'Tis the season for pumpkin.

Soooooo much pumpkin.

My husband likes to remind me every fall that he's not on the "pumpkin spice fan train," but I always respond with:

What is wrong with you?

If you're like him, and you're not a HUGE fan of pumpkin but you like curry so you thought you'd check this out-- you've mad a wise decision.

Every year I stick this on our little food planner on the refrigerator at some point, every year my husband groans, and then when he comes home for dinner, he's awe-stricken.

This soup is amazing whether you're a pumpkin fan or not.

Pumpkin Curry Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

- 1-2 T Olive Oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (I usually use white)
- 3 C Vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1-2 cans of black beans, drained
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 C heavy cream (I have used anything from coconut milk to half & half to the actual cream and all taste good to me!)
- 1 Tbsp curry
- 1.5 tsp cumin (I usually reduce this to 1 tsp of the kiddos are partaking!)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (I usually only add this if I know the kiddos won't be eating it, but 9/10 they do.)
salt to taste
chives for garnish, if desired


Directions:

- Using a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until nearly clear and oil is not visible.
- Add your broth/stock, tomatoes, black beans, and pumpkin. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add your cream/milk and spices.
- Bring to a slow boil again before reducing heat to low. Option to serve immediately or sit, with random stirrings, as long as needed.
- Garnish with green onions (so yummy, just not pictured) and enjoy!

I had been seeing all these Quinoa recipes floating around Pinterest and friend's profiles on Facebook and, honestly, they were scaring me. Because I had no flipping idea what Quinoa actually was, or even how to say it.

But the more I saw, the more I was influenced to try it. So, I found this recipe and decided to adjust it and give it a try.

I am now a fan. And, in case you didn't know (because I didn't) Quinoa is pronounced keen-wah.


Ingredients:

- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 habenero pepper, chopped
- 1 C uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
- 1 tsp chicken or vegetable bouillon
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1/2 C corn
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- chopped fresh cilantro, optional
- 1 lime (depending on how many people you are serving-- 1/4 lime per serving)
- olive oil

Directions:

- Add a small bit of oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add garlic and habenero pepper and cook just until fragrant (about a minute).
- Follow the directions on how much water to add to cook with your quinoa; add the water, quinoa, bouillon, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat; stir in cilantro if desired. Spoon into bowls and add lime juice from 1 wedge per serving.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash is one of my fall favorites. But let’s face it, who wants to always wait around for the season to enjoy it? Not this girl! I was so excited when I found it still available at my local grocery store.

When it comes to serving meatless meals, my ideas are usually vetoed by the hubs. It comes as such a relief when I can throw something together that we will all enjoy and it doesn’t have to contain meat. This stir fry is so filling! If it had much else in it I think we would have busted.

However, if you are a “my meal must have meat” type of person, adding just about anything to this works! See the asterisk for the details.


Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 C butternut squash, cut into cubes
- 1 to 2 tbsp(s) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking rice wine

Directions:

- Heat your sesame oil, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove in a wok or large skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté until garlic is golden brown.

*If you wanted to add meat, here’s your chance! Toss it in there before you add your butternut squash and cook until golden/brown all around. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through just yet since you have a few more steps to go!*

- Add your butternut squash and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender.

- Add your green pepper, red pepper, onion, and the rest of your garlic and ginger. Sauté for another 5 to 10 minutes.

- Mix in your sauces (soy, teriyaki, and Chinese cooking rice wine). If you do not have rice wine, you can substitute cooking sherry or just use extra soy sauce. Let stand for at least another 5 to 10 minutes, mixing occasionally.

- Serve warm on its own or over rice.

Don't forget to VOTE FOR MICHAEL in the Parents Magazine Cover Photo Contest!

The recipe is a day late, but it's worth the wait!

I have such a hard time making brownies. Homemade ones never turn out "fudgey" enough for me, if you know what I mean. They're always too thick and too cake-like.

How is it that these vegan brownies turned out so perfect? Not sure. But they are. And super easy. Oh! Did I mention they're VEGAN?!

Ingredients:

- 2 C unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 C sugar
- 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 C water
- 1 C canola/vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp coffee

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir in water. Next add the vegetable oil, vanilla, and coffee.
- Using a spatula, evenly spread in a 9 x 13 baking pan (sprayed with cooking oil before).
*Note: It may take some time to do this. You really have to work the batter to spread it evenly. Take the time to do it! They definitely turn out best when you do.*

- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for a good ten minutes (or they'll be beyond crumbly) before serving.

My suggestion? Serve with some yummy Soy Dream Vanilla Fudge Swirl to make it even better! Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Elephant Journal.

This is the FIRST Wife of the Month for 2013. Somehow it slipped away from me for the past four months. How did I manage that? I loved doing this series last year. I loved getting to know other wives and mamas in the blogging world.

