Vegan Fruitcake Cookies

 Christmas morning, signed 'J Clark' 1926

It's like we say in St. Olaf — 

Christmas without fruitcake 

is like St. Sigmund's Day 

without the headless boy.

ROSE NYLUND, The Golden Girls

This recipe was found in my cherished 1983 Christmas with Southern Living book. I had to modify it, of course. Mr. Peasant misses fruitcake terribly, so I want to share this delicious fruitcake replacement. Replacement isn't even the right word because it is way better than those mushy fruitcake logs in the store. This recipe is very easy to make. I used the clearanced candied fruit mix and nuts I bought and froze from last January. Keep your eyes out for sales after Christmas and don't be afraid to freeze them for 11 months. I don't think it would matter if the you used less of the fruit or nuts. Just use what you have. It's very forgiving.

VEGAN FRUITCAKE COOKIES 

Makes 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter (vegan) , softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 flax egg (1 TB of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 TB of water) or egg replacer of choice

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, - KEEP A FEW SPOONFULS OFF TO THE SIDE

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1- 6oz package of dates, chopped and pitted

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces (half a 16oz container) of candied mixed fruit

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter and gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy*** 

2. Add flax egg and beat well.

3. Take a few spoonfuls of the flour out and keep to the side. 

4. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour (minus a few spoonfuls) , salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 

5. Add the remaining flour mixture gradually to the creamed mixture beating well after each addition.

6. Sprinkle the candied fruit and dates with the spoonfuls of flour mixture you put aside. Stir until the flour coats the fruit. This keeps the fruit from sticking together. 

7. Now add the remaining ingredients: candied fruits, dates, pecans and stir. This is a thick mixture.

7. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10- 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transfering to plate. 

*** You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to help cream the butter and sugar if mixing by hand (like I did). I wouldn't worry about the fluffy part. Just be sure it's combined well. 

I bought this marked down 75% off after Christmas last year, it froze well!

I put spoonfuls on parchment and froze half of the dough for later.

To all the vegan fruitcake lovers out there, I hope you give this recipe a try.  I am trying not to be a perfectionist about the blog. I want to share all the Christmas things I can even if they are imperfect. Thank you for reading, and God bless you.

Easy Vegan Nog (Dairy Free Egg Nog Without The Eggs)

Silent night, holy night (1890)  Alexander Zick.

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

radiant beams from Thy holy face

with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

This is such an easy recipe to quickly throw together. It's way cheaper than the store bought, and it's delicious! I hope you enjoy it. 

EASY VEGAN NOG

INGREDIENTS

1  - 3.4 oz package Vanilla Instant Pudding (Jello)

1/3 cup of sugar

1 - 64 oz carton (2 quarts) (8 cups) of unsweetened almond milk (or soymilk)

2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

1/2 to 1 tsp of nutmeg (we use 1 tsp, start with a 1/2 tsp and you can always add more)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, dump the pudding mix, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. 

2. Take a full carton of almond milk and pour just one cup of the milk into the medium bowl. 

3. Wisk the mixture until it's smooth. A minute or two will do. IT WILL NOT BE ENTIRELY SMOOTH, WILL STILL HAVE A FEW BITS. It's okay. 

4. Using a funnel, pour the bowl liquid back into the carton. Place the cap back on the carton and shake well. 

5. It is ready to drink. I like to sprinkle a dash more nutmeg on top of each cup. I take a Sharpie Marker and write NOG on the top so it can sit in the fridge next to our regular almond milk. I think it tastes even better the next day. 

We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! And to those who are hurting this Christmas, we pray the Lord hold you tightly. Thank you for reading, and I'll post more soon! God bless you.

I call it the Snoopy's dog house look. Nothing perfect but definately joyful.

