tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197866212024-03-14T04:51:17.116-05:00VEGAN KIDvegan kid adventures...kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-34614133176170709192013-09-25T18:18:00.002-05:002013-09-25T18:19:40.783-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 25: We heart Gardein!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.laziestvegans.com/2013/09/gardein-lightly-breaded-turky-cutlet.html"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.laziestvegans.com/2013/09/gardein-lightly-breaded-turky-cutlet.html">John</a> over at Laziest Vegans blogged about his love of <a href="http://gardein.com/products/turky-cutlet/">Gardein's Turkey Cutlets</a> today and I could not agree more. DAT GRAVY. I would like to drink it by the bucketful, please. <br />
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Silas loves them but only if we all agree to call it "Tofu Cutlet". He's been on a kick lately where he doesn't want anyone even pretending they are eating animals. It's... getting interesting. Especially so when a cashier told us today that she felt like a "chicken with it's head cut off today" and then proceeded to explain exactly how they act when their head is chopped of. Silas jumped behind me and gasped. I interrupted her to ask if she saw how scared he was and if she could please stop. I can't even, you guys. <br />
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So we spent the next 20 minutes discussing why anyone would ever want to cut a head off a chicken and it just is a hard thing to explain when you can't fathom it either. I just tried to go with the whole "We don't hurt the animals so that's good" line of conversation. He didn't seem satisfied but he let it go. Normally, he needs some time to process stuff, so I'm sure it'll come back up. And once again, I'll curse that damned CVS cashier.<br />
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Anyway, Gardein! So life is hectic and I'm exhausted, so we've been eating a lot of Gardein lately. I hit a good sale at Publix and stocked up for busy periods like this. So convenient to have in the freezer! One of our local Publix's also started carrying a bunch of new Gardein stuff so we're enjoying the variety finally available to us. Yay, Publix!<br />
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Currently, our family favorites are Turk'y Cutlets and <a href="http://gardein.com/products/meatless-meatballs/">Meatless Meatballs</a>. But, honestly, we haven't tried anything that we don't love.<br />
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<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09210797639662795860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-82911669721570912222013-09-21T07:20:00.000-05:002013-09-25T18:05:59.333-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 21: Crunchy Veggies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was an un-vegan kid, I begged for 3 Musketeers Bars or Soft Batch Cookies at the grocery store.<br />
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My vegan kids are totally different. Shae used to beg, plead and negotiate for watermelon year round. Still does, actually. Now, Silas has been on a kick for months now, where almost always, the only item he asks for are "Crunchy Veggie Chips" which are just dried veggies. His dad started bringing them home from World Market for him when he was still a really picky eater and we were trying anything and everything to get a veggie into him, and it's been a huge hit. I usually buy them at Publix in the produce department. He likes to eat the green beans first, but doesn't discriminate, loves them all. <br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-5185225080019606112013-09-20T07:12:00.000-05:002013-09-25T18:06:09.181-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 20: English Muffin Pizzas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Silas had a Pizza & Pajama Day at preschool to celebrate P week. They made little english muffin pizzas and had a "slumber party", which as far as I can tell meant a regular 3 hour day except in pajamas. It was pretty cute, a sea of caped super heroes really. <br />
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His teacher had let me know at the beginning of the week so I sent in a lunchbag with a vegan english muffin, pizza sauce, Daiya Cheese and Tofurky Pepperoni for him. He said it was delicious and his teacher said it went well, so yay! Hopefully the rest of the year can be as easy foodwise.<br />
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Of course he had to make more of them at home after school to show us his new chef skills. Also, Shae was not going to miss out on anything Tofurky related if he had anything to say about it.<br />
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The directions, according to Chef Silas:<br />
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1. "Spread the pizza sauce with a spoon allllll around. No licking the spoon because of microbes, gross." (Thanks, Magic School Bus!)<br />
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2. "Make them cheeeeeezeeyyyy. You can eat this by itself as an ingredient! It is yummy! But not a lot or your pizzas will be sad."<br />
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3. "LOTS of cheese is better than a little cheese."<br />
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4. "One pepperoni on each pizza because these guys are giants. I put 5 on my pizza at school though, don't tell my brother Shae or he will eat them all like a skyscraper pizza!"<br />
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5. "TA DA! Oh and a grown up does the oven part. My school has a KITCHEN. Isn't that amazing?"<br />
