Italian sausages
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8 ounce) cans of  Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves
1 (15-ounce) can sliced potatoes, drained
1/4 cup milk

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat add the onions and sausage (out of the castings) and sauté until the sausage is no longer pink and onions soft. add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add broth, black pepper and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the spinach and milk, stirring until spinach is wilted. About 5-6 servings
Serve this with a fresh crusty bread and a green salad - yummy!