Vegan Carrot Souffle- Cafeteria Style

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, 
and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. 
But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real 
you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.
-THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

Way back when I was a kid, yogurt covered raisins were passed out on Halloween. Canned fruit cocktail was a special treat. And I ate bowls of Cheerios sweetened with globs of actual honey. So, when I first tried Piccadilly's cafeteria carrot souffle, I thought it was out of this world! Thirty years later, I still do. My vegan version is delicious and a great way to get rid of that forgotten bag of carrots dying in your crisper drawer. (No judgment, see above pic.) I really hope you try it.

CARROT SOUFFLE        (4 servings)

4 Cups (2 lbs) of diced peeled Carrots

2/3 Cups Sugar 

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 TB of Flour

1 TB of ground Flaxseeds + 2 1/2 TB of water MIXED WELL

1/4 Cup Earth Balance buttery spread


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Steam (or boil) diced carrots until soft enough to mash with fork. Roughly around 15 minutes.

2. Carefully remove the steamed carrots from the pot and into an oven safe baking dish (NOT greased.) I use a 1 1/2 quart dish. Take a potato masher and mash the carrots.  There will be chunks. I aim for 75 percent of the carrots mashed.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. While the carrots are still warm, mix in the wet ingredients--the butter, flaxseed/water and vanilla.

5. Lastly, stir in the dry ingredients--sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix well and cover with the baking dish lid or use tin foil.

5. Bake covered for 1 hour in 350 degree oven.

6. The souffle is best served after resting 10 minutes.

A Woman scraping Parsnips, with a Child standing by her Nicolaes Maes 1655

Frugal Tactics: Things I Make That Save Us the Most Money

I am still convinced that a good, simple, homemade cookie

 is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find.

JAMES BEARD

I have already talked about how bringing our lunches to work and making our coffee at home has saved us a TON of money. Here is a list of the most expensive things I make to save money.

1. Supplements. This involves some math. But find out which supplements are cheaper to make yourself. Sometimes, you can make a better quality organic supplement for cheaper then the grocery store stuff.  I usually buy one pound bags of herbs from Starwest or Frontier brand on Amazon. Not all supplements are worth making to save money. The savings must be significant because it will take time. You have to do the math on the cost of the capsules, capsule maker, the bulk herb, and your time. 

2. Dish Soap. I have been making this dish soap for two years, and it's wonderful. It costs about $8 in supplies, but I am still going through the initial supplies. It cuts through grease and is cheap. 

3. Elderberry Syrup. This is hands down the biggest money saver for us. We take a spoonful everyday for immunity. Every batch I make is a three month supply. I save one hundred dollars for 1.5 hours of time vs. store bought. The time is mostly boiling ingredients. We also save by not spending money on over the counter cold/flu medicines, lost time out from work, and co-pays because we rarely get sick.

4. Herbal Iced Tea. We slowly gave up sodas, then the sugar free drink mix packets, and now we are strictly herbal iced tea drinkers. At all times, you will find two pitchers of unsweetened herbal fruity iced teas in my fridge. We like all the Celestial Seasoning Zingers flavors. All Zinger flavors contain Hibiscus which has antioxidants and is also great for blood pressure. I use one zinger tea bag, and I'll throw in an additional green tea or lemongrass tea bag for added health benefits. A pitcher of iced tea costs us 20 cents. 

5. Vanilla Extract. Making Vanilla Extract is fun because you can go to the liquor store and ask the cashier for the cheapest vodka they have. The trick is to find inexpensive vanilla beans. Add two beans to a cup vodka and let the extraction happen (3 months).

6. Bread. Start with this no knead roll recipe. Easy, vegan, cheap. Plus, watching this guy is so relaxing even if you don't want to make bread. He is the Bob Ross of bread making. He is soothing, and his no-knead bread is fantastic. I also recommend this Miracle Bread recipe from Home Joys. The bread literally looks like a baguette from a magazine, tastes divine, and it is so easy to make! A hot loaf of bread can turn a bowl of vegetable soup into a hearty, cheap meal.

