Easy, Efficient, and Frugal Vegan and Omnivore Cooking; Homeschooling; Homemaking; and Christian Articles; – from an American Greek Orthodox Christian Housewife.
Imagine a week like this: every morning, you spend ten minutes (and I'm not exaggerating on that!) filling your slow cooker. Every evening, you make a salad and warm up some bread & have dinner with no work - and no stress! It can be done!
Or, every day, you fill your slow cooker while you're cooking something else. A few hours later, you pour the contents of the slow cooker into a freezer container, and freeze it. That way, in one week, with no extra time in the kitchen, you could have a freezer full of ready meals.
Soups are wonderful in the Fall & Winter - they're hearty, healthy warming, and less rich and heavy than other seasonal fare.
Give a few of these great soups a try for relaxing, warming dinners this week. No stress, no hassle, no need to stop for fast food : )
I write my recipe on the top of my canister - so that
it's super-easy to refill, and I don't have to get a book out
each time I run out.
It's good to have a Laundry Soap recipe that you like, so that you can save money, reduce packaging waste, reduce environmental toxins, and control allergens if you need to.
I write instructions on the front of my canister, so that
I don't forget how much to use.
This is the recipe I use. I don't always use it - sometimes I find a great sale on the regular stuff - but this recipe is there in my repertoire for when I want it.
It's very simple!
This is the Castile Soap I use. It has a very nice scent, or is available unscented
& is inexpensive. Any Vegan Castile Bar will work.
I cut the bar in fourths with a big knife (keeping my fingers above the
blade so it won't slip & cut me)
I grate the soap in a small rotary grater with the biggest-holed attachment.
This saves my knuckles from the box grater, and also is a LOT easier.
Homemade Vegan Laundry Powder
Combine in a large container:
1 Bar Grated Vegan Castile Soap (I use Kirk's - it's locally made, Vegan, and inexpensive! And they've recently introduced an unscented bar if you prefer that.)
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
That's it!
I use two tablespoons per load. This much is even effective for smelly summer clothes. It should be dissolved in warm water, but then if you wish to fill the washer the rest of the way with cold water after dissolving, you can.
It really helps to have a scoop of the proper size in the container, so that you're not tempted to use too much. (Notice that the commercial powders often tell you to use a small amount, but provide a HUGE scoop with a little fill line near the bottom of the scoop. This is to encourage you to over-use & waste their product, so they make more money) Too much detergent can actually make your clothes dirtier - because excess detergent re-deposits on the clothes, and its stickiness attracts dirt.
I wanted a craft that would tie in to the lesson, be inexpensive, and appeal to ALL our students - ranging in age from three to 13 - and be reasonably safe for any baby siblings that might come.
For the lesson tie in, I chose seashells. Since the book told about the seashells that danced in the procession when the Icon of the Virgin Mary written by the hand of St. Luke was brought to Cyprus, I thought seashells would be a good theme. A candle holder would make it possible for each child to put the candle in front of his or her own Icon of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary) at home, to remind them of this great miracle. And, since my own daughter just loves sand art, I liked the idea of a sand art project.
Then, since I'm not normally a very crafty person, I began pricing craft supplies. Boy, was I in for some sticker shock! Ten pounds of colored sand was $10! Keep in mind, sand is very heavy, so ten pounds isn't a whole lot. And, sand is FREE at the beach - although we are not near the beach. Cheap plastic containers were $1. each - "nice" containers might run $3. to $5. Perhaps not bad if you have only one child to buy for - but we were talking the whole co-op here. Glues to affix shells to your project often cost more than all the other supplies put together. Not to mention that many glues are harmful or fatal if swallowed and we were dealing with a whole bunch of kids!
Finally, I found this inspiration online - a great craft idea that was do-able by kids, and required no glue. But, I still wanted to add the fancy sand art dimension to the project.
I scoured the thrift stores for containers - instead of spending $1 to $5 per child, I found much prettier containers for an average of 30 cents each (glassware gets a LOT cheaper when one in a set is missing - there are lots of great, cheap groups of three glasses at the thrift store!)
I began searching the internet. I found that you could use salt in place of sand - I good option since I really didn't want to spend the time & gas money to go back to the other side of town. Salt can be bought for 49 cents for 2# - making it much cheaper than the colored sand at the craft store. And, it comes with its own dispenser - saving me the additional expense of buying sand art dispensers.
