Vegan Tofu Stuffed Shells Recipe

This is one of my family's favorite vegan dishes...simple, easy, healthy, and delicious...this is the first time I've made this recipe using the homemade pasta sauce I cooked with tomatoes from my garden.
I scored and blanched the tomatoes and peeled and chopped them up.

Next I sauted 1/4 cup oil, one chopped onion, and two minced garlic cloves...added tomatoes and let simmer with lid on for at least 30 minutes.

After sauce was done cooking, I added chopped fresh basil and oregano from my garden...

~Vegan Tofu Stuffed Shells Recipe~

Ingredients:

Jumbo Pasta Shells (cooked)

1 pound firm tofu (mashed)

1 TBS fresh or dried basil herb

1/4 cup dried parsley (or fresh)
1 to 2 minced/sauted garlic cloves or 1 TBS garlic powder

1 TBS onion powder

1 tsp sea salt

Mix all together...this time I added fresh chopped spinach, thanks to my sister's good idea...

Spread some of the sauce on bottom of baking dish...spoon and stuff the cooked shells with the tofu mixture.. Arrange and than pour the rest of sauce over top.

This pic is the one with my homemade sauce...Bake at 350 degrees until pasta sauce is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

This pic is the one with store-bought sauce and veggies from my garden.

~Crystal Dawn...Homemaker and Mommy~

Tomatoes, Tomatoes...

I love garden tomatoes! I planted heirloom tomatoes this year and I've been getting lots of tomatoes from my garden and still not tired of them yet...so yummy. I've been trying to get creative and come up with different ways to use them...of course the easy way is sandwiches and we've been eating plenty of that, plus also pasta with tomatoes is great too, I'm planning to make some homemade spaghetti sauce also, like I did last year, there is lots of ideas and ways to use tomatoes and I'm having fun cooking and making food and meals with them...here is two more ways I've used my tomatoes lately...Mmmm fresh salsa, I never use to like salsa much until I craved it when I was pregnant with my baby girl, now I still enjoy it and I tried making it for the first time, my hubby and I both do not like really spicy foods, but love the flavor of this salsa I made with:
Fresh Tomatoes, Onions, fresh Cilantro, Garlic Clove, and Salt.

Colton liked it too...

Notice how some chips were lost in the salsa...lol.

Some years ago my husband and I were visiting my grandparents and my grandma made a tomato gravy and my husband has talked about it ever since, I don't remember how she made it and I could call and ask her, but I decided to see if I could figure it out on my own and I did, it turned out so perfectly delicious, especially over my homemade cornbread with the freshly-ground cornmeal my husband grinds for me. This is must be southern style food, because I've had some strange looks when I mention cornbread and gravy for breakfast, but it's one of my husband's favorite meals. :-)

I made a gravy base and added fresh chopped tomatoes, a sprinkle of dried basil, McCays "chicken style" seasoning, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion salt, and salt.

Cornbread Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour (I've also added soy flour and less white flour to make it more healthy)

2 tsp sea salt

2 TBS baking powder

2 TBS sugar

2 cups cornmeal

2 well-beaten eggs

1/2 cup oil

2 cups of milk (I usually use soy or almond milk)

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately and than mix all together.

Spread in baking pan.

Bake 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

~Crystal Dawn....Homemaker and Mommy~

Savory Casserole Recipe

This is a simple and easy vegetarian casserole recipe that I've been making for over 12 years...it is so yummy!
~Savory Casserole Recipe~
Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
2 cups seasoned crumbs
1 carton cottage cheese (vegans try using mashed tofu instead)
3 eggs
1 TBS McCays "chicken style" seasoning
1 cup chopped almonds
3 TBS oil
(sometimes I like to add herbs...if you know me you won't be surprised...lol)
First saute the onion and oil in skillet...Mmmm I love the smell of onion cooking...

In bowl add the seasoned crumbs, like my little helper is doing...
You can chop whole raw almonds or buy sliced almonds like these...

Mix all the ingredients together...

Put in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour until brown...

I love to make my homemade mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch and green peas to serve with this casserole which turns this into one of my favorite "comfort" meals!! ~Crystal Dawn...Homemaker and Mommy

Vegeburger Ketchup Loaf Recipe

This is a slightly time-consuming (but totally worth it) hearty vegetarian "meatloaf " recipe (not vegan) that my little family loves, my husband, Brian especially enjoys it. Brian's aunt has made it many times at family get-togethers on Sabbath afternoon. It is perfect for potlucks or family dinners, I surprised my husband with it today and he was happy to come home from work to a good meal that really fills you up!
~Vegeburger Ketchup Loaf~
Ingredients:
1 can vegeburger
4 eggs
1 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic salt
2 cups cheddar cheese (or less if you don't want it so cheesy)
1 chopped onion
6 slices of torn bread chunks/cubes
1 cube (8 Tbs) of margarine or butter
Sauce ingredients:
Ketchup
Water
Brown Sugar
My little boy likes to "help" chop the onions in this handy food chopper that we bought at the Oregon State Fair a few years ago...one of my favorite kitchen appliances that I don't know how I ever lived without...lol.
Or you can blend the onion in a blender to a even smoother consistency, which is the way my husband prefers it. I did it the easy way today though. :-)
Next tear the bread into little pieces...Colton liked helping with that part, some bread went into his mouth...