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6. "Time to eat! Make sure they aren't too hot. That would be a bummer."<br />
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7. "YUM!"<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-47757238024065458982013-09-19T06:51:00.000-05:002013-09-25T18:06:19.900-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 19: best dipping combo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just another picnic on a swing!<br />
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Let's just pretend that Vegan Month of Food is actually about a month of pictures of a smiling vegan kid eating the same stuff over and over again, okay?<br />
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Today, we had sauteed tofu and dipped it in hummus. Silas declared it the "best dipping combo ever", so ketchup is feeling mighty rejected right now. <br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-91808920509640434142013-09-18T20:47:00.002-05:002013-09-18T20:50:17.835-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 18: Pancake Day and Vegan Dramaz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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P is for Pancake! This is P week and today is Pancake Day at preschool.<br />
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Recently we had an issue where Silas was given goldfish crackers to
use in an activity (and then eat) at school and when he asked if they were vegan, he
was told they were. He even told them his mom said he can't eat them, but was told it's okay, he still could eat them. Silas' little heart was broken when he came home
and told me that "goldfish crackers have different ingredients now!" and
I told him they weren't and it must have been a mistake. Accidents happen, but his
feelings were really hurt when he was told they were actually vegan.
Poor little dude cried and asked if the animals were hurting because of
him! We all talked him down and let him know it was just a teeny
accident and not his fault, and the animals aren't mad at him at all.
Happens to everyone! <br />
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So sad though. Talking it through helped a lot and at the end, he said "I'm okay now, Mommy. I'll just poop them out and not eat them ever again.". (so, so vegan)<br />
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So obviously I spoke to his teacher (again!) and
explained veganism VERY CLEARLY and let her know how important it is to
us ethically to be cruelty free. I was told he "had a choice". I stressed that Silas isn't reading yet, so he is
relying on her and the other teachers & aides for accurate
information. He's very used to being able to fully trust all adults in his life and needs to be able to do that at school as well. I explained that I will arrange and provide any vegan alternatives for him to be able to participate in the future, as I had told her at the beginning of the year. I also let her know that Shae is 14 and we've never had this happen to him so I know it couldn't be too disruptive to the class dynamic. (ha!)<br />
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I walked away feeling a little disappointed by the reaction I got. I felt a little dismissed. <br />
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But it turns out I was really heard! Yeah, I'm shocked too. In an impressive turn of events, his teacher sent home a note at the beginning of this week letting us know that today is Pancake Day and Friday is Pajama Day where they will be making mini pizzas. It said to let her know if there are any dietary restrictions & to bring in an alternative if so. YAY! Feels good to know that Silas' veganism is being taken seriously finally. Also, I'm reminded at how little veganism is respected. We have a whole new school to invade and educate and my little pancakes were going to be the first ambassador! No pressure ( jk. ALL THE PRESSURE.)<br />
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I used my favorite pancake recipe ever, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2011/12/puffy-pillow-pancakes/">Isa's Puffy Pillow Pancakes</a> from the PPK Blog. I think they are also going to be in her upcoming book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-It-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/0316221902">Isa Does It</a> (which I tested for and IT IS AMAZING. Preorder asap, my friend.).<br />
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I also packed some Earth Balance.<br />
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He was proud to take them to school with him in his adorable <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bleuroo?ref=search_shop_redirect">hand embroidered reusable lunch bag</a> that his Faux Auntie Amanda (my bff) made for him as a New School gift this year.<br />
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His teacher let me know that Pancake time went perfectly today with no issues at all! And Silas was super happy to chow down on his pancakes with his friends. He reports back that his pancakes were the yummiest looking. haha.<br />
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***FUN FACT! I used baking soda by accident and actually had to make these pancakes TWICE yesterday. This kid better know how much I love him!<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-51434056550791381732013-09-17T21:42:00.001-05:002013-09-17T21:42:24.841-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 17: What I've been eating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so exhausted you don't even know. So today, you get a peek at what I've been eating. I've been super stuck on kale salads lately. Usually avocado massaged into kale, with whatever I can grab to throw on top of it. Usually I'm eating super fast, since apparently now that school is in, I'm never ever home! I'm a stereotypical vegan who could live off salads alone if left to my own devices (like, you know, remembering to keep ingredients in the house!)<br />
