May 18, 2010
Since tonight is Shavuot things area bit hectic, especially since I had to babysit in the morning for my regular peeps and then possibly go to work in the afternoon. Its customary to make lots of dairy filled goodies so this holiday so I was extra excited to make some great dishes later on.
B-fast: nuked oats, course bran, vanilla soymilk, chia & hemp seeds, ground flaxseed, banana, wild blueberry puree, cashew ‘cream’ and walnut butter.
Then I so elegantly mixed up and inhaled it.
Then running out the house on this dreary rainy morning I almost ran into this lil critter.
OH HAI THERE LIL SNAIL! 
Hey Lil Man! Here he is trying on my Nikes. No doubt so he could run away from me. I’m not much fun on mornings when I wish I could just snuggle under the covers.
For most of the morning I treated myself to faux-caffeine comfort.
And watching Elmo and elephants with Yisroel and his older sister who was home from school for the holiday.
Then I found out I didn’t have to come to work! Yes!
Lunch was spinach artichoke hummus (thanks again Costco) and tomato sammich.
More trailer park pizza action ensued for the kids.
But the Little Man had different plans…
He transformed into an ‘Al Bundy’ Mini Me.
Let’s just hope this^ isn’t his future…
And while the little man snoozed I flipped through this cookbook that I have at home as well.
I decided to make a few recipes from this book when I got home.
Once I was released from my babysitting duties I rushed off to the grocery store in a frenzy for portbello mushrooms & eggplants.
Even in this nasty weather. Perfect for getting my ‘balabusta status’ going on.
My loot .
Even though I didn’t have to go to work today you know I still ‘got to work’ in the kitchen!
Pasta Free Lasagna ~ Eggplants replace the normal ‘noodles’ and layered with spinach, portobello mushrooms and a cheese mixture made of ricotta and mozzarella and other goodies.
I always soak my eggplant in salted water before using it. It takes out the bitterness that eggplant can sometimes have very effectively.
Rinsed off and covered in herbs, ready to be roasteddd.
Same with the mushrooms.
And here is the easiest way I’ve discovered how to defrost frozen spinach in no time.
Heat a deep pan without anything in it. Put frozen spinach in.
Cover for a few minutes and keep checking on the spinach. Break it up and stir the spinach as it becomes defrosted.
It will eventually be perfectly defrosted. The whole process takes about 7 minutes. VOILA!
I replaced the broccoli in the original recipe with some string beans & edamame (soy beans).
Before: Ready to go in le oven!
After: Wow, that was fast! 
Nothing like ooey gooey cheese. *drool*
+ a mini one with the leftover cheese and mushrooms that didn’t fit in the bigger pan.
Mushroom Onion Quiche which I had crust-less and added ‘facon’ (fake bacon) and used goat cheese.
Sauteed onions & mushrooms stirred into my ricotta & goat cheese mixture.
I used some whole wheat flour mixed with water to help thicken.
FACON!! I used MorningStar Farms brand.
And folded three chopped up stripped in the end before I poured the mixture into a buttahfied baking pan and…
VOILA AGAIN! It ended up being more like a souffle. Nonetheless its extremely yum-o.
Maybe because I used a little bit of this not-so-loved fat.
Just a pat ‘o buttah!
*PLEASE* don’t notice how much this next picture is lacks class :X……
Everybody needs some butahhh in their laaayfe! 
Then I got a fat hugging spasm….
Me & cashew buttah are total besties
I also love kissing these good ‘ol fats. Because I love em so!
MMMMMUWAH! :*
Whenever you get a chance, make out with your nearest nut butter jar today!
Okay Sharon, back away from the nut butters NOW!
Or maybe not .
I enjoyed some of my besties (maple cashew butter & walnut butter) with an apple for this chef’s snack time break.
Meanwhile I caught up with my gurlfran Jerri Blank.
And last but not least for today…Penne Ala Vodka!
Just because it was nearing happy hour Do as the Russians do!
Sadly my sauce turned out more brown then the standard ‘pink sauce’.
Made with whole wheat penna of course!
Check out my Moms fairy cheesecake. Its not all that its cracked up to be.
But you can’t see anything when its covered in blueberry sauce.
Vegan vs. Full On Dairy Cheescakes.
*Ding ding ding!*
While I was being super productive today somebody was being unproductive.
Spoiled lazebucket kitteh.
Yes, if you are extremely lazy in my household you are therefore dubbed a ‘lazebucket’.
I get called this A GREAT DEAL .
I won’t be blogging for the next few days so I will be back soon.
Cya Lovlies
HJP <3
You are sooo not lazy, you are great!!!!!