Melt butter in pan or skillet on medium/low heat and add bread crumbs and stir until bread soaks up butter.

Open a can of vegeburger...

Separately mix all the other ingredients in a bowl...(I love my little helper's sweet face).

Add the mixture to the bread and mix all together and press into an oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Colton and I washed the dishes together while the loaf was baking...

After 30 minutes of baking baste/brush on top of loaf, with this sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup brown sugar

mix together
Bake for an additional 15-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Bake until loaf is brown and bubbly on edges.

Enjoy!!

~Crystal Dawn...Homemaker and Momma

My Food Blog...Tomato/Basil Pasta Recipe

Okay here is my second attempt at a food blog, people have suggested I do one, but I didn't understand it the first time, so here goes again. I've had this recipe for quite awhile and don't even remember where I got it from. It is a simple pasta recipe that I make for my family at mealtimes and since I'm still new at trying to blog about my food dishes, I thought easy would be best for now...lol. This recipe has various ways you can make it and is very yummy, especially if you love pasta like I do...my husband calls me the pasta queen...lol

~Tomato/Basil Pasta~
Ingredients: 8 ounces pasta of your choice (or more depending on the size of your family)
1 cup diced tomatoes
3 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried basil or fresh sweet basil
1/4 tsp salt
some people like Mrs. Dash or a pinch of pepper for more flavor and spice...I usually don't.
(optional: 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese)

First I picked fresh tomatoes from my garden...Mmmmm...

Then chop about one cup of tomatoes or more depending on what you like...
Next I picked fresh sweet basil from my herb garden...chop up into small pieces...

Put in bowl and add olive oil and salt...Mix all together...as you can see I had a little helper...

You can either add those ingredients and toss with your pasta or you can cook them slightly in a skillet like I did. It makes a nice chunky "sauce".

Add pasta of your choice to boiling water...

My family likes this kind of rotini pasta the best...sweet little hands...awwww...

After pasta is cooked until tender but not overdone..rinse in warm water...

Toss everything together...(add shredded mozzerella cheese if you want or not if you want it vegan...I've done it both ways.)

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese is also optional...

And than enjoy with your favorite veggie and/or salad, and bread if desire...
Yummy!! Perfect food for little ones who sometimes use the fork and sometimes use fingers...lol

My little boy loves eating it and he had fun "helping mommy cook." :-)






Please let me know if you like my food blog and what kind of recipes you are interested in...Thanks!

Recipes/Food Blog

This is my first attempt at a food blog, I've had people tell me I should start one...I just finished filling up a cookbook I've been adding and collecting recipes for since early in my marriage, so I've been thinking about blogging some recipes lately and keep trying to do a food blog, so here goes...As most of you know I love gardening and baking...I've also started to enjoy cooking, especially with our garden produce. I also like taking photos, so I thought a food blog would be a fun way to include all those things.
I've been getting a good amount of zucchini from my garden recently.

My mother-in-law gave me a delicious zucchini recipe and it's one of my husband's favorite meals and the other one I came up with myself. Also a recipe a friend gave me quite awhile back.

~Zucchini Rice Bake Recipe~
3 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups cooked white rice

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 can cream of celery soup

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped onion

I always try and add in some fresh herbs, my favorite in this recipe is oregano.

Mix and spread in casserole baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

~Zucchini and Tofu over Rice~

Cooked white rice

Chopped and breaded zucchini

Diced firm tofu

Herbs of your choice

drizzle of Braggs Aminos

~Zucchini Patties~

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 onion

1 cup season bread crumbs

2 beaten eggs

2 TBS mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash

Mix and form into balls...roll in extra bread crumbs and mash into patties.

Fry on both sides in skillet, until brown on both sides.

Also we have an abundance of fresh herbs...oregano, sweet basil, thyme, and rosemary...I love cooking with herbs, such a wonderful aroma, so here is some more meals I've been preparing for my family. (Our tomatoes have just started to ripen in our garden too, so I'm excited to try this recipe with my fresh tomatoes soon!)

~Pasta with tomato and sweet basil~

Cooked pasta of your choice

1 cup of chopped tomato

3 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried or fresh sweet basil
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together in a bowl all the ingredients and than add the mixture to the cooked pasta.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

~Vegan Tofu Stuffed Shells~

1 jar pasta sauce

15 jumbo pasta shells/cooked

Mix together:

1 TBS fresh or dried basil herb

1/4 cup dried parsley (or fresh)

1 to 2 minced/sauteed fresh garlic cloves or TBS garlic powder

1 pound regular tofu/mashed

1 TBS onion powder

1 tsp salt

Spread some of the sauce on bottom of greased baking dish.