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Most important thing is to use an enormous bowl. The skull one is actually a huge chip bowl leftover from a halloween party and the blue one is a mixing bowl. Salads are meant to be BIG, y'all.<br />
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<br />kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-91045203396417318342013-09-16T19:12:00.004-05:002013-09-16T19:12:50.201-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 16: High School Lunch<br />
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I try not to blog about Shae too much anymore because we all know I've humiliated him enough online already, but guess what, today we are peeking at his lunch. He's in high school now and his food is all about total convenience. It's easiest to eat a sandwich (Tofurkey, Tofutti American Cheese Slice, Vegenaise). A big bag of grapes and apple slices that he always eats, and then today was Chex Mix (didn't eat, "was full") and a Builder's Bar for afterschool between soccer practice, if he needed it. (he didn't!). <br />
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I don't love all the trash and usually we use containers and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bleuroo?ref=search_shop_redirect">reusable sandwich baggies</a> , but high school is hard enough (even though he says he LOVES it), so I'm okay with doing what makes it easier for him.<br />
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Can't even tell this lunch is vegan, right? Sometimes you just want to eat your food and not answer a million questions! <br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-37510446346408320352013-09-15T21:14:00.001-05:002013-09-15T21:14:15.911-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 15: You didn't think...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You didn't think that just because Vegan MoFo is in September this year, that I could just not blog about Isa's Pumpkin Muffins, did you?<br />
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They really are the best.<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-6199678500721172322013-09-14T21:14:00.002-05:002013-09-14T21:14:46.195-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 14: Silas' "most loveable food"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, Silas declared Tofu his "most loveable food!" and inhaled twice as much of it as I ate. This kid is not messing around either. Any kind of pan-fried tofu and he shock you with how much he eats of it. I've seen him eat half a block in one sitting before!<br />
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09210797639662795860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-25868670485217730052013-09-13T19:30:00.000-05:002013-09-14T08:56:12.275-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 13: Smoothie Playdate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was a smoothie playdate at the insane indoor mall playground. Such chaos. The noise, the insanity. But somebody had a ball...<br />
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I had the Island Green Spinach & Kale and both kids had a Jetty Junior (strawberries & banana)<br />
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We were right across from a candy store and neither kid even mentioned it.<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-65839900322934661542013-09-12T21:03:00.002-05:002013-09-12T21:03:54.375-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 12: Today's preschool snack!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Silas' snack today: He's obsessed with these Fig Bars. They really are delicious. And Vita CoCo Kid's fruit-flavored coconut water are super yummy! I'm on the fence about regular coconut water, but these are really great.<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-90093703300623383932013-09-11T20:12:00.000-05:002013-09-11T20:12:17.010-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 11: Reliable Old Subway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another busy day and another lunch date with my Little! He needed Subway and he needed it baddddd. I don't know how he got it in his head, because I always bring lunch to him or take him home to eat. We only go to fast food if we are out of town or desperate.<br />
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But this week has been CRAZY BUSY so I went with it.<br />
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He was kind of happy that I agreed.<br />
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Here's his kid's meal. Good old reliable Veggie Delite, apple slices, and a Juice Box.<br />
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Then came funny face time.<br />
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Can't stop at just one...<br />
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CHOMP.<br />
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CHOMP CHOMP.<br />
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And the prize of the day, the reusable bag his lunch came in. Turns out this is what his insistence was all about. One of his friends at preschool is to blame!<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-85574709719514766542013-09-10T13:00:00.000-05:002013-09-10T13:00:02.444-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 10: Peanut Butter & Jelly "sushi"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another super mega busy day! Silas had to eat lunch in between preschool and speech therapy, so we car picnicked with some Peanut Butter & Jelly Sushi. Or well, it was supposed to look like sushi, but it didn't want to stick together, so I had to use some toothpicks and.... whatever, just don't tell Silas it doesn't look like actual sushi, okay? <br />