7. Cards for Holidays. I can't believe how much greeting cards are lately- $4 and up. I think that is crazy.  I try to collect neat images from magazines throughout the year and make homemade cards. It doesn't have to be over the top beautiful. They just have to come from the heart.

8. Popcorn. Popcorn is a cheap salty snack. Stop buying the microwave bagged popcorn and buy one of these microwave poppers or a hot air popper. You only get 3 bags of microwave popcorn for $2. A bag of popcorn kernels is under $2 and will last forever. It's a game changer. You add the butter and salt.

9. Salad Dressing.  A $3 bottle of Annie's Green Goddess was our go to dressing. Yum. But now we make our own dressing. Here is our favorite recipe from our friend:

Duke's Salad Dressing

1 1/2 TB Apple Cider Vinegar (or Balsamic vinegar)
6 TB  Water or Olive Oil
2 TB Lemon Juice
1 tsp Mild Mustard (we use Dijon or the kind with seeds)
1 Garlic Clove diced
2 tsp Honey
1/8 tsp Oregano
1/8 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Black Pepper


10. Vegan Sushi Bowls. The second I saw this Sushi bowel recipe, the clouds parted and the lights turned on in my mind. Not only is it a brilliant idea and crazy delicious, but it is CHEAP. Restaurant sushi just isn't in our budget. We rarely get to eat it. I think we've had sushi twice in 6 years. Sad, I know. But rejoice with me because we can now make vegan sushi for $5. I also found all the ingredients at my small town super Walmart.

We make ours with sushi rice (seasoned with rice vinegar), carrots, cucumbers, avocado, a sheet of nori crumbled, sesame seeds, cubed tofu (marinated with teriyaki sauce and a tiny sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning), pickled ginger, and drizzled with a wasabi soy sauce. I blend a little wasabi into a dish of soy sauce with a fork. This helps every bite have some heat!  Please check out this amazing woman's blog, I could hug her with joy! Take the left over sushi rice and make a quick rice pudding 

What do you make that saves you the most money? Tell us in the comments. Thank you for reading! God bless you.

Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men.

COLOSSIANS 3:23

Frugal Tactics: Ten Pounds of Potatoes

                                               It's easy to halve the potato, where there is love.

OLD IRISH SAYING

This tactic isn't for the faint of heart. Make no mistake. 10 pounds of potatoes is A LOT of potatoes to eat. This tactic is only for those that like potatoes and really want to save money. You also must be willing to get creative and put in some elbow grease processing potatoes into meals. The difference between a 5 pound bag (on sale $2.50) vs a ten pound bag ($3.50 at Aldi) is significant. Can you think of any other food on the planet that is 35 cents a pound? Me neither.

If you want to try buying a ten pound bag, here are some tips to help you along.

1. You need to keep your bag of potatoes in a cool dark place. We keep ours in our pantry closet.

2. Use the ugly potatoes first. Don't be afraid to cut off the sprouting eyes or peel away the black spots.

3. Keep checking the potatoes and when they are about to go south it's time to process them ASAP. Baked them and freeze them right away before you lose them!

4. Space out the potato meals, so you don't get bored. For example, have potatoes for lunch and then for dinner the next day.

5. You can cook potatoes so many ways. Baked, boiled in a soup, mashed, oven fried, or browned in the skillet.  Try to switch up textures and styles to keep it interesting.

6. If you are single and worried you can't get through that many potatoes before they spoil. You could focus more on processing directly to freezer meals like twice baked potatoes. Or find a friend to split the cost and share a bag.

7. Lastly, if you think you couldn't possibly eat potatoes everyday for a whole week, watch this incredibly heart breaking documentary on the potato famine and realize that you can. You'll live.

The Great Famine part 1 of 2

The Great Famine part 2 of 2


Here is what we did with our ten pounds of potatoes:

MONDAY LUNCH- BAKED POTATO AND SALAD

TUESDAY DINNER- BAKED POTATO AND SALAD 

FRIDAY DINNER- VEGAN MLTS AND OVEN FRIES

SATURDAY DINNER- VEGAN MLT AND OVEN FRIES

SUNDAY AND MONDAY DINNER -PIEROGI CASSEROLE WITH BRUSSEL SPROUTS

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY DINNER- CHICKPEA POT PIE (final 2 potatoes!)