I found that you could color your own sand or salt with dry tempera paint. But, three colors of dry paint - the cheapest package - was $6. And, dry tempera and sand are still not all entirely safe around toddlers.
Then, it occurred to me - I color play dough with unsweetened drink mixes (such as Kool Aid) - why not try that for my salt sand? That brought my "coloring" down to 19 cents a package! But of course, drink mixes don't show their colors till a little liquid is added.
So, this is how I did it. I mixed 1 package drink mix (your choice of colors) with 1 Tablespoon salt (use two packages of lemonade if you're going for yellow). I gradually added just a FEW DROPS of water (too much water will make your salt wet & clumpy!) I stirred with a fork till the colors brightened. Then, I added the coloring to the contents of the entire box of salt. I funneled the now-colored "sand" back into the salt box for easy dispensing, and labeled the top with the name of the color inside.
For ease of distribution, I made a "craft kit" for each child, by putting a container, about 5 seashells and a candle in a paper bag. I bought the Kosher candles from the Jewish section of the grocery, as these were just the right size for our craft - and the price - 20 cents each- was good, too : )
Then each kid could pick up a kit and use the sand in common. We did the project on the floor, on a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store. Each child simply poured in a bit of each color of sand, till the container was about 1/2 full, added their candle & their seashells on top. And, all the kids in the group - from youngest to oldest - really enjoyed it : )
And, the entire project came in at around $1 per kid - and it smells great! : )
I haven't made any tests for the actual fire-safety of this candle holder. So, I can't recommend actually lighting a fire in it - you'll have to use your own best judgment on that.
As for toxicity, shells can be a choke hazard, glass can break, and table salt can be toxic if consumed in excess, and I'm sure you have your own opinion on the artificial colors & flavours in drink mix, but all-in-all, I felt better about using this with our kids than using actual sand and tempera paint - and no toxic glues were necessary : )
The Hermit, the Icon & the Emperor
by Chrissi Hart
Last year, as part of our homeschool curriculum, my daughter and I read The Hermit, the Icon & the Emperor by Chrissi Hart. After reading the book, we made a pilgrimage to the Monastery it tells about, Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus. The pictures below are from the walls of the Monastery, and depict the story in the book.
We loved the story - a story from the High Middle Ages that tells of many Miracles. It begins with an encounter between the arrogant Governor of Cyprus, Duke Boutoumites, and a lowly Hermit, Isaiah. The encounter does not go well, and the Governor acts most inappropriately - assaulting the Hermit.
The Governor assaulting the Hermit at their first encounter - Providentially leading
to his eventual championing of the Hermit's cause.
By the next morning, the Governor is gravely ill, and must call upon the Hermit for help. Meanwhile, the Hermit has an encounter with the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). When the Hermit arrives at the Governor's side, he tells him just what he must do - he must acquire the Icon of the Virgin Mary that was Painted (Written) by Saint Luke himself!
An Icon depicting St. Luke Writing the Icon of the Theotokos
The Icon is in Constantinople, and the Governor rightly predicts that the Emperor will not be willing to part with such a treasure. But, the Governor also realizes that if the Theotokos herself has instructed him to ask for it, ask he must.
The Theotokos visits the Hermit and instructs him to bring
Her Icon to Cyprus.
So, the Governor and the Hermit set off in a boat and journey to Constantinople to ask that this historic Icon be given to them - despite having no hope of their request being granted. When they arrive in Constantinople, the Emperor's young daughter is ill with the same paralyzing illness that had beset the Governor - and of course the Governor knows that the Hermit must pray for her healing.
An Icon depicting the visit of the Governor and the Hermit
to the Emperor - and the prayers of the Hermit that resulted in the
Miraculous healing of the Emperor's young Daughter.
An entire series of Miracles ensures that they receive the Icon - and an additional series of Miracles accompany the Icon's journey to Cyprus. At the end of the story, the Icon is carried in procession to the future site of Kykkos Monastery - and as the Icon is carried, the pine trees bow in reverence, and the sea shells follow the procession - dancing for joy.
"Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them" (Psalm 69:34)
Those who live in the region - including some of our own family - report that visitors can still find pine trees bowing there, in remembrance of this great event.
