As shared on our stories today, Anastasia's peanut butter and strawberry oatmeal recipe! This one is SO easy and makes for the perfect protein-packed snack in a hurry! Feel free to print out and share. More glorious recipes can be found on her blog, lettuceattend.com.
Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili - slow cooker style!
As shared on our stories today, Anastasia's slow cooker Lenten chili recipe! Feel free to print out and share. More glorious recipes can be found on her blog, lettuceattend.com.
Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole (Vegan)
Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole (Vegan)
Guys. It's the last post of our Week of Lenten Recipes. I'm bummed cause it's been so much fun testing these recipes and sharing them with people all over the world! BUT next week, we're going to have more Lenten goodness for you all! We've got Instagram takeovers from:
Anastasia McAdams of Lettuce Attend - March 4
Melissa Naasko of Fasting as a Family - March 7
They're going to be sharing their Lenten tips and meals, and be a constant reminder that we're all in this, working out our salvation, together. Feel free to email or message us your questions to pass them on to them!
I'm sharing this super hearty recipe today cause I wanted to show what delicious Lenten entrees can look like. The secret to this one is the SAUCE. Who knew just some canned tomatoes + cilantro + garlic powder could help pull together a whole casserole so beautifully?!
Also, did I mention it's a SLOW COOKER recipe?! Yay!! Assembly takes around 15 minutes and you just set this baby aside for 4-5 hours and serve with rice. Bam. Done.
Vegan Vegetable Sammies
Vegan Vegetable Sammies (Oil-free, or not!)
I have a friend who likes to joke about the "food titles" for different fasts. For example, the Lenten fast = the Hummus fast, the Nativity fast = the Lentil Soup fast. I think, for our family, the Lenten fast could easily be called, The Veggie Sammies fast. Every other week during lent, I make up a tupperware container of this mix and we eat it for lunches for the week. The best part is...it's super flexible!
For example: If your family is eating oil this fast, you can sub out the red wine vinegar in here for olive oil. I usually add in any random leftovers that need to be used up. These usually include: white beans, zucchini, canned tuna... you get the picture. I usually keep the tomato-cucumber-pepper base and alternate the other mixin's. For our family, this mixes it up juuuuust enough that we don't get completely sick of the recipe by Pascha, but it still makes the recipe effortless.
Plus, LOOK at how fresh and delicious this mixture is. Boom.
Hop to it, y'all here's the recipe!
Greek/Lebanese Green Beans
Greek/Lebanese Green Beans
I'm sure some of you guys don't even need a recipe for this one, but I wanted to share because this recipe is crazy simple, filling, and of course, Lenten.
So in case you haven't seen a theme here, we're trying to keep these recipes
1. delicious for the kiddos,
2. Simple by using as few ingredients as possible,
3. filling and nutritious. We are trying to avoid your kids needing a snack break every hour. Cause to me, that seems to defeat the point of the fast.
I also wanted to take the time today to add a little note reminding everyone that this is a judgement-free zone. It's between you, your family, and your spiritual father to decide what is the best way to go about the fast. Plus, there is a HUGE learning curve for the Lenten fast... I'm not just talking about the food part. I've heard several priests say that it took them nearly 10 years before they could fast "completely". That was a nice reality check for me.
Full disclosure: I am not doing the full fast since I'm nursing, but I'm trying my best and will maybe have one meal a week that's non-lenten. I can be kind of legalistic and tend to overdo the fast, especially since I've only been at this for 4 years now. I call it "that convert zeal"! Because of this, I've learned so much from listening and heeding the advice of other people in the parish (for me, talking with moms who've been pregnant/breastfed before has really helped), who keep me in check, keep me from getting sick (most of the time), and cope with my stubbornness - ha! Also, shout out to my mother-in-law, the Gypsy, who two years ago, basically made me eat a burrito during the fast when I was pregnant and still trying to fast. You've really helped me keep things in perspective. I learned a lot from that moment.
I told you, I'm stubborn. I''m working on it. Love to you all! My God bless us all this lent as we struggle together to grow closer to him by overcoming our desires and negative habits.
Coconut Whipped Cream (Vegan + Oil Free)
Coconut Whipped Cream (Vegan + Oil Free)
Yes. Vegan. Whipped Cream. In under 10 mins. Let's go.
"the good stuff"
I love this recipe because it's so easy to make, the kiddos love it, and you can really easily adjust the sweetness level to suit your family's preferences. Yes, if you haven't figured out by now, I'm the crazy mom who tries to limit her children's sugar intake. (Sorrynotsorry!)
I just love this recipe during Lent. It helps remind me that we can treat ourselves without being extravagant in what we eat and without making a recipe that takes forever and sucks up time that we could be spending in prayer or with our families.
My favorite way to serve it is in a bowl with fresh fruit. If I'm feeling so inclined, I'll top it off with some maple syrup and serve it with those lovely Cardamom-Lemon Biscotti we made earlier this week!