See, that wasn't so bad. Go ahead and buy the jumbo bag of potatoes and save some dough. It's easy to add oven fries with a sandwich or veggie burger. Pairing a baked potato with a salad makes an easy meal. We love this recipe for Ethiopian cabbage which uses up a pound of potatoes! We eat ours over rice. It's frugal, filling, and makes enough to eat on for days. And this one for vegan shepherd's pie is simple yet delicious. (P.S. I don't peel the potatoes. I just mash them with the skins on to make it easier.)

If you have a favorite potato recipe, please share it below. We are so thankful you stopped by. God bless you!

You like potato and I like potahto

You like tomato and I like tomahto

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!

Let's call the whole thing off!

FRED ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS

Mrs. P's Vegan Pierogi Casserole

Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, 
and I will refresh you.

Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, 
because I am meek, and humble of heart: 
and you shall find rest to your souls.

For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

MATTHEW 11:28 & 30

I grew up on pan fried Ms. T's pierogies smothered with butter and caramelized onions. Those cheap frozen pierogies remind me of my father. It's one of my top comfort foods. I was determined to make a vegan version of my childhood favorite but rolling the dough and stuffing them seemed painfully complex. Enter my Vegan Pierogi casserole recipe created with equal parts laziness and desperation. The reason I've never posted this recipe is because I make it up different each time. If I actually wrote the recipe as I make it, it would go something like this:

Largely dice and boil whatever amount of potatoes you need to get rid of, 
Slice the left over half an onion in the fridge from yesterday plus another onion.
Boil the remaining 8-10 lasagna noodles from when you opened the box two months ago.

See what I mean? It's a cleaning up the fridge kind of dish. But that is the beauty of this recipe. It's definitely not fussy. If you don't like the idea of skins being in the mashed potatoes peel them. Add more or less of any seasoning you want. Add more potato, or less onion or throw in cheese or chives?

VEGAN PIEROGI CASSEROLE:

Serves 6

For potato mixture*:

8 medium Potatoes cubed with skins** (Red, Yellow or Russet)
1/4 cup Water
1/2 tsp of Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
2 TB Earth Balance buttery spread

8 Lasagna Noodles (cooked as directed on box, and cooled)
1 large onion sliced
1/4 tsp salt
2 TB Earth Balance buttery spread

* or roughly 4 1/2 cups Mashed Potatoes
**You will need at least 6 cups of largely cubed potatoes. You may also peel them if you prefer.

1. Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Dip your bowl of potato cubes into the water and carefully slide them into the pot. Boil potatoes for 30 minutes or until soft.

2. Put 2 TB of Butter, the sliced onion and 1/4 tsp of salt into a small pot on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned.

3. Carefully drain the hot water from potatoes and return the potatoes back into the pot. Add water, 1/2 tsp of Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Nutritional Yeast and 2 TB butter into the pot with potatoes. Mash with potato masher until all seasonings are well combined and mostly smooth. The potato mixture will still have lumps.

4. Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the box. Cool off the noodles so they are easy to handle.

5. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

6. Take a greased 9 x 12 pan and place 4 noodles across the bottom.

7. Take 1/2 the potato mixture and place spoonfuls of the mixture on top of the noodle layer. Distribute evenly and then mash down the layer until it is smooth.

8. Take 1/2 the browned onions and place them evenly on top of the potato layer.

9. Now with the remaining ingredients layer it again: 4 noodles, rest of potato mixture, and onions.

10. Cover pan with tin foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cover for an additional 10 minutes. Serve Hot.

And if you like this recipe, Do me a small favor say a quick prayer for my Dad. Thank you!

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; 

And let perpetual light shine upon them. 

May they rest in peace. 

Amen