The story was powerfully told, and the book was beautifully illustrated. Like many Orthodox Children's books, the binding makes it look like a book for the very young, but the story in reality is one that will be captivating to people of all ages, and adults might enjoy it as much or more than children. I highly recommend this book for families to read aloud.
After reading the book, The Hermit, the Icon & the Emperor by Chrissi Hart, our family made a pilgrimage to Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus, where the Icon of the Theotokos written by the hand of St. Luke still resides. Because of its great significance, the Monastery attracts busloads of pilgrims. Thankfully, the Monks put a high priority on hospitality, while still maintaining a deeply Spiritual ambiance.
It is amazing to see how the Monks receive and accommodate such a large number of visitors - imagine if you had busloads of people showing up to visit YOUR home! I imagine it might be quite tempting to be inhospitable, but the Monks of Kykkos have made hospitality into an art - and as a result, a pilgrimage there is a pleasant and Spiritually uplifting experience. Inside the gates, while there are a few small shops with souvenir Icons and the like, the atmosphere is generally devout and peaceful. Outside the walls there is a nice cafeteria serving traditional Greek food, and lots of small shops with those things that tourists are often interested in buying - everything from fruit and nuts to more commonly-seen Cyprus souvenirs.
It was quite striking to see large crowds of chattering tourists getting off of buses - dressed like they were going to the beach (and, perhaps they were planning to visit the beach later that day), but then to see the same crowds inside the Church, speaking in reverent tones and venerating the many Christian treasures with a deep and profound piety.
To help in making the transition from tourist to pilgrim, there was a Monk sitting at the door and providing a robe- similar to a choir robe - to any visitor who needed it. Inside the gate, the walls of the Monastery outside the Church were decorated with Icons of scenes that I recognized from the story told in the book. In addition to those Icons, throughout the Monastery (and it is very large) there were many corridors of Mosaic Icons - many of which were written by the Father of a dear family friend. These Icons depict a huge variety of Christian Feasts, Saints & Bible Stories. (We took many pictures but I won't share all of them now - instead I'll save them to feature throughout the year).
The Hermit Isaiah hears the chirping of a bird and understands that God's Will is that
he build a Monastery in the Troodos Mountains - an event that is commemorated in a folk song.
Understandably, no photographs were permitted inside the Church. But, this amazing link will take you there: Kykkos Monastery Virtual Tour
(at the end of the video you'll see a tiny sample of the tremendous number of reliquaries in the Church)
The Church itself is full of inspiring Iconography. The historic Icon of the Theotokos written by the hand of St. Luke is on the Iconostasis, next to the Royal Doors (as is Traditional in Orthodox Churches for Icons of the Theotokos). For reasons of both piety and preservation, it has been covered in Bas-relief Gold & Silver, but a replica, written by a devout Monastic can be seen next to it.
Similarly each Icon had a reprint in front of it, and a Lucite screen, so that the Icons would not be destroyed by crowds of pilgrims venerating them.
The Emperor and the Patriarch bring the Icon to the ship that
will take it to the Island of Cyprus.
As pilgrims venerated the Icons on the Iconostasis they were greeted by a Monk who gave them some Holy Oil, and asked where they were from. The Monk had a kind & gentle demeanor & made visitors feel welcome.
Monks bring the Icon in procession during a time of drought.
In addition to the famous Icon of the Theotokos, the Church also contains a good-sized room full of glass cases filled with reliquaries of Saints - the names of the Saints whose relics are in the room is like a "Who's Who" of Saints! (Unfortunately, the Saints' names were only written in Greek & Russian, not in English, so knowledge of one of the two languages - or someone who can translate for you - is a big plus if you're making a pilgrimage) There are Relics of a large number of Saints you would know from the Bible, as well as an equally large number from Christian history in the centuries after the Scriptures were written. The Relics are awe-inspiring and humbling - to think that so many courageously lived and died in Love & Devotion to God! This room may well be a "best kept secret" in Cyprus - it is so amazing and moving, yet I have never seen it so much as mentioned in a tour book or website. In this room, the "noisy tourists" were no where to be seen! They had been replaced by devout pilgrims! I found myself quite overwhelmed with the experience of seeing & venerating so many relics of such awe-inspiring Saints.
Some of the Icons depict Miraculous healings associated with the Icon -
this one depicts the healing of a gravely ill child.