It seemed only fitting that I re-feature someone you met in 2012! (This also fits in for "Throw Back Thursday"!) Do you guys remember Sarah? She's pretty awesome. Her blog was just featured in Skirt! Charleston. For her post about that amazing bit, click here.

Lately I've been struggling with diet fads and all the craziness surrounding "clean eating". So I thought I'd ask some other bloggers to share their thoughts on the matters.

Who better than to share some thoughts on clean eating from someone who is all about it?

As you guys may know, I am not vegetarian/vegan. There are, however, definite health benefits if you decide to make the choice to go either which way.

I'll stop babbling now. Here's Sarah!

Photograph by Alice Keeney Photography.

Hey y’all! Sarah from What I Vegan here.

I’m excited Emily has asked me to guest post about clean eating today!
I think most everybody agrees that we want to give ourselves and our families healthy food that will nourish and sustain us.

But grocery stores out there are practically minefields of chemicals, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), MSG, bacteria, and hormones. These have known and (even scarier) unknown effects on our health.

Seriously, how’s a gal supposed to navigate that minefield and find a way to avoid giving herself and her kids all those terrifying ingredients?

By eating a clean diet full of plant-based, whole foods.

Hang on a sec; did your eyes just glaze over as you pictured bland, brown “health food”?

Snap back with me here, sister.

I’m not talking beans for dinner every night (though I DO love me some beans ‘n’ greens; check out a delectable recipe here). I’m talking about a whole WORLD full of amazing food possibilities opening up to you that are not only healthy, but downright delicious.

Eyebrows still raised? I would have been skeptical too. Before I went vegan, I was (self-proclaimed) Miss Cheese living off of pasta, pizza, and you guessed it, cheese. I wasn’t exactly a health nut.

And I’m still not one. But I do recognize that certain foods and their dangerous ingredients are best avoided, and it’s really not that hard to do.

Don’t believe me? Check out a few healthy, veggie-centered dishes I made at home (and trust me, I’m no chef):

Quinoa noodles with avocado pesto pasta and squash.

This is what I call “Everything in the Fridge Salad” – just throw together a salad, with whatever toppings you have on hand. Get creative!

Vegan crab cakes with tangy rémoulade and sautéed spinach from Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Kitchen.

Twelve-grain bread with hummus, organic tomatoes, avocado, arugula, and salt and pepper. Easy, healthy, and delish!

Red and black chili with cashew sour cream.

Check out more pictures of what I eat on my blog’s Facebook page! You’ll be amazed at what all you can do with plant-based foods!

Now that you see how yummy it can be, I’m going to give you some easy tips on how to add more of these healthful plant-based foods to your family’s table.

•Eat more veggies! Pick a few to take the spotlight on your dinner plate. Be adventurous; buy a veggie you don’t recognize, and then look online for a recipe. A great site is VegWeb.com.

•Buy organic produce as much as possible. It’s a little pricier but your body will thank you for saying no to those pesticides! Can’t buy all organic? That’s ok; just avoid these dirty dozen.

•Check those ingredients. The less processed, the better. Try to buy items that have fewer than 5 or so ingredients and make sure you can pronounce them! Your body doesn’t want that azodicarbonamide (whatever that is)!

•Skip the meat, dairy, and eggs. They’re full of hormones, antibiotic resistant bacteria, cholesterol, and other nasty stuff. Switching to organic won’t help either. Not to mention, animals are treated in unspeakable ways to make these products. Best to skip out as often as possible (or altogether!). Start a Meatless Monday tradition and work on it from there!

•Look for the Non-GMO Project symbol. This guarantees that the food doesn’t contain harmful GMOs, which have never been suitably tested for long-term health impacts. To learn more about them, click here.


Want to learn more?

Watch the movie Forks Over Knives (it’s on Netflix!). It’s entertaining, informative, and could save your life!

Check out the book Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr, who I consider to be the queen of clean eating. Her follow up book, Crazy Sexy Kitchen, has amazing, clean recipes!

Can we eat 100% clean 100% of the time? Or course not. That’s not realistic. But we can try to eat healthfully the majority of the time for the sake of our bodies and our kids.

Try the tips above to take the first step!

To Healthy and Tasty Food!
Sarah

I LOVE eggplant. It's a new obsession. Much like my zucchini love. Last year on my birthday Clark took me out to dinner and I got eggplant parmesan for the first time.

I fell in love.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to make it. Perhaps it's because Clark doesn't really like eggplant, so I made this on a night when he wasn't around for dinner. Michael wouldn't eat it, either. What can I say... I'm surrounded my picky boys (relatively speaking, that is).

This could probably be enough for two people... but I must admit I ate it all myself. I was rather hungry, to say the least.