Also, if you're feeling really fancy, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of either cinnamon or cardamom (seeing a theme here?) to the bowl when you add in all the ingredients. It will be so yummy and simple!
*BONUS* Save the coconut milk that you drain from the can and use in smoothies for breakfast. Or, just drink it straight! It's crazy good for helping you stay hydrated! Have fun!
Vegan White Bean "Fondue" Dip
Vegan White Bean "Fondue" Dip with Veggies
I usually do my best to stay away from what I call "cheater" recipes during Lent. By that I mean trying to replicate an everyday recipe in a vegan fashion. I don't really have a problem with it, it's just not how I cook in general.
This recipe is one of my few exceptions. I don't really consider it a "cheating" recipe because we never have fondue in our house, so to us this is just a neat way to eat bean dip- ha! However, I think the nutritional yeast in the recipe kind of screams [PRETEND CHEESE] haha. Sounds like I'm in denial, right?
I love how the dip all comes together so quickly! You can assemble the whole thing in 10 minutes. Again, this allows for more family or prayer time, and less time that your toddler can spend clinging to your leg asking to be picked up. ha!
This is another recipe from my girl over at My New Roots. I love everything she makes because it's always simple, mostly vegan and cheap! One amazing thing I've learned from reading her recipes is that white beans are a fantastic way to make your recipes creamier, denser, and richer in protein all in one go! That handy-dandy trick is showcased beautifully in this recipe!
Some ingredients you may or may not have seen before:
Nutritional Yeast: This is a flaky, deactivated yeast that is frequently used as a natural cheese substitute because of it's cheesy flavor. You'll see shortly! You can find in almost any grocery store nowadays - it's usually in the health-food isle.
White Miso: This is a fermented soybean paste that is actually great for your digestive system and can be used to make miso soup! I like to keep a little jar on hand and drop a tablespoon or two into some warm stock when my family starts to get sick - it's very versatile! You can find this in the refrigerated section of your health food store.
If you don't already have these in your home, I highly recommend purchasing them for this recipe and playing around with them! They really make this dip special!
To serve:
I usually serve this dip family-style on the table along with a big bowl of dipping items. These include things like:
- Celery
- Carrots
- Slices of baguette
- Broccoli
- Peppers
Honestly, just chop up whatever is easy and you know your kiddos will eat! Have fun!
Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan + Oil Free)
Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan + Oil Free)
So here we go. This recipe is
1. So. easy.
2. Ridiculously fast.
3. Creamy and delicious.
Get excited, y'all. I love tomato soup and I love how simple it is. For me, that makes it a great family fasting food. It can sustain us, and the kids will eat it, but really, it's nothing fancy.
Before we start, here are some important notes for this soup:
1. You're going to be using the broiler to get a nice char on your tomatoes and peppers. Don't worry, it's how we'll roast the peppers and we're going to peel off all the black bits eventually. Think of it like Lent itself - it can be "painful" and not pretty at times, but in the end, you get to peel back all the dark parts of yourself and emerge a brand new bowl of delicious tomato soup. But seriously.
2. Make sure your pan is ovenproof. This makes the recipe so much easier because then you can do everything IN ONE PAN. That's what I'm talking about.
3. Keep the can from your tomatoes. You'll use it when the soup all starts to come together to make your very own "tomato stock".
Easy, right? Oh and also this recipe can be made in under 20 mins. Did I mention that?! Boom. Lenten recipes are amazing. Here it is, ladies and gents. Don't be afraid to double it and freeze for later on in the fast!
7 Ingredients, people. The peppers are MIA in this shot because they jumped into the pan right before I snapped the camera - ha!
Cardamom Lemon Biscotti (Contains Oil)
Cardamom - Lemon Biscotti (Contains oil)
Hello All!
Caroline here with one of my all time favorite recipes! Guess what? It's VEGAN! Let it be known that biscotti is my weakness and go-to snack food, mostly because I'm constantly drinking coffee. My husband is a manager of a stellar coffee shop here in Louisville and I have 2 kids under the age of 4. I'll just leave it at that.
So these biscotti... They're Cardamom - Lemon and the recipe is adapted from my favorite food blogger, Sarah Britton of My New Roots. (original recipe here). Anything with cardamom in it is super divine and I love making a huge batch of these before Lent begins and keeping them in my freezer for special wine and oil days, or when I need a pick-me-up.
The flour in here is just oats that you run through the food processor, so if you're trying to avoid gluten, it can be easily adapted by just opting for gluten-free rolled oats! Yippee! Without further adieu, here is the recipe! Stay tuned this week for more goodies that complement these bad boys PERFECTLY.
THE WHO {Abigail}
"Every Good and Perfect gift comes from above." I began with this verse because I feel that doing this work has been a wonderful surprise in my life, because for me "Illustrator" is a new job title; Something I envisioned as a child, put aside when I went to college, and can finally embrace as I entered my 30's. I've had a few other jobs, though I should say Mama is certainly my favorite! My husband Derek and I have been blessed with beautiful girls ages 3 and 11 months. They are the light in our lives, and so much of the reason this business is in existence.