I really cannot recommend a pilgrimage to Kykkos Monastery more highly. Certainly if you are visiting Cyprus, it is a "must-see." If you have to choose between visiting Kykkos & visiting the beach, a museum or any other traditional "tourist attraction" - choose Kykkos- you won't be sorry!
Another miracle depicted in this and the following frame
- when a Monk was saved from a bad fall.
Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the craft that our homeschool co op did to go along with this story!
I've been making this recipe for ages - best I can figure, about 25 years. The kids I made it for back then aren't kids any more (they have kids of their own!), but they still ask for it : )
I originally found the recipe on a package of Azumaya Tofu. It was a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian recipe with a Cheddar Cheesy Polenta covering the top. I remember once baking it in a cast iron pan and taking it to a potluck. It was devoured down to the last crumb. I'm guessing most of the people there had no idea they were eating Tofu. I made it for many years with the cheese topping which used 1 1/2 cups of Shredded Cheddar stirred into hot Polenta before topping the dish, but when I became vegan, it did too!
I find that some people are wary of the word "Tofu" - if that's the case with your crowd, you can call this "Veggie Tamale Pie" - after all, it has way more Veggies than Tofu!
Here's how I make it
Tofu-Tamale Pie
Saute:
1 cup Chopped Onions (I often use the frozen chopped kind from a bag)
½ cup Celery
1 teaspoon fresh minced Garlic
Add and cook two minutes:
1 (14 to 16 ounce) block Tofu (firm or extra firm, not
silken) mashed with fork
Aromatics & Tofu cooking
add and simmer 5 minutes:
1 (16 ounce) can diced Tomatoes, drained
1 pound bag Corn (from the freezer)
1 ½ Tablespoon Chili Powder (not cayenne, but the blend you
use when making chili)
½ teaspoon Salt
Tofu Simmering with Veggies before adding Cornmeal.
Add and simmer 10 minutes (I recommend actually timing this one), stirring often:
½ cup Cornmeal
1 cup Water
At the end of the ten minutes, the mixture with cornmeal added
will be thick enough to form a pile on one side of the pan
Place in 2 quart oiled casserole dish
make Polenta* topping:
bring to a boil:
2 1/4 cups nondairy milk or water
Optional - 2 teaspoons oil (surface cracks a little if oil is omitted, but still tastes delicious!)
3/4 teaspoon salt
slowly stir in and cook till thickened, being careful to
avoid lumps:
3/4 cup cornmeal
Finished Polenta looks a lot like Mashed Potatoes.
Stir in
1 cup sliced black olives (optional -
a 4oz can of Green Chilies may be used instead for those who like a tiny bit of heat and are avoiding olives because of the fat content)
Spoon topping over tofu mixture, and spread to edges
Spooning Polenta & Olive mixture evenly over Tofu Mixture
Makes it much easier to spread to the edges without messing
Up the lower layer.
Bake, 375 degrees, 25 minutes, till very lightly browned on top. If you like (and if your pan isn't glass) you can broil this briefly at the end to heighten the brown-ness : )
I often freeze this in individual portions after baking. Simply microwave & eat.
*Polenta. Note for those from the American South: Y'all know this as "Cornmeal Mush" I find it easier to make this in the microwave than on the stove top. It is much less likely to lump this way. I put all the water, salt, and cornmeal in a large microwaveable bowl. I cook it on high for 30 seconds, take it out, stir it well, and repeat till it's the consistency of mashed potatoes. It takes about 4-5 minutes in my microwave this way.
The other day, I asked my daughter what to take to a potluck. She said "Fruit Salad!" She only knows one Fruit Salad, and this is it. It's my favorite. The recipe was originally given to me by my Mother's Cousin, Ellen, and I have used it for many years now. It is very simple - three ingredients - and very frugal - using staple fruits that are available and inexpensive year round. It's perfect for fall and winter, when other types of produce become expensive. Somehow, the combination of ingredients tastes so much better than each one tastes alone! These are the proportions - it can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger group
Fruit Salad
Combine and toss:
2 Sliced Bananas
2 Diced Apples
1 large Can Mandarin Oranges (about 11 to 15 oz) , with their liquid*
If desired, you can toss a raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries over the top (this is a good way to stretch a more expensive out-of season berry purchase)
*You may use Oranges packed in their own juice, or in light syrup, according to your preferences or dietary needs.
