Lazy Day Sweet & Spicy Soup

1 large can pineapple, chunked
2 bar mixer sized cans of pineapple juice
1 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 block extra firm tofu, chunked
2 single stalk of celery, rinsed & chopped
4 Tablespoons hot sauce
Sprinkling of Trader Joe's sweetened Nori crumbles (in the snack sections!)

In a large saucepan mix, pineapple, pineapple juice, garlic, water, tofu, celery and set to medium-high heat until it comes to light boil.  Add hot sauce and crumbles.  When celery is tender and cooked through, serve hot.

Enjoy!
<3thehappyinsomniac

Asian Plum Sauce; Guest Blogger: Laurie Neal

It is hard to resist a rich Asian Plum sauce-it is easy to resist a plum sauce with a whole truckload of ingredients one can't pronounce.  Summer is here and fresh fruit is plentiful.  It is a wonderful time to make one's own plum sauce to enjoy on those soon to arrive winter nights.  Now, I, unlike the Happy Insomniac, am not vegan but she can jump in and add ideas for vegan dishes using the Plum sauce below.

About two years ago, I discovered a wonderful book, "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, 400 delicious and creative recipes for today".  Edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine.  Copyright 2006.

In this book is a plethora of recipes for using fruit in ways other than the traditional canned fruit and jam.  I have such delicacies as "Bruschetta in a Jar" and "Orange Rhubarb Chutney" on my shelf using this great resource.

It is important to remember when canning, follow the directions closely and only make batches in the size called out.  Don't double or triple recipes, don't change the amounts of ingredients unless the recipe says you can change or substitute. These recipes are calculated to produce a product in a canned jar that is food safe i.e. will not make anyone very sick from consuming it. Make single recipes in multiple pots!

Freezing does not carry all the same safety issues as canning but not everything freezes well.  Luckily for us, Plum Sauce does!  So every August I gather my fragrant purple plums from the tree and cook it into the following sauce:

Plum Sauce 

makes about 4 pints

• 2 cups of lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded green chili pepper, such as Anaheim, New Mexico green chili, poblano or jalapeno.
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot
• 10 cups finely chopped pitted plums (finely chopped, careful not to puree)

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vinegar, onion, chili pepper, mustards seeds, salt, garlic and ginerroot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Add plums and return to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 1-3/4 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

3. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) head-space.  Remove air bubbles and adjust head-space, if necessary, by adding hot sauce. Wipe rim and Center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

If any of this info on canning sounds like a foreign language - find this book, it is also a great textbook for learning canning.  Also, Google the USDA Home Canning guide online - another great resource, I have had my paper version for 20 years.  I check the online version every year for updates.

For freezing - pour sauce no deeper than 2 inches into a container.  Place in the refrigerator uncovered and allow it to cool. When cool, place in freezer containers in a batch size you will use, like 1 cup or 2 cups.  Put the lid on and place in the freezer. Try to use within 3 or 4 months for best flavor.

Now I use my plum sauce to cook ribs or pork roast but for the vegans and vegetarians in the crowd -? *Coming Soon! <3thehappyinsomniac*

Cheese Maker's Daughter Update: Yup, I'm still Vegan...But I love my Mother.

So the cheese stands alone.  Well, unless you count our recent photo shoot in which case...it didn't.  It had friends from the garden, fresh grapes, pears and other tasty, hop-based beverages, all delicious and all showcasing my mother's love for all things garden-y and all from HER garden.  And I got a black thumb how?

Laurel's Crown has officially become a "Thing", with a captial "T", now that it has a Facebook, a soon to be finished website and a semi-trailer that it will soon call home in the middle of a Othello Dairy field after it's impending remodel.  Yay!  

More pictures coming soon from the photo shoot, it was fun!  Taken mostly on an antique produce scale and featuring the cheeses soon to be dawning to Laurel's Crown official label including "Othello", this is very exciting!


To follow Laurel's Crown & my mother's "cheesy" adventures,  visit their official Facebook page HERE!

Cheese list coming soon...and maybe even a wine pairing list or two!

<3thehappyinsomniac

Sweet Sunday

I have always had a sweet tooth.  It's got me in trouble, especially when managing my neverending battle of maintaining a healthy weight.  Since adopting veganism however, having to closly monitor what I'm eating and using as fuel has seriously put a damper on the random sugar buzzes when I hit the grocery store.  My favorite things ever are bakery items and it has become somewhat more difficult to find.

Being an advocate for local small businesses, I always look for delicious vegan options that are locally run by Spokanites just trying to make they're living by doing what they love.  Is there seriously anything better than someone loving their job when so many others don't?  Nope.  Don't think so.

Petit Chat
9910 N Waikiki Rd 
Spokane, WA 99218

(509) 468-2720

Our first favorite that we visited for pretty much the first two years of our Sunday Sweets tradition, we would gather up in the car, drive all the way the North Spokane about three blocks from the beautiful Whitworth College campus and visit the elegant, Petit Chat Village Bakery.  This cute, French style bistro is one of my favorite bakeries for their naturally vegan bread (especially their Swedish Breakfast Bread!). My dear friend, Elyse, introduced me to "the chat" about 4 years ago and how far they've come!  Recently expanding from their little compact bakery shop into a full scale seating area, huge pastry display and extra room for all the bread and goodies.

If you are in the Whitworth part of town, make sure you go by Petit Chat.  Great homemade pastries, breads and espresso fresh made everyday.  Also, if you get there soon enough, day-olds are half off!  My freezer gets stocked up every time I go, so I can have delicious, homemade bread everyday of the week.


Dawn of the Doughnut

3402 N Division St
Spokane, WA 99207

Located in the newly renovated Papa Murphy's building on lower Division, this unique zombie themed shop focuses on tasty doughnuts of all favors, vanilla, chocolate, weird and wacky.  With a variety of crazy doughnut recipes and equally fun names, any zombie lover or horror movie fanatic will love this place.  My step-son, Chris, who is 7 gets extra excited that the entire staff is dressed up as zombies as part of their regular work uniform.  And, the owner looks like Sally right out of the Nightmare Before Christmas, which is pretty freakin' cool.  Visit the drive-thru or head inside where EVERYTHING is dripping with "blood" complete with bloody hand prints all over the ceiling.  It's so original for Spokane and delicious.  Really delicious.  

Support Local Vegan-Friendly Businesses!  

Happy Sunday!

<3thehappyinsomniac

Apple Cider Water

Since the thought of drinking actual apple cider practically puts me in a sugar coma, I found this recipe online that actually sounded ok.

1 mug of steaming hot water
2 slices of apple
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon agave syrup or rice syrup

*Maybe add an apple tea bag too? For an extra flavor kick?

Combine and let seep for 5 minutes.

Yum. Fall.

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The Perfect Fall Appetizer

Baked squash is the perfect, easy prep appetizer. Tasty!

Squash, sliced
Coconut oil spray
Seasoning salt

Sliced, spray and sprinkle...then bake for 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

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Fall Tofu Soup

4 large carrots, chopped
4 large stalks celery, chopped
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed
1 cup barley or rice
4 tablespoons veggie soup base concentrate (jar form!)
10 cups water
Salt to taste

Boil water, throw everything in an allow to cook for 30 minutes.

Serve!

<3 The Happy Insomniac