Lean and Green: Vegetarian Parenting
Follow me as I learn the ins and outs of raising a vegetarian preschooler and environmentalist.

Archive for July, 2009

Sweet and Easy Burritos

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

My husband brought home burritos from a NH taqueria the other night, and told me they had sweet potato burritos. That started the wheels turning, so here’s the recipe we used tonight. Delicious, full of protein, Vitamin A, and fiber…and ready in no time!

whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup rice, cooked
1 can pinto beans
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 cup salsa
sea salt to taste

Peel, cut, and cook the sweet potato till soft. Drain water and transfer potato to bowl. Mash, along with the pinto beans until there are a few chunks left. Add salsa and rice, then stir, and sprinkle with salt.

Fill tortilla and serve with Tofutti sour cream. Yum!

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Tofu Egg and Cheese, Oh My!

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

This has become a popular lunch in our home these past couple months. Easy to make and tastes very similar to the original, minus the fat and cholesterol, and loaded with protein and B vitamins.

Tofu Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. sea salt
1 lb. extra firm tofu, sliced to 1/2 thickness, drained
Whole wheat english muffins
Veggie cheese slices

Combine the nutritional yeast and sea salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Coat the slices of tofu on all sides.

Toast the tofu in an oiled skillet on medium heat, turning when one side is browned. Place onto toasted english muffin and top with cheese. Add tomato and avocado for extra nutrition.

Enjoy!

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Sponge Ball Wet Pants

Monday, July 20th, 2009

The sun gods are finally shining down on us again, and it’s been so great to be outside. Yes, it’s been hot but no complaints here. Max and I found this neat way to cool down in the current issue of Family Fun magazine.

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The sponge balls are minimal in cost, take minutes to make, and unlike water balloons, are reusable.

For each ball, you’ll need three plain kitchen sponges fresh from the package and still slightly damp. Use scissors to cut each sponge lengthwise into 5 strips about a half-inch wide. Stack the strips side-by-side into piles of three, over the center of a piece of strong string.

Loop the string around the center of the stacks and pull tightly. Double-knot the string and trim the excess.

We spent an afternoon last week soaking these balls and tossing them around with friends. (Okay, it was more like “pelting” the balls at Max’s mom, but it was still fun.)

Be prepared to get wet!

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Feelin’ Good About Drinking Water

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Like everyone, I have my quirks. One of them is drinking water. It’s fine if my son digs in the dirt and picks up found treasures like bird feathers and bottle caps, but I get a little squeamish when I see him drink water from a tap.

I know, I am probably overreacting. Then again, maybe I am not. I’ve read about chemicals seeping into our waterways that are undetectable by our current town filtration systems. I’m concerned about medications flushed into the sewers that often find their way into our drinking water supplies. And don’t even get me started on lawn chemicals.

Overreacting or not, I like to drink filtered water; but it always bugged me that the filters could not be recycled. Fortunately, that’s no longer a problem.

Those hard plastic filters can now be returned to participating Whole Foods stores or mailed directly to the Preserve folks, who use the plastic casing in their line of cups, plates, and cutting boards. The inside carbon is converted into energy.

So, as I continue to search for that solar-powered home that sits naturallly next to a spring-fed brook, I will feel a tiny bit relieved about my neurosis with tap water.

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