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He was pretty impressed and I'd hate to ruin the illusion for him.</div>
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"Wow, Mommy! This is like my sandwich, but it IS NOT A SANDWICH."<br />
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"Yeah, this is good stuff. I'm going to eat this every single day, forever.".<br />
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(He also had carrot sticks, but he was over the paparazzi by then.)<br />
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This little PB&J addict approves! Check out this shirt, it was his pride and joy of school shopping.<br />
<br />kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-254181491297433242013-09-09T20:41:00.003-05:002013-09-09T20:41:51.219-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 9: Meatless Monday Burritos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's post isn't at all Vegan Kid related, but it's burrito related, kids like burritos, so that's okay, right? <br />
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My husband has somehow convinced his hardcore meat-eating coworkers to have Meatless Mondays. These pictures were from a few weeks ago. I made a bunch of ingredients, sent Matt to work with a huge bag of Tupperware and they burrito-ed it up at lunchtime.<br />
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Let's see if I can remember what I sent with him:<br />
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-spanish rice<br />
-black beans<br />
-Morningstar Chik'n Strips<br />
-marinated mushrooms (soy sauce & liquid smoke!)<br />
-carmelized onions<br />
-lettuce<br />
-tomatoes<br />
-Tofutti Guacamole Sour Cream<br />
-Sriracha <b><i></i></b><br />
<i>-</i>salsa<br />
-tortillas<br />
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Everyone loved them!<br />
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(Thanks for the pictures, Matt!) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom, Nom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside shot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His friend chowing down on NOT ANIMALS. Yay, Meatless Monday!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-74314685605878219812013-09-08T18:30:00.000-05:002013-09-08T18:30:03.596-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 8: Gma Cat's Meatballs<div>
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One of my favorite Vegan MoFo themes this year is from Amey over at <a href="http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/">Vegan Eats & Treats</a>. She's doing a full month of <a href="http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/2013/09/grandmommys-raspberries.html">Noshtalgia</a>, foods that remind her of people she loves. This idea and her posts make me so happy! It's so heartwarming to hear the connections she has with food to people in her life and how she's veganized them in a way that preserves the memories and traditions, without compromising her veganism. This is so important for us to do! We don't have to leave behind all those warm & fuzzy food memories!<br />
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In honor of Amey's amazing theme idea, I'm going to do my own Noshtalgia for today! <br />
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My husband's grandmother- appropriately called Grandma Cat by Shae as soon as he could speak- not because her name was Catherine, but because she loved her 2 kitties so much. He also has a Grandma Dog, you can tell what really matters to him, can't you? Grandma Cat was Shae & Silas' great-grandmother. She was the nicest, sweetest lady ever, the type who wanted to play constantly and lived to be called "Grandma".<br />
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Anyway, she made these meatballs at every family gathering. It's funny because people flip for them, but they are insanely simple. That's a good combo! She served them at our little wedding reception in 2001 and my family still says "Remember those meatballs Mary made?". </div>
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A few years ago, Matt's mom veganized them for us and the kids loved them. The last time we made them was a few weeks ago for their cousin's first birthday party</div>
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The recipe isn't so much a "recipe" or "cooking" as it is throwing a bunch of stuff in a crockpot, so it's kind of awesome when you are busy before a party or a potluck. </div>
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Seriously, just roll the sausage into balls and throw everything in the crockpot until its cooked through or the party starts, whatever.</div>
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This is a picture of them uncooked and of course I forgot to get one of them finished, but I'm pretty sure you can use your imagination. </div>
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Serve them on little buns or with toothpicks! Kids really dig eating food off toothpicks. It's the little things!</div>
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The best part about making these is that is provides such an easy opportunity to share Grandma Cat stories and keep her memories alive with Shae who misses her like crazy, and to try to make Silas know her even though she passed away before he was born. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to hear people still talking about her food!</div>