Ingredients:

- 1 small to medium sized eggplant, sliced length-wise
I didn't use the whole eggplant. I think I left out about two "slices" of it.
- 1/2 C low fat ricotta cheese
- 1/4 C onion *optional*
- 1/3 C spinach *optional*
- 2 tbsp Parsley
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/2 C (+ extra) reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp (+ extra) grated parmesan
- Your favorite Marinara (I used about 1/2 to 3/4 of the jar)
- Salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:

- Slice your eggplant length wise in slices about 1/4 inch thick. Lightly salt them and put in a colander for 20 to 30 minutes to release texture. If you're like me and don't actually have a colander, I salt them, lay them over a bacon screen (or something close to it) and let them sit. It works (sort of) the same. Use paper towels to dab and soak up more moisture after your 20/30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450.
- Heat up (or make) your sauce.
- Place your eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Lightly coat both sides of the eggplant slices using 1 tbsp of your allotted olive oil. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, then turn them over and do it again. If you cut them thinner, make sure to watch them closely. Don't want the slices burning around the edges (some of mine did!)
- Mix together your cheeses and seasonings.
- Heat your other tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high. Add your onion and sautee until soft, about two to five minutes. Add your spinach until just wilted. Mix this in to your cheese mixture as well.
- In an 8 x 8 baking dish, or 9" round dish, or really whatever you wish to use, pour enough of your sauce to cover the bottom. Next add a slice of eggplant, followed by cheese mixture, sauce, repeat. Do this until you have at least three layers. You may be able to make more than one serving, depending on the size of your eggplant. Make sure you top it with sauce before adding extra mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese! *I also sprinkled extra parsley on the top of mine-- yumm!*
- Cover with foil, lower your oven's temperature to 400, and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Let it sit about five to ten minutes before diving in!

*Use cheese substitutes to make this vegan friendly!*

This recipe was adapted from Skinny Taste.

I. Love. This. Recipe.

When Clark was gone for round one of his new job, I lived off of it for a good week. Seriously. Serving it over rice, or in a wrap, or just the bean mixture without the chicken (note the vegetarian label)... it's just delicious. And SO easy!

Have I mentioned how much I love my crock pot lately?

Well, I do. I LOVE MY CROCK POT.

OK... on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 14 oz (I think) can diced tomatoes with chiles
- 15 oz can black beans
- 1/2 to a whole 15 oz can of corn
- 1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 C chicken broth/ water with chicken bouillon (or vegetable if you're making this a vegetarian/vegan meal... without the chicken, of course)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin (minimize if you don't want so much spice)
- 1/4 to 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you wish)
- salt to taste
- 3 scallions, chopped

Directions:

- Combine your tomatoes, beans, corn, cilantro, chicken broth, garlic, and spices in the crock pot. Mix it up nicely.

- Lightly salt your chicken and lay it on top.
- Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. Somewhere in there, turn the chicken over so it cooks more evenly.
Can you see the chicken?

- 30 minutes or so before serving, shred the chicken. Stir it into the mix so it's well combined.
- Top with scallions (not pictured) and serve however you wish! Shredded cheese goes great with this as well.





Want some other crock pot recipes? Check these out!!

Spicy-Sweet Crock Pot Barbecue

Beef Tips

Kansas-Style BBQ




Adapted from the fabulous SkinnyTaste.com.

While I've made classic sugar cookies just about every year since I can remember, I thought I'd take on a new challenge this year. I was trying to figure out what to send my vegan bestie... and then I thought, why not try to make my favorite vegan-friendly?

These are easy to make, but the dough is a tad bit tricky to handle (aka crumbly). Just have patience and they will fall together!


Ingredients:
(Cookies)
- 1 C all purpose, unbleached flour
- 1/2 C Vegan "butter" (I used Earth Balance)
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

- Use a handheld or standing mixer to beat together your butter, sugar, and vanilla. Next add your flour and baking powder. Add the applesauce if you feel as though your mixture is a bit dry... but beware that it is going to be "crumbly" regardless.

- Refrigerate for around an hour
*This is optional, but the dough definitely does better if you let it cool down for a bit!*
- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your cookie sheet.
- Be patient when you are rolling out your dough (using plenty of extra flour and handling the dough really helps). You CAN make shapes-- just be patient!

- Bake your cookies for precisely 10 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cook.

While they are cooling...

Icing:

- 5 to 6 tbsp water
- 1 C powdered sugar

Just whisk these two ingredients together. It may appear super runny, but that's how it's suppose to be. Your going to dip your cookie, face down, into the icing and let it sit for a good time. Add sprinkles immediately after dipping if desired.


VOILA! Vegan sugar cookies. Simple and delicious.

This recipe was adapted from: Marcus Samulasson's Simple Vegan Sugar Cookies and Oh, Ladycakes' Sugar Cookies!

Before you even ask, the hubby wasn't home when I made these. I tried talking to him about this idea, and he turned up his nose at it. This was a bit much for him. He'll do things without meat... but try to give him something instead of meat and it's an immediate shut down.

