'the works' sauce {it's vegan!}

we're going vegan.

and this is my new vegan sauce.

i'm calling it 'the works'

after emily's favorite vegan wrap

at her local grocery in santa cruz.
emily has been vegan for almost a year,
so this recipe is dedicated to her.

'the works' sauce

makes 2 cups

combine all ingredients and blend until smooth:

1 cup cooked beans {save broth}

{cannellini beans, chickpeas, soybeans}

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

1/8 cup tamari

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1 - 2 cloves garlic

1 tsp spike {seasoning blend}

note:
you can adjust the thickness of the sauce
by how much bean broth [bean juice?] you add.

this sauce is delicious on rice & beans.

make it 'the works' by adding

fresh spinach, purple cabbage, avocado,

salsa & cilantro.

serve in a bowl or in a tortilla.

yum!

it also makes a great creamy salad dressing.

tip:

to make this sauce regularly,

cook batches of chickpeas & soybeans,

combine them & freeze in 1 cup containers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

interested in why we're going vegan?

watch this documentary:

{also here}

{it's on netflix right now}

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what ned did yesterday

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día de los muertos

the book of life is a visual feast.

go see this one on the big screen.

cool fact:

we watched this with our amigo, joaquin.

learn more about the day of the dead

here, here, and here.

♥

pickles

lacto-fermented or salt-water pickles.

i had never heard of them

until amanda from our csa

made some a couple weeks ago.

i understand that this is the old-fashioned way.

let me know if you've tried this because

i am almost certain i'm doing it wrong.

read more here and here.

♥

first day

today was the first day of school

for marian & ned

{she's starting 10th grade}

{he's starting 4th grade}

like most good things,

it was bittersweet.

emily, my blue-haired child,

starts next week.

{she's starting 15th grade}

♥

zucchini crust pizza {gluten free!}

we have lots of zucchini this time of year.

such a blessing.

and thanks to abby,

i just learned how to turn it into pizza crust.

this is a game changer.

the crust is grated zucchini

with most of the water wrung out

with an egg and a 'flour' and spices.

i consider this less of a new recipe

and more of a new skill,

but here's the recipe abby found:

{keep in mind i didn't measure anything & it turned out great}

zucchini crust pizza

2 cups grated zucchini

1 egg

1 T oil

garlic

3/4 - 1 cup almond flour 

{↑ you could use any flour}

oregano

salt & pepper

---------------------------------------

preheat oven to 400°

put the grated zucchini in a colander.

salt it & allow to 'sweat' for a bit.

then gather it into a clean towel

and literally wring the water out.

in a large bowl,

combine zucchini, egg, oil, garlic,

almond flour, oregano, s&p.

mix until a 'dough ball' forms.

on a baking sheet lined with parchment,

use your hands

to flatten out the dough ball,

pressing it into the shape you want.

i pressed mine quite thin.

bake it for about 20 minutes,

or until the edges & bottom are golden.

at this point, i flipped mine over

and baked for about 5 more minutes

to get it nice & toasty on both sides.

note: a nice step,

but leave it out if you're pressed for time.

remove it from the oven

and add your toppings.

we used homemade tomato sauce

fresh basil & grated parmesan.

{fresh mozzarella would be incredible}

pop it back in the oven for a few minutes

but keep a close eye so it doesn't burn.

this was so good that

i immediately made a second one.

the 'crust' alone is so delicious:

soft & 'doughy' but with crispy edges.

it is the best gluten-free 'bread' i've eaten.

it could be used as flatbread in any recipe

or served alongside hummus.

next, i'm going to try a sage butter version.

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pollinator day

backing up a couple weeks to

pollinator day

at earthly delights & draggin' wing farm.

ned took the rest of the photos.

click on them for some amazing detail.

can you see the camouflaged grasshopper below?

can you see the bumblebee in flight below? 

can you believe this one? 

ned took this!

♥

ancient egypt

ned's painting of

anubis

egyptian jackal-headed guardian of the dead.

also, the british museum's egyptian symbol:

the nile river as a stem to the lotus flower delta.

{see the logo here}

we've been learning about ancient egypt

even a little bit about the rosetta stone

♥