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-36335335495202829772013-09-07T15:58:00.002-05:002013-09-07T15:58:05.793-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 7: Picnic with my Little<div>
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Silas and I have a lot of free time after his preschool and before Shae gets out of school now. Yesterday, I took him on a surprise picnic at one of our favorite parks. We haven't been there in awhile, so it was nice to sit in the shade and stare at the sea together.</div>
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Although, Silas did a lot more "JUST CHECKING ON THE SEALIFE REAL QUICK, MOMMY!", than actual sitting. He was pretty aggravated at the amount of trash at the edge of the water.<br />
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We ate our peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and apple slices and talked about how we can only be in charge of our own choices and we can't force other people not to litter. We can do the right thing and hope that others do too! Or we can clean up their trash and just feel good for helping the sea animals have a safer home. (That's what we ended up doing) <br />
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He wanted to count the hermit crabs and this whole eating lunch thing, was really harshing his mellow. </div>
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He tried to convince me to "help" him eat.<br />
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But then decided walking & eating at the same time would work out just fine.<br />
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Vegan fruit snacks for dessert!</div>
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A little whale sliding...<br />
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And tree-resting...<br />
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Made for a nice end to the long school week <3<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-16085198003092980252013-09-06T08:02:00.002-05:002013-09-06T08:02:57.251-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 6: Honoring the Taco Cleanse with Leftovers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The best thing to happen to food all year is, by far, <a href="http://lazysmurf.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/the-hows-and-whys-of-the-taco-cleanse/">The Taco Cleanse</a>! I don't know about you guys, but I know I am guilty of not feeding my family enough tacos. I feel so much shame at my myself for letting something so important slide. The only way to rectify this is to START NOW. Full steam ahead! No child left behind. <br />
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<a href="http://lazysmurf.wordpress.com/">Lazy Smurf</a> tells us how it all works with this handy chart. Austin can teach us so much.<br />
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Starting this now is convenient since it was leftover "Clean Out the Fridge" night anyway! Tacos are my favorite way to use up the little bits of leftovers and the produce that is on the verge. The kids love it! It's basically a full on buffet. What kid isn't happy choosing their own foods?<br />
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Below are my tacos. I went with brown rice, black beans, marinated mushrooms, caramelized onions and Tofutti Guacamole Sour Cream. I felt better instantly! Amazing.<br />
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The kids both used up all the veggies and had much prettier tacos, but of course I forgot to take pictures of them! No worries. Plenty more tacos to be had. Onward for the cause! </div>
kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-71507835918744455712013-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-05T09:00:08.803-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 5: "Dog Burritos"<br />
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It's convenient to have some lazy kid food on hand at all times. Something that you can have ready to eat in 10 minutes, while making everyone get dressed, feeding the cat, packing soccer bags, whatever. <br />
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Might I recommend "Dog Burritos"? You might know them as Pigs in a Blanket, but Silas says that doesn't make any sense, and I am siding with him on this one. <br />
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1 package of Smart Dogs & 2 packages of Pillsbury Cresent Rolls and you have yourself 16 little Dog Burritos. Silas is the Dog wrapper in our house and insists no one helps him, so feel free to let the little hands take care of this job in your kitchen! <br />
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These are great for serving at kid's parties too!<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-84103467822174272612013-09-04T14:19:00.000-05:002013-09-05T06:56:33.643-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 4: Vegan Cuts Snack Boxes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Surely you've heard of the monthly subscription Vegan Cuts Snack boxes? <br />
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I always see what's coming a day ahead of time via instagram and basically stalk my mailbox the next day. Box kids squeal & attack when they see the box. Lots of "DIBS!" going on as we open it.<br />
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The August box was a huge hit. (The book wasn't part of the box! It just came the same day. More on that later!) </div>