However, these are delicious. I'm pretty sure they could easily be made vegan, too. Just leave out the cheese and use an egg substitute.

These aren't that time consuming. But when you have a toddler who's afraid of the food processor... it gets a bit interesting.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cans (15 oz each) Bush's Cannellini Beans

- 1 green (or red) pepper
- 1/2 onion (white, yellow, red-- your preference)
- 1/4 C chopped parsley
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 egg
- 3/4 C breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper

Your favorite Marinara
Parmesan Cheese, if you want it
Favorite Type of Pasta

Directions:

- Combine your beans, pepper, and onion in your food processor. Pulse until well combined, but not completely pureed. You want them to be somewhat course. Not like whole-beans-course, but bean-pepper-onion-pieces course.

- Move the mix to a bowl and add your spices, egg, and breadcrumbs. Stir until well combined, but don't kill the mix. You are making "meatballs" after all.

- Scoop the mix (about 2 tablespoons for each one) and round them out. Place them on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray (optional). *Note: As you can tell, I did not take the time to round mine out because Michael was about ready to kill me for taking so long preparing these. Don't let it fool you! I'm sure they are easily made "pretty" (aka to look more "meat-like").

- Bake until they are ever so slightly golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes.

- While they are cooking, heat your marinara in a large saucepan. When they are finished cooking, add the "meatballs" to the pan and stir gently so they are coated with sauce. Cover and let it simmer for another five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.*This recipe makes around 30 "meatballs"... I was just preparing a single serving for myself with the sauce. And I actually only ate half of what is shown-- they are VERY filling!*

- Serve with your favorite pasta and *optional* Parmesan cheese.

Michael actually really liked these! They did do a bit of a number on his belly, but nothing that made him cry like he was hurting... it was just noisy... if you know what I mean!


Check out the original recipe at: Cookin' Canuck.

This bread is AMAZING. I mean, I'm one of those people who loves cheesy biscuits, breads, snacks... you name it. So, when I came across this I just knew I had to try it. Needless to say, I will be finding ways to make this whenever we have company over. For holidays. For parties. You get the idea.

Ingredients:

- 1 3/4 C all purpose, unbleached flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
The salt is optional. If you put the maximum amount of cheese, I really wouldn't suggest cutting this down to just a pinch.
- 3 eggs, at room temp, whisked
- 1/3 C milk
- 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 to 1/2 C smoked Gouda, shredded
- 1/3 to 1/2 C smoked Cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 C chopped/minced chives


Directions:

- Spray/Coat with Butter/ Prepare a standard bread pan. Preheat your oven to 350.
- Mix together your try ingredients. Add your prepared eggs, milk, and olive oil. Mix until the dough comes together (but don't go overboard-- you want it just together before adding the cheese and chives).

- Add your cheese and chives. The dough will be thick, but that's how you want it.
Transfer the dough to your bread pan and even it the best you can with a spatula.

- Bake for at least forty minutes. Let sit for one to two minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Definitely suggest letting it cool a bit outside the bread pan before serving/enjoying.




While I'm sure this bread would make a great side to just about any meal, I find it goes best with these soups:

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Bean and Bacon Soup

Deliciously Easy Chili



This recipe was adapted from: Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

This soup is to die for. Seriously. When I was younger my mom made this amazing potato soup, but it was in a class of its own. This one is the same way. By that I mean a class in its own. It's ok for me to brag, since I borrowed this recipe from Mama Loves Food! You should really check out that blog! I did, of course, change a few things here and there to give it my special touch. Hoping that made some of a difference!

Ingredients:

- 4 lbs red potatoes, chopped into cubes
I bought a five pound bag, but it was a bit much for my crock pot. Plus, this made the flavor go that much farther.
- 1 onion, quartered
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 heaping tsp garlic salt
- 8 C chicken stock/ water + chicken bouillon
- 16 oz low fat or fat free cream cheese
- 1/2 package of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Optional: Cheddar Cheese and Chives

Directions:

- Put your chopped up potatoes in your crock pot, along with the onion, garlic, garlic salt, and chicken bouillon. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

- After 4 to 6 hours, remove 1/3 to half of the potatoes (around three to four cups, I'd say). Try to get as much, if not all, of the onion as well. Put it into a blender along with the 16 oz of cream cheese.

- Blend until you have a nice, creamy mix.

- Put this back into your crock pot and mix well. Add the bacon crumbles. Let this cook for another 30 minutes to an hour on low. Make sure to check on it and stir occasionally.

If you're a vegetarian, just leave the bacon out and maybe add a bit more salt! Or use a bacon substitute!

- Serve with your cut up scallions and cheddar cheese to make it even more tasty!

Want some more delicious soup recipes? Check these out!

Black Bean Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup


Bean and Bacon Soup


Easy Taco Soup