I’ll close my eyes and try to go back before motherhood:
I grew up the middle child in a family with three kids in central Indiana. My parents were former Presbyterian missionaries, and converted to Orthodoxy when I was 5 or so. I grew up with a lot of freedom to be creative and imagine things. (My brother likes to tell the story of me lighting sticks in the bonfire pit and then pretending to put out the “fire” with the kitchen broom.) Church was always a constant in my life, though living about 45 minutes from the nearest Orthodox Church made it hard to fully participate in the church life. As a kid, I loved to draw, paint, and make things. My mom was very encouraging and let me do almost anything within reason. As a parent now, I really give her credit for this!
By high school, we had moved to Kentucky, but I'll fast forward through those years (because that’s too long of a story to tell here) and by college I was a student at the University of Louisville. While I had dreams of going away for school, I ended up close to home. The biggest blessing in this was that I was able to continue attending my home parish and become more grounded in the faith I had grown up with. St. Michael's church has been a center of stability throughout my life, a hub in the wheel of change and movement. I've met so many people there who quietly, steadily, do their work for God and all of this wasn't lost on me as I asked myself the big questions about where I wanted my life to go. One summer evening after my sophomore year, I would meet my future husband in the chapel. We were both at Vespers that night, and I was 100% distracted by this young hipster guy who I’d never seen before. (I should mention I knew who all of the available Orthodox men were off the top of my head!) Anyhow, through the help of some mutual friends Derek and I became friends and decided to be more than that after he converted to Orthodoxy. The thing About Derek that got me was his honesty, I admired it and knew having a partner who would be forthright was important. We were married soon after graduation, and both started our teaching careers that fall. He spent his free time reading and wood working, while I spent my time drawing and knitting.
The first four years of our marriage I worked as an Elementary ESL teacher in the south end of Louisville. Much of my time was spent teaching early literacy skills to struggling and emergent readers whose first language was not English. There was nothing in the world like teaching someone to read, and I was very attached to my students. I wanted to provide the best lessons I could, which meant finding the best written books. I loved cataloging books for thematic units, or finding more of a particular author my students liked. Many of my students were refugees and struggled to connect with the cultural content in what they were reading, often leading me into mini cultural lessons before or after a reading lesson. Books are powerful tools, and I witnessed their influence first hand. I often thought about the beauty of icons and the themes of the Orthodox Church... wondering how they could be made more accessible to children? How could the cultural barriers of Orthodoxy be revisited? What are age appropriate ways to share the truth of our faith?
As the years passed, and my students came and went, the word "baby" was forever on my mind. Derek and I traveled often in those early years, but we were forever thinking of making a home and filling it with children. By God's grace, we found out we were pregnant on Holy Wednesday (also my birthday) in the spring of 2014. A new journey was about to begin, and I suddenly realized that my time was limited. I had spent so long wanting to be a mother and now it was finally coming. It was coming, and the time I had for new endeavors was narrowing! As soon as I finished the year teaching I enrolled in an iconography course through Haexameron, having wanted to study iconography for years I thought "Now is the time!" The course was incredible, overwhelming, and very humbling. I shared the table with iconographers and mosaic artists well practiced in the trade and learned so much about the history and practice of iconography. I came away very aware of my need to grow as an artist, but also reinvigorated with a love for iconography and wanting to share that beauty with others.
Fast forward to 2016, I was a year and a half into full time motherhood. One Sunday of Orthodoxy, while our daughter was napping, Derek and I wrote a little poem about how to treat icons. We wrote it over a few days, and then tucked it away in a drawer. Every so often we would talk about me illustrating the story and making it a book. Finally, Derek told me straight: "Stop talking about doing this, and just DO it." The first step I took was to start an Art Instagram account and begin to try to keep myself accountable! It was strange because people I interacted with regularly started noticing my art and it sparked conversations I'd never had before. Questions like "What is GOOD art?" "Why do children's illustrations often get the least amount of thought when perhaps they deserve the most?" Other people had been wondering about these things too, and it felt refreshing to make these connections!
In March of 2017, my friend Marian came to visit us and our new baby girl. She brought a basket of goodies, and refreshing conversation: Mentioning this dream that she'd had about us making an Orthodox Children's Calendar, and then with all seriousness said "What if we actually made one?"
Over the coming months we added Caroline to our team, and started working on a calendar that would foster Orthodox teachings in children's everyday lives. It started out as something we wanted to do for ourselves, and as interest grew the project eventually grew into a business! God has given me so many blessings throughout my life, and I certainly count Marian and Caroline up at the top. Everyday I feel humbled, grateful, and very unworthy to be doing this work. But "Its never too late to be what you might have been." As George Elliot famously said, and I'm ever grateful for the chance!
I was in 5th grade here!
Married in the summer of 2010
Our Girls
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