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Silas made off with the pretzel crisps immediately, and brought the Boom Chicka Pop popcorn to school for snacktime. Shae drank the Zevia, and pocketed the hydration powder & the Protein powder (soccer, he needs it!). We've had samples of the hydration thing a few times now and he really loves them. We should probably order some. I'm still dreaming of Emmy's macaroons, whoaaaaa were they amazing. I'm not a huge fan of raw treats, but these were just perfect. The texture, the light taste. I wanted to eat like 5 bags of these! Matt & I inhaled the Chia Crisps with lunch one day, a little surprised by how delicious they were. </div>
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I was saving that Square One bar, hoarding it for a Chocolate Emergency (you know that's a real thing.). The day finally came when I needed it and this little monster caught me after one bite. </div>
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He apparently needed it more than I did.</div>
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His cuteness won out, and he definitely enjoyed it. <br />
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July Box was just as great!<br />
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And June's!<br />
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And May's!<br />
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I'm really impressed with how consistent Vegan Cuts boxes are. I haven't had a box yet that disappointed me at all. Always a nice variety and a good price for coming straight to your door!<br />
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<br />kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-18843306229247238372013-09-03T06:00:00.000-05:002013-09-03T06:00:09.016-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 3: Preschool Snack Time<br />
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Today, is back to school after the long weekend! Here, have a little peek at Silas' snack for preschool. He has a short day, so no lunch. We let him pick out any "healthy snack" he wants. He picked this all out in the grocery store himself, especially thrilled by a cartoon character on the mini hummus. I love that that character is on something I'm happy for my kid to eat! Those pretzels are shaped like little airplanes from the new Disney movie, Planes, super important in Silas Land.<br />
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He'll probably only eat half of this at snack time, but I like him having options and I know he'll finish it after school.</div>
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He's so proud of his little snack and his independence in choosing it. I'll post a video of him telling you about it soon <3</div>
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-65254843680292570512013-09-02T20:57:00.004-05:002013-09-02T21:08:43.182-05:00I heart Vegan MoFo!<div>
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I'm filled with warm fuzzies reading all the vegan blogs joining together for MoFo this month! Such an awesome thing to be apart of! A HUGE Thank You to all the <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan MoFo</a> volunteers to put this whole thing together for us! <3<br />
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All this excitement led to a new cross stitch today, which is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/161487050/i-heart-vegan-mofo-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active">available in my shop</a>.<br />
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read more blogs and comment, comment, comment. Best thing you can do during MoFo is show your support to your fellow bloggers!</div>
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-69776154837519115772013-09-02T05:02:00.000-05:002013-09-02T21:14:38.871-05:00Vegan MoFo Day 2: Cookie cupcakes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the things that I learned fast about parenting, is that apparently cupcakes are ALWAYS required. Every birthday, every party, every everything. Always with the cupcakes. (not complaining! I get to eat the extras!)<br />
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I'm not saying that our kids should be eating cupcakes all the time, or that they'll even do more than lick the frosting off anyway, but what I am saying is that if cupcakes are going to be everywhere, they should absolutely be vegan! Cupcakes are veganism's best ambassador! <br />
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When my oldest son started school, I signed up to bake at every party so he would be able to eat the cupcakes too! What's worse than missing out on cupcakes? I can't even. Then of course, I had to make them amazing to compete with the inevitable store bought cupcakes that mysteriously appear next to homemade cupcakes. I'm not sure how, but they always do. I usually pipe frosting on, because kids usually go for the cupcake with the most frosting. Again, I'm horrifying myself writing this! But I'm taking about a few times a year at parties, not hey, let's fill our children with sugar every single day. That's not my style. (also the consequences of that make me want to puke a little.) Honestly, my kids eat the vast majority of their junk food in public. At parties, at the movies, normal social stuff. I don't agree with making food off limits, but I do agree with true moderation. Food is incredibly social, and I think that showing people that vegan kids can junk it up makes them so much more normal and takes the pressure off of them somewhat. <br />