What do you do when you're having a Birthday or Name Day* party, but have a whole list of allergies and sensitivities to accommodate?
A while back, we had a Name Day party, and we had a houseful of kids (and adults) with the following: Gluten-Free, Dairy Allergies, Vegan, and Soy Free. There were no peanut or nut allergies.
We wanted a Cupcake look, but something that wouldn't taste - you know - well - like we were trying to make cupcakes but couldn't quite make it.
If you've dealt with a special diet for long, you've had something that was meant to taste like a food you'd always liked, but didn't quite make the cut. We didn't want that to happen at a Name Day Party!
These are what we had - and they were a big hit.
Crispy Rice Cupcakes***
Make Vegan Crisp Rice Treats, and press into an oiled Cupcake tin, slightly rounding the top. Use a hand covered in waxed paper to press & shape the Crisp Rice. Cool.
Crispy Rice pressed into Cupcake Pan to Cool
Make Strawberry Celebration Frosting** (or your favorite flavor!), using Soy Free Earth Balance.
Remove Crisp Rice "Cupcakes" from pan, and decorate with Frosting as desired.
Sometimes I also add candy treats - Colored Sugar, pastel Jordan Almonds, etc.
* A Name Day is a custom of Orthodox Christians. It is celebrated very much like a Birthday, but happens on the day of your Patron Saint or Feast. It is a great way to help your kids relate to Christian heroes rather than sports figures or movie stars.
**Commercially available frostings are often Vegan, if they fill your needs, you can always substitute store-bought for home made.
***If you're cooking for a person with allergies, be sure that every ingredient fits their needs. For instance, not all crisp rice cereals are gluten free. For someone with Celiac Sprue, for example, be sure to select a Gluten Free one.
I have loved French Crepes filled with Strawberries for a LONG time . I remember when I was young & lived overseas, a good friend and I would spend hours going to the big city by bus. When we got to the city, one of the big events would be going to a plush restaurant in a department store, and having Strawberry Filled Crepes.
More recently, when I go with my family for breakfast at the pancake place, I've always loved the Strawberry filled "French Crepes." Only one problem, they're not Vegan - not even close.
Which left me with no choice but creating my own : )
And that brings me to this afternoon - when I made them for my little girl & myself, and we had an afternoon treat when she had finished her lessons (another great advantage of homeschooling - the Crepes! ; )
What was really great was how easy they were! And, pretty healthy, considering- Vegan, free of Gluten and many major allergens. Very low in fat, and, fairly low in sugar. These can be served for a weekend brunch, afternoon treat, or dessert.
French Crepes
1 Part Vegan French Breakfast Mix
1 Part Potato Starch (if you are not Gluten Free, you can use regular flour here)
1 Part Non-Dairy Milk
Heat 10" non-stick skillet over medium heat (as for
pancakes, till water drop sizzles). No need to oil - I use no oil when making these, but oil may be used if desired.
Pour in 1/4 cup batter, and tilt quickly back & forth to evenly cover bottom
of skillet. Cook till top is completely dry. Gently loosen with spatula (it will adhere to the surface, but can easily be loosened by sliding a spatula underneath.) Flip and cook briefly on the other side.
Remove finished Crepe to a plate, and make the next one.
.
Fill with Fresh Quartered Strawberries, roll up, Sprinkle
with powdered sugar & garnish as desired.
(1/4 cup each Crepe Mix, Potato Starch and Non-Dairy milk made just enough batter for the two Crepes in the picture)
(needless to say, you can drizzle with chocolate sauce, top with whipped topping - whatever you like here to make it pretty.
Sieve into desired container for storage, seal & shake (I use a basic plastic food storage container, but a Zippered bag will also work)
Make dry mix:
1 part cornstarch (you may substitute Tapioca Starch if you prefer)
1 part sugar (of your choice, or measures-like-sugar substitute)
2 parts chickpea flour
Dash salt for every tablespoon cornstarch
Dash cinnamon, if desired
These crepes freeze acceptably for future use (without the filling) - although they're at their best when fresh. Simply stack with waxed paper between, and wrap airtight in foil or other airtight packaging. The stack can even be rolled into a cylinder if you like for easy storage. Warm thoroughly in microwave to restore pliability.
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