Spoon the tofu mixture into the cooked shells. Arrange and add 1/2 cup

of water to remaining sauce and pour stripes over top of shells.

Bake at 350 degrees until pasta sauce is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

(cheese lovers optional: sprinkle with parmesan cheese)

In photo as you can see I served it with fresh green beans and cucumber from my garden:

Photo of my herbs: Photo of one of my garden zucchini:

I plan to do "how to" real food blogs with photos and everything with these recipes eventually whenever I get the chance. :-)

Camping is fun!

Well is camping fun? Hmmm camping is fun, if and only if you decide to have fun in spite of everything crazy that happens. We took our two children, Colton almost three years old and Cherish 4 months old, on a camping trip for the first time. My husband Brian and I knew it would be tough...we've both been camping when we were kids and we camped a few times when we were first married, but we had not done it in quite awhile, we are older now, and we have never camped with our two little ones. We said this would be our "learning" trip, because we knew enough about camping to know things never go the way they are planned. I wanted to do two nights, but my husband said we should just try one night first and he was right...(he usually is...lol). So we loaded everything up, Colton was so excited, we told him we were going camping and he couldn't wait, even though he had no idea what we were talking about, he could tell we were excited about it. He couldn't understand why it was taking so long to get there, once we started driving. He kept saying he wanted "to go camping". We finally arrived at the State Park campsite and started setting up the tent. It was so beautiful in the mountains and I loved the fresh air! Colton really enjoyed helping to set up the tent. We unloaded everything we needed and than I took a little stroll down a path to the river with Colton and Cherish. There was another way, but I didn't want Colton to know that, since I was afraid my "water boy" would try and go in the cold river. Later we just relaxed and watched Colton who had lots of fun running around and thankfully we didn't have anyone camping in the campsites on each side of us. There were some people in RVs and travel trailers, but not too close to us. Colton loved the water spout and spent most of his time playing in the water and chasing or pulling our dog Duchess around on her leash. What a good patient dog we have! Finally my husband built a campfire...one of my favorite things about camping, and we roasted marshmallows before we had supper...lol. By suppertime it was getting cold outside...it gets really cold in the mountains at night and so Colton snuggled up on my lap while we ate supper. Cherish was sleeping in her carseat on the picnic table. All of a sudden Colton jumped up and ran to the tent and threw up in it, all over the diaper bag, one of the sleeping bags and on his clothes. Brian cleaned up the tent and I changed Colton's clothes. Colton seemed fine after that, but the "fun" was just beginning. Soon it was almost dark, so I bundled up the kids in layers of clothes, while my husband put away the food. We gathered in the tent and had a evening prayer. We laid down on our sleeping bags and realized how hard the ground is and that we had forgot pillows. There was lots of laughter and giggles though in spite of everything, even though both of us were thinking "what did we get ourselves into". The kids would not settle down and go to sleep. Also we could hear traffic going by on the freeway, which was annoying, but I figured it's a small price to pay to be at a campsite that has bathrooms, instead of an outhouse or even worse digging a hole...haha. Colton kept saying "a lion is coming" and seemed a little scared, which at first we couldn't figure out what he was talking about, but he thought the trucks going by on the freeway were "lion's roaring". Finally we convinced him that it was safe and he snuggled up with us and eventually went to sleep, by the time he fell asleep, Cherish was awake again and the rest of the night was that way. Cherish was fussy and Colton kept waking up crying. It was sooooo cold. At one point I thought we would have to pack up and go home, because of the cold and Cherish seemed to have a stomachache, but between my husband and I rubbing Colton's head or back and cuddling with him and comforting Cherish, changing diapers and outfits when her diaper leaked, rocking, nursing, and holding her to keep her warm, we finally made it through the long cold night. We were so glad when morning came and the sun started shining and warming us up at 7:00. Colton said "go home", which he never says by the way, and I said "camping makes you appreciate home". Brian got up and started a fire and Colton forgot about going home and quickly jumped up and couldn't get his boots on fast enough to go outside. Brian made a yummy breakfast on the little campstove and I fed Cherish and kept Colton from running off too far. After eating breakfast and taking down the tent and packing everything up, we decided we were ready to go home, Colton didn't want to leave, but our dog ran and jumped in the car. On the way home we discussed what we would do differently next time, yes we are planning a next time, we decided we did have fun and chalked up all the "not so fun" to part of the camping experience and part of the fun is the joy in your child's eyes as he discovers new things and making memories with our children that we will never forget and to be able to look back at and laugh, because we want our children to remember fun times camping just like we did when we were kids. So yes camping is fun and well it's harder with two little ones, but we agreed we couldn't ever imagine camping without our children now, because it made it even more interesting and enjoyable! :-)