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Now, those store bought cupcakes always have one thing going for them. A TOY. Kids dig toys. Plastic angry bird ring? SOLD. I like to do things like plastic dinosaurs or animals. That always goes over well and then encourages creative play afterwards. (Yes, girls like dinosaurs too. Don't try that princess crap with me!) Pick something in theme with the party or holiday, or just anything exciting! I do recommend trying to find things that are nearly the same or else you'll have 20 little hands trying to touch every cupcakes until they find the "right" one. Ew.<br />
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Now, today we're going to talk about my last trick: Do something ridiculous! Seriously, always works. Anything that you think sounds kind of okay, but also a little insane. Yes, do that. Shock and Awe?<br />
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The cupcakes I'm talking about today are from the first day of school. I always bake something on the first day. After all that anxiety, I want my kids coming home to the smell of something freshly baked just for them. Shae looks forward to it, as this is his 10th year of school. Silas just learned this tradition and is already trying to guess what will be his First Day of Kindergarten Treat.<br />
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This year is crazy busy. I was barely home that first day so I had to move fast. That means lazy cupcakes, y'all!<br />
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I grabbed my handy dandy copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378038461&sr=1-4">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a> and threw together the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes. Quick, easy, always delicious! I threw in a big handful of mini chocolate chips for funsies.<br />
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Next comes the true laziness. I just didn't have time for homemade frosting. A real bummer because butter cream is my superpower. But you know, life. I keep a can of Duncan Hines in the pantry for these type of emergencies. (a few are vegan but not all! Watch out for cow's milk!)<br />
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Then came the Ridiculousness. I didn't want boring cupcakes, so I had to think fast. Good thing for me, the PPK had just alerted me to the fact that Target's storebrand chewy cookies are accidentally vegan. And let me tell you, this is a dangerous, magical piece of knowledge. Soft, vegan cookies? That's actually a thing? (Also, they are super cheap, priced under $2) <br />
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So I threw one on top of each cupcake! Why not? The kids were thrilled. Silas couldn't even grasp being given a cookie and a cupcake at the same time. <br />
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Yum!<br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-66289175489517507622013-09-01T05:30:00.001-05:002013-09-01T07:39:42.333-05:00Vegan MoFo 2013 Day 1: Vegan "Egg" McMuffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The month of Vegan Food is upon us. Yay, <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan MoFo</a>!
All this month, vegans from all over the world will be blogging about
all things vegan food related. I'm going to be focusing on being a
chaotic, busy, yet lazy mom. Do what you know.<br />
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This month
I'll just be blogging about our daily life. What do we eat for dinner,
pack for the kids snack & lunch, how do we handle birthday parties,
meal planning, etc.<br />
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Let's start off the Vegan Month of Food with the most important meal of the day, Breakfast! I'll be honest, my usual breakfast is an Almond Milk Latte with Agave and a banana as I'm running out the door. Silas likes a bagel with Tofutti Cream Cheese and Shae usually opts for grits or pancakes (homemade, but made ahead and frozen). We're lazy, creatures of habit.<br />
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But sometimes on weekends, we actually are awake enough to care what we eat first thing. Not too long ago, one of our local Publix's started carrying <a href="http://gardein.com/products/breakfast-patties/">Gardein Breakfast Patties</a> and that just meant one thing to us, Faux Egg McMuffins! We haven't been able to buy any premade vegan sausage patties here locally in years. We still dream of the days when Publix Greenwise Sausages were vegan. Those were the days!<br />
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These were simple and just amazing. English Muffins (check labels, some are vegan but lots aren't!), Gardein Breakfast Patty, Tofutti American Cheese Slice (old school, and just right), and sauteed tofu flavored with turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, black salt & pepper. Soooooo satisfying.<br />
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I'm planning on making these again in a big batch to have in the fridge for quick breakfasts. <br />
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kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-74823415397901653822013-08-31T08:35:00.000-05:002013-08-31T08:35:51.922-05:00Picky Eaters: It gets better.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying to get myself back into the jam of blogging, I have been
rereading my old posts and just noticing the huge theme of Silas' picky
eating. I feel like "picky eating" has a huge stigma to it and no one ever bothers to find out <i>why</i> people, especially children, eat that way. The why is the first step to fixing it, though, right? <br />
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Maybe your child is typical in that his taste buds just aren't ready for stronger tastes? Shae was that way and we combated it with our rule that you have to take "Just one bite!" each time a food was served. One cooperative bite here and there usually led to him growing to like new things! It takes awhile to get used to new tastes and textures.<br />
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With Silas, we found out early on it was related to his sensory issues. He has been in Speech Therapy and seeing an OT since he was almost 2 and it has taught me so much. He didn't have a means of communication for a really long time and you can imagine how frustrating that was! For us, definitely, but for him really. I can't imagine not being able to express the slightest needs/wants to anyone and of course that stemmed to tantrums. Lots and lots of tantrums. So many things toddlers do are dismissed as being "terrible 2's!", but with Silas we needed to look at <i>why</i> he was upset in each situation to see how we could make life easier for him. Well, not actually easier, per say, but we needed to teach him to manage his life in a way that worked for him so that he didn't have to struggle through normal day to day activities that are easy for everyone else. It feels odd talking about him like this now because 3 years later, you wouldn't know by being around him that he needed any kind of help. He gets complimented constantly for being so polite and well-behaved. He's also the silliest, most imaginative kid I know.<br />
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Back to food. Here's the backstory: I breastfed Silas until he was nearly 3. He had an aversion to all things plastic from the get go. Refused to drink pumped milk or water from any type of bottle of sippy cup. And believe me, I tried them all. He just was an all natural kind of baby and wanted to nurse anytime and all of the time, which was fantastic! I was eating extremely healthy and was sure I was getting all the nutrients we both needed. When he started eating purees and then solids, much later, it became evident that he had really clear tastes that he was using every bit of will power he had to uphold. I get it, kiddo, I feel you. I tried all of the tricks. We tried all of the foods in all of the ways. Sometimes, it felt hopeless. Sometimes, I thought he would never eat more than carbs. For awhile we stuck with green protein smoothies and homemade green Popsicles because it was the only way. I spent a lot of time worrying he wasn't getting what he needed and even more time feeling like I was failing him because I didn't know how to fix this.<br />
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After awhile, I started to look at his food likes and dislikes from the point of view that we looked at his life. Which, now that I know better, I wonder why we don't immediately do for all kids? He used to freak out when we put him in the bathtub because the water running was so loud and the lights were so bright and it was overstimulating. Okay, so what was overstimulating him about dinner? It became clear that he preferred crunchy foods without sauces. Okay, we can do that. I steam our veggies less and separate his portions before combining them with other dishes. Slowly but surely we applied this to everything we eat. Once he liked something for awhile, we would push it a bit further. Sometime he was okay with that too, and we were one step further along. Sometimes, he had to dial it back and wait a little longer. It's always a process, but it's amazing to see how far he's come. He eats the same foods we do, every day now. We do still make allowances for his needs, like no sauces, but nothing that is very difficult or compromises the nutritional value. There was a long time there that I could not imagine at all if he would ever willingly eat a single vegetable and now he begs for them! I wish I had actually believed, back then, that he would come this far. But it's true, it does get better. <br />
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The <a href="http://vegankid.blogspot.com/2010/11/vegan-mofo-day-2.html">old post that got me thinking about this was from 2010</a>. I posted about Silas' love for apples, which was seriously one of maybe 3 things he actually liked at the point, and I said "Now if only we can get him to have this same kind of obsession with something green!". Well, yesterday he came home from preschool with an About Me book he created. Check this out:<br />
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SUCCESS.<br />
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***If you suspect your child might have sensory issues I strongly recommend getting an evaluation from an Occupation Therapist, the eval is just playing and them watching for clues. Your child will probably have a ball and you can either stop worrying or start making your life and your kid's much, much easier. It's probably nothing, but go with your gut! You know your child better than anyone else does. Our OT recommended <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Sensory-Smart-Child-SensoryProcessing/dp/0143115340">this book</a> to me and it was really helpful. Most of it didn't apply to Silas, but the things that did, clicked so hard that it was amazing. kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19786621.post-10600341070589879762013-08-26T08:58:00.001-05:002013-08-26T08:58:16.953-05:00Sicko!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Silas caught some cooties at preschool, so he's home today sipping on his tea and cuddling his Feel Better Puppy. Hopefully a day of rest will be all he needs, because this guy disapproves of missing all the fun.<br />
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<br />kelly (vegan kid's mom!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03603457375298194935noreply@blogger.com0