Chocolate Chip Cookies - not Vegan but lower fat - part 2

Preheat to 350
Beat margarine and sugar.  Will look like wet sand
Add the egg, brown rice syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine flours, flax, baking soda and salt.
Add to the sugar mixture and combine.  Add the chocolate chips until just blended.
Drop onto cookie sheet covered with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - not Vegan but lower fat - part 1

1/4 cup butter or margarine (I like Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spred)
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp. brown rice syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I grind my own from wheat berries in my awesome vita mix)
2 tbsp ground flax (adds Omegas! - good for your brain)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup ground walnuts (not all my kids like nuts but they are good for your brain that's why I grind them)

Recipe to follow........

Veggie Lasagne? Or is it?

I made that veggie lasagne last night.  Turned out really good.  A carnivorous friend that was over stated "It  really tastes like it has meat."  That's the best compliment you can get.  Do I long for the day that I don't have to hide the veggies in the dinner and the kids will still eat it?  You bet!  But for now, this will do.

Some tricks:  Veggie ground round.  Whole wheat flour in the pasta dough.  Made the sauce in a normal way but finely chopped the carrots, celery, cabbage, onions, mushrooms to hide them from the kids.  Also, I added a whole acorn squash that I roasted in the oven first.  My kids like a sweeter tomato sauce so the sweetness of the squash was easily hidden.  I built the lasagne with the pasta, the sause, ricotta cheese and a little mozzarella.  Looked like a normal lasagne.  Tasted delicious!

What's for dinner mom?

Any mom will know that the daily chore of determining what to feed the kids is a daunting one.  With all the activities, house cleaning, dog walking, laundry doing, etc.....who has time?  Being a vegetarian mom feeding vegetarian kids is sometimes even more daunting.  If only macaroni and cheese was nutritionally balanced, right?  Add in using only organics and trying to stay on a budget, it can be quite a trial.

Anyway, I am currently sitting in a giant, noisy indoor play place while my Kindergardener and his friend run around like banshees shooting foam balls at each other wondering what to make for dinner.  The nutritionalist in me thinks..."Lentils, we haven't had lentils for a while"  Then I think...yes, but only one of the children likes lentils...sigh....another day, another challenge.

I definitely have to make some cookies, do the laundry and get my oldest child to continue the schoolwork that he needs to get done before the end of the term (he's homeschooled but is transitioning into High School next year.....gulp!).  Maybe lasagne.  I can sneak lots of veggies into the sauce (maybe even some lentils ;)  It'll take some time but I just love the process of making the pasta, the sauce, the veggie sneaking and the layering and baking of it all.  Plus, I find that because it's all done in advance, the bedtime dishes aren't so bad.....don't get me started on the dishes.

Alright, off to pick up my oldest, drive across town, pick up the bits I need for dinner.....do I stop at the liquor store too?.....tempting.  Go home and get that dinner started.

Sheesh.....I need to get a job just to take a break.

I'll post my Chocolate Chip cookie recipe later....it's really good with all sorts of hidden goodness.

Have a great day!

Kasandra