Vols-au-Vent - victory or defeat?

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Puff pastry cannot be made in a hurry - the process takes several hours and patience is key.  It was easy enough to substitute Earth Balance instead of butter in Michael Richard's recipe, but I'm not sure if my pastry is missing the visible horizontal layers because of the EB or my lack of skill at rolling the dough!  I'm pretty sure it's the latter ;)

Often in Daring Baker's challenges we are given free range of flavours and this month was no exception.  Savoury or sweet, we were left with the task of filling our Vols-au-Vent's with whatever our hearts desired.  The first thing that came to mind when I saw these was Happy Herbivore's mock tuna.  I've used it to make "tuna" casserole and sandwiches, and I knew it woud be the perfect filling for this recipe. It did not disappoint!  Thank you Steph for hosting this month's challenge, and thank you Happy Herbivore for the "tuna"! 

Gordita's lunchbox - a day in the lunchbox of a vegan toddler

What do vegan toddlers eat for lunch?  Well, Vegan Lunchbox is the Queen of healthy vegan lunches that you can send your kids off to school, and it's clear that there is so many other options than a PB&J sandwich.  Gordita isn't in school yet as she's not yet two years old, but she does get cared for while I'm at work, so I pack her breakfast and lunch every day.  I thought it might be a nice change of pace to share with you what's in her lunchbox from time to time.  Here's today's lunch:

Clockwise from top:  Organic apple & cinnamon oatmeal, whole wheat naan bread, peas tossed in olive oil, lunchbox fondue, organic banana, strawberries sprinkled with ground flax, wildberry juice box, Salba crispy rice treat, and peach soy yogurt.  She also had a bottle of soy milk which isn't in the photo.  I kinda wish this was my lunch today!

Get your Chocolate Fix from CCV

If you like Chocolate (and really, who doesn't?) head over to Chocolate Covered Vegan's Chocolate SuperFood Bar Giveaway and enter to win a box of energy bars!!

A Day at the Farm

I recently took Gordita to Westham Island Herb Farm, when they were hosting thier annual "Day at the Farm."  It was less about animals and more about promoting local agriculture, and there was so much to see and do: A zucchini contest, hayrides, lots of booths full of educational material about agriculture, and more.  Here's Gordita with her biodegradable balloon from one of the vendors:

We sat under the shade of some trees which have just started to shed their golden leaves, and and enjoyed freshly picked corn on the cob and veggie dogs for lunch!

We went on a hayride and got a tour of the farm - they have vast fields of potatoes, strawberry patches and lots and lots of herbs. 

It turned out to be a very hot day, so after the hayride I sipped a refreshing raspberry flavoured organic sparkling green tea made by Steaz.  It was my first time trying this brand, and it really hit the spot.

And lastly, I leave you with a photo of the most curiously shaped squash I have ever seen: