An Easy Way to Make a Difference: Girls For A Change

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.


As a former high school teacher and stepmom to two teenage girls and mom to a toddler girl, I'm always thinking about ways that I can be an example and encouragement. Lucky for my own girls, they have parents who are able to support, encourage, and protect them. But this isn't true for every family: some girls don't have mothers or positive female role models in their lives. Some girls have fantastic moms and grandmas and sisters, but feel trapped because there are so few opportunities for them to use their talents or find communities where there are girls like them.

This is why I was really excited to hear about Girls for a Change, a national organization that empowers young girls (we need more organizations like this!). The goal of Girls for a Change isn't just to make these girls into strong and confident young women--thought it does do that--but it helps these girls change the world through activism!  These young women are our future leaders.

Because this organization is close to my heart, as both a mom and a woman, I wanted to take a second to ask our readers and followers to consider making a quick, and easy change that could help GFC raise up to $10,000. All you have to do is change your web home page to Yahoo!  Click here, and that's it.  You help the program and do your own little part in changing the world. 

Please consider helping out...it takes such little effort, but it makes a huge difference!  Thank you, friends.






I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Something Old, Something New

Six months in and I STILL have barely purchased a stitch of clothing for Lyla.  Her wardrobe is mix of hand-me-downs, gifts and vintage.  I love taking the eclectic mix of clothing and mixing them together to create fun new outfits for her.  I try to never pair the same two pieces together--just for a fun challenge.  I especially love when I can pair something vintage with a modern piece (like the skinny jeans pictured here)!

chambray jacket-vintage, onesie-Target, white skinny jeans-Baby Gap, 

velour shoes-handmade (by a family friend)

This little vintage jacket is ah-mazing.  It has the look of a denim jacket but it is more of a chambray material.  I love the red contrast stitching and red buttons.  And guess what?  It will be for sale in the shop soon!  (This is the first time Lyla wore it and it was already a bit small.  Feel free to email us if you're interested in purchasing it!  It will be priced at $16 plus shipping and fits like a size 3 months or so.) And the little shoes??  They were handmade by a family friend and I love how they are reminiscent of TOMS but with a fun mix of printed velour and striped fabrics.  

We are linking up with Mama Loves Papa (every Thursday!) for Small Style--click the link to see the other stylish cuties!

xo

Jayme & Lyla

Weekend Recap {in photos}

This week we've shown you some bits and pieces from this past weekend.  We were only in Virginia for a couple of days so we used it to spend some quality time together. Saturday morning we woke up and let the girls play while we had our morning coffee.

Then we went in search of breakfast at the local farmer's market (gluten free oat/fruit bar for me, a vegan spinach wrap for Amanda, a chocolate croissant for Andrew).  The sun was shining and it was so lovely to see all the brightly colored produce lining the street.

Lyla and Aurora are only 10 months apart in age which seemed like a huge age gap when Lyla was first born.  But as the months pass their interactions are getting more and more fun to watch.  Aurora was giving her cousin kisses and hugs, patting her head and even trying to share her food with Lyla.  

(We took Lyla in to get Aurora up from her nap and let them play in the crib for a bit!)

Sunday, after a huge homemade breakfast (...then lunch), we lounged around avoiding the inevitable goodbyes.  It was a wonderful (and too short!) weekend.  Lyla slept better than she has in a while (which means I got a good night's sleep too) and Amanda kept us well-fed with yummy home-cooked meals.  So while I was sad when the trip was over, I at least came home feeling a bit refreshed.

xo

Jayme

Traveling Wardrobe {Vintage Style}

I hate packing for trips.  I am the type of person who likes to dress based on my mood so planning outfits ahead of time is really not my thing.  When packing for a vacation I usually grab a bunch of separates (various colors of basic tanks, skirts/pants/shorts) and then throw in some random accessories that will work with any combination of my separates.  Here's what I wore one of our days in Virginia this weekend:

Plain black tank and cuffed denim cut-offs accessorized with vintage vest, leather belt, silver jewelry.  I know, I know...it's not rocket science.  And honestly I didn't love the outfit.  But I feel like as part of showing "mom style" I want to be real and show things that are practical and things that I actually wore (rather than just put on to pose for a few photos).  When you have a cute baby on your hip, chances are no one is looking at YOU anyway!  (Lyla was rocking a little vintage romper--yellow and white gingham print and an anchor embroidered on the front!)  I may have to start re-thinking my jewelry choices, seeing as Lyla is now interested in grabbing any and everything--as you can see in the photos, she was digging my necklace!  Check out the Miskabelle blog tomorrow to see what Amanda wore this past weekend!

xo
Jayme

Vegan for a Day: Black Bean, Corn, Tomato, and Onion Salad over Quinoa with Avocado Vinaigrette

Jayme, Andrew and Lyla came for a Virginia visit this weekend, and it was fantastic.

at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning

 But it was also a little challenging:  I had to figure out how to cook for a vegan (me), gluten-free gal (J), and veggie-hating brother-in-law (to be fair, he did eat some veggies). Food plays an important role in entertaining, and I wanted everyone--self included--to feel happy and satisfied.

snacky snack snack snack

We had a ton of healthy, yummy snacks on Friday (chips, hummus, guacamole, crackers, etc.) before dinner, some pad thai and chicken skewers on Saturday, a Sunday brunch that included tofu scramble, GF pancakes, turkey bacon and fresh fruit, and this delicious salad, along with leftovers for lunch. 

This salad is a meal, for sure: you've got your veggies, your bean, your grains, your healthy fats. It's all in there. And it's easy!  A little prep work for the veggies and dressing, but can be ready in about 15 minutes (or less, if you have some help!).

Black Bean, Corn, Tomato and Onion Salad over Quinoa
w/ Avocado Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

Salad
2 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ears corn, boiled and cut off cob (you could also use 1-2 cans of corn or a package of frozen, in a pinch, but obviously, fresh tastes best!)
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (choose your favorite variety)
2 cups water

Vinaigrette
1 medium avocado
3 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 fresh lime)
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or sugar)
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1 green onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt

PREPARATION

1.  If boiling corn, prepare the pot with water (no salt).  Add quinoa and water to sacuepan and cook as directed.
2.  Once corn is ready and slightly cool, cut off cob and put in serving bowl.  Add all other vegetable ingredients as well to make salad.
3.  Let quinoa cool while you make the vinaigrette.
4.  Add all ingredients to a small blender or food processor (I used my immersion/stick blender with its shake cup, and it worked perefctly!).  Blend until smooth, but not thick.  It should look like a runny guacamole.  If too thick, add a little more vinegar.
5. Add cooled quinoa to salad and mix.
6. Pour dressing over salad and mix (you may only use 2/3 of the dressing...it's up to you how saucy you want the salad mixture!).

 The colors in the salad are so gorgeous...of course, as the avocado oxidizes, it will get a little more brown, so this is best served within a day or two.  You can eat it warm if you prefer, by adding the quinoa immediately, but we found it tasted best cold.  Refreshing, healthy, delicious!

Have you made any Meatless Monday recipes lately, from this blog or somewhere else? I'd love to hear about them!

Bon Apetit,
Amanda

Is there anything cuter...

than kissing babies?

These little cousins are enjoying some time together this weekend.  Hope you're enjoying your weekend too!

xo
Amanda & Aurora, Jayme & Lyla

What Aurora Wore: Bare Midriff

Even though I love the look of a thin sliver of perfect tummy from this season's cropped shirt trend, I, myself, do not have the figure (or courage?) to pull it off.

But you know who has the best midriff? Babies!  For babies, the rounder the belly, the better.  Aurora dared to bare in a cute top I thrifted this week.  These pictures make her look so grown up.  And her whole outfit is thrifted/hand-me-down.  It's easy to be stylish on a budget...and we waste less too (more on that in a future post).

tie blouse-The Children's Place (thrifted), scooter skirt-hand me down, gold bow flats-Gymboree (thrifted), koi becklace (mama's!)

One day, Aurora came over to me while I was brushing my teeth...and she was wearing one of my necklaces that had been resting on my dresser!  She never seemed to notice to my jewelry, other than occasionally pulling on my earrings, but I guess she was paying attention!  Lately, I've been letting her wear this little fish necklace, since the chain is kind of short. She loves it!

You know what she also loves?  BUBBLES.  Like, with a passion.  If she sees the bubble container, there is no stopping here (there are a lot of bubbles blown inside the house here, and even, on one occasion, in the car!). She calls them Bub-bullsh. It's beyond cute.  She is still working on learning to blow them herself.  Unfortunately, she gets the bubble blower too close to her mouth and ends up with soapy lips!

We're linking up with Mama Loves Papa again this week for Small Style!  Click the link to check out other cuties in their best duds.

xo,
Amanda & Aurora

A First Father's Day

I am the worst at thinking of creative gifts for birthdays and holidays.  The one thing I do like to always do is make a homemade card.  So I knew for sure that Lyla and I would make her daddy a Father's Day card.  Lyla 'made' some foot prints and I helped her with the rest... ; )

We also got him some cheesy key chains (one that said #1 DAD and one with a little photo frame with Lyla's picture in it--which is now has looped onto his keys).  I know....not the most extravagant first father's day gifts.  But Andrew isn't all that much into "stuff" (although he does have a soft spot for shoes and watches) so my big gift to him was a fun day with his girls.  After church and lunch with my parents we ventured out golfing--with Lyla in tow.  A risky decision, but she was perfection!   I documented our outing with Andrew's iPhone via Instagram (I got a little obsessed...and am now considering trading in my trusty Blackberry for my own iPhone!).

tiny passenger

Lyla and I followed on foot

sleeping babe

putt putt

artsy shot 

handsome daddy

daddy and baby

mama and baby (wide-eyed, just waking!)

baby wearing (a passed out little gal)

tiny hands and feet

When we got home we relaxed for a bit and then grilled some steaks for dinner.  A simple dinner at home was a great way to end the day (oh, and strawberry banana smoothies!).  I feel so lucky that my husband loves just spending time with us.--"his girls" (I love when he calls us that!).  Even before I married Andrew I knew he'd be a great dad...and so far I couldn't have been more right.  His patience and selflessness amazes me everyday.   I only he hope he enjoyed his first Father's Day as much as I did!

xo
Jayme

{Lyla} 6 months old.

Half of Lyla's first year has now passed.  She has been with us for 6 months!    As my dad said the other day "She is gonna be a character!"  Not sure if this translates to non-Central/Western Pennsylvanians.  In other words--you can already see what a silly and fun personality she has!  We can get her to giggle at the drop of hat (often times during a crying fit we'll do something silly to get her to laugh...she will grin and giggle, then continue crying.  It is so maddening...but also hilarious).  As I posted before, Lyla's rolling like a champ and attempting to crawl.  Her 6 month doctor's appointment is on Friday and I'm anxious to see how much she weighs.  I've already given up lugging her around in her car seat--it is just too dang heavy.  We're getting good use out of our front carrier and sling.

She is one expressive little baby! (wearing her hat, on an unseasonably cool day in May)

She is babbling lots and lots..."dada", "baba", "abfff", etc.  She grabs everything she can reach (her favorites include my blackberry and the TV remote...).  She is [still] trying to figure out this whole sleeping thing....napping only in someone's arms or her front carrier and waking 3-4 times per night.

Yet still, we are smitten.  She is a little piece of heaven on earth.  Every day is a challenge but each morning I wake up excited to see Lyla grow and learn more and more.

xo
Jayme

Vegan for a Day: Pad Thai Pizza

There is a word that makes people really afraid.  That word is:  tofu.  Even before going vegan, I was a little afraid of tofu.  But that's because I'd never had it cooked well! It was always mushy and had a weird texture. Tofu done the right way (it should be firm!) can be an awesome substitute for meat--in fact, Aurora prefers it to any meat she's tried!  

This week's Meatless Monday recipe combines two of my absolute favorite foods:  Pad Thai and Pizza. How could it not be awesome?  It just so happens to contain tofu as a topping.  Are you intrigued?

Q encouraged me to make a vegan dinner for him for Father's Day, and this one got rave reviews.  As a bonus, this is my favorite, self-made Pad Thai peanut sauce recipe and can be easily mixed in with some rice noodles, sprouts, carrots, and scallions (or whatever other veggies you love) for a quick veg pad thai! It's like two recipes in one.

Vegan Pad Thai Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Sauce
 2 tablespoons organic creamy peanut butter
 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari to make it gluten free)
 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic)
 1 teaspoon agave syrup
 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Crust
Your store bought favorite!  I used Trader Joe's whole wheat crust.  Bob's Red Mill makes a great Gluten Free mix.

Toppings   
5-7 oz. baked tofu, cut into small chunks (I used Trader Joe's Teriyaki version for added flavor.)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup bean sprouts (or pea shoots, which we substituted since our TJ's awas out of bean sprouts!)
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional...we don't like cilantro all that much and I didn't have any on hand, so we didn't use it on last night's pizza)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to prepare pizza crust as necessary (you may need to pre-bake the crust before adding toppings, depending on what you're using. Read the directions first!). While waiting, chop up tofu and veggies.


2.  Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Note:  the sauce may seem like a small amount, but unlike tomato pizza sauce, peanut sauce is very rich, so a little goes a long way. 


3. Once pizza crust is ready, cover with half the peanut sauce.

4. Toss tofu chunks with remaining peanut sauce and spread out on crust.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is lightly brown (or according to directions).  A pizza stone will make for the best crust, but a regular pizza pan will do.

6.  Once pizza is cooked, pile veggies on top, sprinkling with peanuts and scallions last.

 Voila! The pizza is so loaded that Q and I each only ate one piece.  That also means we get to have leftovers tonight--SCORE.

 

But that's not all...I also made my favorite kale recipe as a side dish (even though the Pad Thai pizza ended up being SO filling). Kale is a food staple in the vegan world, both raw and cooked.  This is my favorite quick recipe for kale--we eat it at least once a week.  It's a delicious way to get those greens in! Q loves it too.

Q & A's Easy Sauteed Kale

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped)  
1 large bag kale (6-8 cups...it really cooks down)
2-3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
2 (heaping) tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, but makes it extra yummy.)

PREPARATION

1.  Add coconut oil to frying pan on medium heat.  When it starts to bubble a bit, add garlic and brown lightly, 1-2 minutes.

2.  Add kale to pan, one large bunch at a time.  To help it cook down (and create a sauce), I add 1-2 tablespoons water to the first batch to heat things up.

3. Continue adding kale to pan, tossing well with garlic/oil mixture.  The kale will turn a beautiful dark green and wilt.
4. Once kale is almost completely wilted, add soy sauce to pan and toss to coat the kale.
5. Add nutritional yeast and mix well.  (It adds a slightly nutty, cheesy flavor, and it's so good for you!) 

  
This was a yummy, easy, vegan Father's Day meal--I hope you'll try it and let me know what you think, if you think of any other yummy pizza toppings!  And if you have a favorite kale recipe, send it my way too!

Bon Apetit,
Amanda 

Father's Day: A Love Story

I have briefly mentioned or maybe hinted at it in other blog posts, but the unashamed truth is this:  Q is Aurora's Dad, but not biologically.  He's the only dad she knows/will know and the Dad I believe she was meant to have. It has been a rough, but beautiful journey bringing our families together. I wanted to share a little about Aurora's "Da-Da" in honor of Father's Day.

Q had been a long time friend who came back into my life when I had hit rock bottom:  three months after finalizing my divorce from my HS sweetheart, I found out I was pregnant. At the time, I wasn't in a serious relationship. I had broken up with the person who is Aurora's bio-dad because I knew he wasn't right for me, and we were not a good match. I had just finished graduate school and was looking for a job. My living space was in turmoil, and I had no idea what to do.  No, I wasn't 16, I was 27, but it was just as scary.  I came to the conclusion that I would have to move back home and figure everything out.  It was an extremely difficult and sad decision.

I sent an email out from the place I worked, letting them know there would be a new office manager (but not what was going on)--when Q got the email, he sent me an email to check in and see where I was going.  I told him about the pregnancy, my lack of insurance and job, the potential move, etc.  The first thing he emailed back to me was this:

Wow -- that's awesome.  I know a few things about children, and people, and I'm telling you: you're going to be a great Mom.  As for the logistics, and the "terrified," I have a big bear hug for you.  Let me know when you want to collect.

We set a date to meet  for breakfast, and decided to meet up for the next few weeks, just to keep in touch (and keep me sane). There were no romantic feelings at this point--Q had just come out of a very difficult relationship, and was also divorced.  Also:  Q is 15 years older than me with two teenage daughters from his first marriage.  A more unlikely couple to the outside world there never was...

New Year's Eve, 2009

 But something began to happen.  Q started taking care of me in ways I didn't know I needed to be cared for.  He was there when a lot of other people weren't.  He didn't pressure himself on me; in fact, he was just this quiet, calming presence.  One night, he texted me to check outside my door:  I had two bags of groceries waiting for me.  I hadn't been able to go out because I was having such bad nausea/fatigue in the first trimester.  When I saw the groceries on my doorstep, I just cried.  Even more incredible was that he chose all of things I love--and I never told him.  It was like he read my mind!  For me, that was a turning point where I started to wonder and question what was happening.  But with so much other life upheavals going on, the idea of a new relationship (and such a nontraditional one!) didn't seem in the cards.


But God had other plans.  And I don't say that as a cliche:  we really felt like we were not in control of what was happening.  Even though I was moving 4 hours away, was pregnant, was much younger, we had faith that we were meant to be together. Even when our families were extremely against the relationship (which, to the outside, seemed like the worst idea ever), we had this quiet confidence that everything would work out.  There were ups and downs, and a long distance relationship that had its hardships, but things did work out. Not without a lot of crying, hurting, praying, questioning and doubting, but also not without an abundance of thankfulness and joy (and lots and lots of love letters, text messages, and gchats!).

Q's proposal!  The waitress captured the whole thing. (Aurora is in my belly!)

We were engaged (January, after 8 months of dating)--then Aurora was born (February)--then we were married (May).  It was quite an unexpected, but not unwelcome whirlwind of events!

Q and Aurora

Q loved me first, with such great passion and devotion.  And he loved Aurora before she was born by loving me.  I can't imagine life without him, and I can't imagine a better father to my daughter.  We--his girls--are so very blessed.

Easter 2011

As far as anyone is concerned, Q is Aurora's dad.  He loves her like she is his own, and I think that's because, in his mind (and mine), she is.  I know that as Aurora gets older, she will have questions and she will want to know about her bio-dad. I know that will be hard, but I also don't doubt that she will feel confident in the Love that Q has for her, that she won't feel abandoned, that she will feel even more special because she was chosen for a place in this very special, very grateful family.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads--especially to my husband, the best one there is! (In my very humble opinion.)

xo,
Amanda

Green

I feel like being "green" is sort of trendy right now.  Even the term "green" has become kind of a buzz word.  Like if something is labeled as "green" it makes it cool to buy.  But often times these things are more expensive than their non-environmentally-friendly counterparts.
I am all for helping out the environment (vintage=super green!) but honestly, when I'm cutting corners and being "green"(sick of the quotation marks yet?) it is often times more so to save me some green...
My parents got me this umbrella clothes line for Christmas and we finally got it set up in the yard.  I loved seeing all Lyla's tiny baby clothes lined up on the rack, basking in the sunshine.  And it doesn't hurt that it will save lots of electricity (hello, cheaper electric bill!) from not using the dryer.

What kind of things do you do to be "green" that also save you some green?

xo
Jayme

We Got Dressed.

I know that usually these outfit posts would be called something like "Mom Style" or "Fashion [insert day of week]" but I just feel like those titles are a little too ambitious for the kind of outfits I'm posting.  So I'm simply calling it "We Got Dressed".  So yes, I'm wearing the same chambray skirt that I've worn in at least two other posts...but trust me, it is a step up from the jeans/yoga pants, tshirt, and flip flops combo that has become my daily wardrobe.  Of course Miss Lyla is dressed to the nines most every day, and this day was no different.

Lyla's wearing:  halter dress-The Children's Place (a hand-me-down from Aurora),
ruffle leggings- Gymboree, patent bow flats- Baby Gap

I must admit this wasn't what I wore most of the day (yoga pants and a v-neck t-shirt were much more practical for my morning walk and my afternoon on the sofa, nursing a bambino).  I put this outfit on right before Andrew got home from work.  We then went to get iced coffees and go for a little walk....and I ended up taking my shoes off and walking in my bare feet.  Classy.

Mama's wearing:  plaid shirt/leather and macrame belt/chambray skirt (shortened)- all vintage,
basket weave wedge sandals- Seychelles (thrifted)   Dada's wearing:  pocket polo shirt- Paper Denim & Cloth,
shorts- J. Crew, flip flops- Havaianas

Can I just say--my husband always looks so handsome!  He has to dress business casual for work.  On this day he wore that shirt to work (with pants and desert boots) and just changed into the shorts for our evening.  I refer to him as "dada" in that caption because that's what Lyla calls him...yep, as of last night she officially says "Dada"!  Not gonna lie, it brought a [happy] tear to my eye to hear her say it.  And just a couple days before Father's Day?  That girl knows how to put on a show!

**We're doing our first link up to Small Style on Mama Loves Papa this week!  Click the link to see the other mini-fashionistas!

xo

Jayme

Spare a click for our efforts to look pretty?

What Aurora Wore: Our Favorite Vintage Find (So Far)

This little hand embroidered dress is one of those finds that made my heart race a little faster when I put it in the cart. The cut and colors are so perfect, and it's so bohemian-looking. It's a little big on Aurora (you could see cleavage if she had any!), so I'm either 1) saving it for later in the summer or 2) putting it in the shop soon!

The shops so far this summer have been very slow. We're hoping to remedy that by posting more/more often and blogging more to grow our fans (have you voted for us today/yesterday/any day on Top Baby Blogs?  We'd really love to find a place in the Top 50 so we can gain new readers!  We really, really appreciate it. A lot.)

Anyway, onto the dress!  I've been dressing Aurora up a lot these days, since it's been so hot...when she's not in a diaper, she's rocking a cute little sundress or romper.

Isn't it so sweet and retro?  I have a hard time deciding which items to put in the shop once Aurora outgrows, etc. and which ones to save...in case future baby #2 is a girl! We also pass some cute stuff down to Lyla, so that it's Aunt Jayme's decision! ;)

xo,
Amanda

Lyla, lately

Lyla's 6 month appointment/update is right around the corner.  But I just wanted to share a little of what she's been up to lately.

The past couple of weeks she has really got her "rolling" down.  She can barrel roll across the room.  This means a couple things--
1. Our [tiny] living room has been overtaken with baby toys and our floor is now covered with a comforter that belonged to my husband since middle school. Practical, yes.  Attractive, no.  So please just ignore the 90s, plaid backdrop of these photos.
2.  If I leave the room for more than a minute it is very likely that I will find Lyla either halfway under the sofa or on the verge of rolling off the edge of the blanket onto the hardwood floor.  Fun stuff.

Lyla's other new trick?  Trying to crawl!  She gets herself into push up position, and either bends her knees or rocks back and forth.  She can scoot backwards and once she figures out how to work those arms she will be well on her way to a full-on crawl (how is this all happening soooo fast??).

As for me, I'm feeling a bit stir crazy lately.  Ready for our summer vacations to start (we're visiting Amanda next weekend!) and to get off this couch I seem to be glued to.

xo
Jayme

Thanks for reading...if you like our blog would you mind clicking below to vote for us on Top Baby Blogs?  Our goal is to reach the top 50!

Vegan for a Day: Salt n' Vinegar Potato Salad

I'm so excited to share my very first vegan recipe post! I hope to do one of these posts every Monday.  Have you heard of Meatless Mondays? A lot of people across America are choosing to go meat-free once a week. Not only is is great for your health, but it's also great for the environment. Check out the link to learn more!  I thought it made perfect sense to share a recipe on the blog on Mondays for this very reason. You can be Vegan for a day and see how you like it! It's not a huge commitment, but it makes a huge difference.

My parents make an awesome redskin potato salad...heavy on the hardboiled egg and mayo.  Potato salads are a summer BBQ staple, but I didn't think just substituting vegenaise for the mayo and eliminating the eggs would do the job.  So I decided to look for a vinaigrette-based potato salad.  I adapted this recipe from Gourmet and I couldn't have been more pleased!  (Neither could my non-vegan husband and parents, who loved it too!)

Salt n' Vinegar Potato Salad
adapted from Gourmet

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 green onions (scallions), chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3-4 lbs. baby redskin potatoes, boiled (or microwaved), cut into quarters
• 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning*
• 1 T agave syrup
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

Toss together onions, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Marinate at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until slightly softened, about 30 minutes. 

Cook potatoes until tender.

While potatoes cook, whisk together 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning with sugar, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1/2 cup vinegar in a small bowl. This will form your "sauce."

When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, cut into wedges (peel if desired, but personally, I like to leave the skins on!). Toss warm potatoes with vinegar mixture in a large bowl. Add onion mixture and oil, tossing to combine. Add more Old Bay seasoning (to taste) if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature (though it's still yummy when it's cold too!)

*I didn't have Old Bay seasoning, so I made this mixture with paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne. It was still delicious!

I know potato salad is more of a side dish than a meal...but we made it an easy vegan meal by pairing it with grilled zucchini strips and pineapple/veggie kabobs.

 I brushed the zucchini strips with a mixture of:  

2T olive oil, 1T Italian seasoning and 1-2T white wine vinegar.

white button mushrooms, red pepper, green pepper, pineapple, and sweet onions. Brush w/ olive oil and add salt and pepper before grilling.

Our rustic, cinder block grill. 

This was a refreshing, healthy and filling meal. A great way to end a busy summer day!

I hope you'll try the potato salad...and let me know how you like it.

Bon Apetit!
Amanda