Makes at least 24 3×3″ Crackers
2 1/2 Cups Graham Flour or Stoneground Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar (or a little more sugar mixed with water)
3/4 Cup Water

Mix the all the dry ingredients together. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar. Add vanilla and agave and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add a little of the flour and a little of the water to the earth balance/sugar mixture and combine. Continue adding in flour and water, a little at a time, until all flour and water is added. Work the dough with your hands until everything is evenly combined.
Divide dough in half and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 11″x15″. Trim edges. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles (I cut mine into 3′x3′ squares). Prick the squares with a fork.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 F or until the crackers are turning golden brown around the edges. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the crackers during the last 10 minutes of baking if you like.

Asparagus Tart with White Bean Pesto
Vegan Yum Yum
Serves 6-8
1 15 oz Can Navy Beans
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 Heaping Cup Raw Cashews
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs Amore Pesto Paste
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Soy or Rice Milk, or water  **I did not include this, my mixture was already smooth enough**
1 lb Fresh Asparagus
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (Pepperidge Farm is surprisingly vegan!)
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

Remove 1 puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let it defrost on the counter for 40 minutes on top of parchment paper.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400º F and make the filling.

Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the work bowl of a food processor.  Add of the remaining ingredients except the soymilk (salt through lemon juice). Pulse the food processor, stopping ever few pulses to scrape down the sides and pulse again.  You want to break up the beans and the cashews.  Once it’s as smooth as you can get it, dribble in the soymilk while the machine is running, as this should help further smooth the mixture.

After 40 minutes of defrosting, carefully unwrap the puff pastry on top of your parchment paper:


Roll the puff pastry out slightly into a rectangle. Then add the white bean pesto mixture, leaving a 1 to 1 1/2 inch border on all sides:


Trim your asparagus so that it fits the tart width-wise. Press the spears into the white bean pesto, alternating their direction so that there are tips and bases next to each other; this one everyone is guaranteed every part of the asparagus after cutting:


Brush the spears with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper:


Using the parchment paper, slide the tart onto a baking sheet (don’t remove the tart from the paper). Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes until the tart is puffed and golden brown and the spears are tender. Serve while just warm.


You can reheat this tart in the oven for a few minutes if you have leftovers, but it’s also good at room temperature. Fresh basil is a nice garnish.

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 cup almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1  cup peeled grated carrot, about 6 ounce (try to get the smallest pieces you can so they cook fast)

In a small mixing bowl, using a fork, beat the flax seeds together with the milk for about a minute. Add the vinegar, water, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in grated carrot. Let batter rest for at least 5 minutes.

Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray or oil. Add batter in scant 1/4 cup scoops. I use an ice cream scooper for this and it works magically. Cook three at a time for about 4 minutes (or until the tops look mostly cooked), then flip and cook until lightly browned, 2 more minutes.

Keep on a plate covered with tin foil until ready to eat. Serve with pure maple syrup.

Hurry Up Alfredo
Vegan Yum Yum
Makes anywhere from 2-8 servings, depending on how much sauce you like!


1 Cup Soymilk (I used plain almond milk)
1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast (you should be able to find this in the organic/natural section)
3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)
1 Pinch Nutmeg
2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional
Black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth.

If you’re making this sauce for pasta, drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!

• I want to know if it will make me feel any different, health-wise.  Will I feel better?  Will I feel tired?  Will I feel hungry?  I wanna know.
• I want to know if I can come up with enough things to eat without getting bored.  I know there are a lot of vegan recipes out there these days- tons.  But personally, I don’t want to overeat soy products (I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this with you soon), and many vegan recipes are full of soy, soy and more soy.  So can I find enough meals I like that fulfill the vegan requirements without ODing on soy?  We shall see.
• I just want to see if I can stick with it. Just for funsies.
• I want to know if I can sustain enough protein, especially without a lot of soy.  Protein is of major (MAJOR) importance to pregnant and nursing women.  I’m currently nursing, so I can’t continue a diet that is low in protein while I’m responsible for my baby’s nutrition as well.

• I like meat, dairy and eggs. And honey! Per the Bible, I believe meat and animal products are meant to be eaten and enjoyed by humans.  That being said, I definitely don’t agree with or support what’s going on in the meat industry in this country.  But I do think you can find responsible places to buy your products with a little effort.
• I like meat in moderation. I think meat is delish, but I don’t think we need to eat it three meals a day.  That’s overkill in our house.  We buy meat from responsible vendors (grass-fed, organic, you know the deal) and go easy on it.  We can get a little crazy with the milk, eggs and cheese, but we do our best to buy local/organic there as well.
• I have a husband and a family. What can I say, the boys like their protein!  Maintaining a vegan lifestyle and being responsible for feeding a husband and child simply won’t work for me.  I don’t think it’s responsible for their sustained nutrition.