HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Be safe and enjoy your day everyone!

P.S. The first pic is from last Halloween the second from the year before that. This year we didn't want to torture poor Ginger since she has enough on her plate with the baby coming and all! :) He he!

$100 CSN Stores Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a terrific week! We've been busy bees getting so much done before our little Starshine's arrival! A week from today, I'll be full term! Can you believe it?! She can come at anytime after that!!! For now in between all the craziness, I am kicking my feet up on a stool and trying to relax before the big day comes! But anyway, onto business, today I bring you an awesome giveaway!!! The lovely people at CSNStores.com are giving you an $100 gift code to use on one of their many sites!


Here is how you can enter to WIN! Please leave a comment for each thing you do!

1. Leave a comment telling me your guess for when the baby will come (my due date is Nov. 26th)! :) This is just for fun, the winner will be selected randomly! :)


2. Blog about this giveaway and come back with think link to your post!


3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet! Please include @LaurenGinger in your tweet!


4. Follow me through google connect!


Good luck everyone! I will pick the winner randomly and announce it one week from tomorrow: November 5th, 2010

Fill Me Up, Buttercup!

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Lots of stuff going on over here! One month from today is my due date and I will be full term a week from Friday! YIPPY! I have a feeling she is going to come before her due date, mostly because every time I read about "What to expect during this week" I am always ahead of what they say. Plus, she has been in the down position for sometime and dropped a few weeks ago. So we will see!


On Saturday night, T and I went to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in town. I ordered whole wheat pasta with portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, eggplant and basil. This was so good!!!! I just love this dish! I also had a small side salad that I didn't take a pic of. Although this place does have raw/vegan desserts, we passed because we were so stuffed! The baby is taking up a lot of room now which means I gt full a lot quicker!

On Sunday, we went to the Farmers Market and hit up my favorite vegan baked goods stand (AGAIN!). This time I got an apple nut bread. So delicious and only pure wholesome ingredients. I rarely enjoy baked goods because I don't like to bake, so this is always a special treat.

For dinner Sunday night, I recreated the sandwich I mentioned here. It turned out quite well! I marinated tempeh with maple syrup and honey mustard then let it brown in Safflower oil. When that was done I added some onions and kale to the pan while the heat was off and let them wilt. I toasted some spelt bread and smeared some organic Veganaise on it along with sliced tomato. Yummmy!

Yesterday, T was working outside in the garage so Ginger and I pulled up a chair to keep him company. I noticed this gorgeous tree in my yard.

And of course, a Ginger picture!

That was right before she jumped on my lap (which doesn't have much room these days!).  Look at that face. Priceless.

For dinner last night I made Gena's Field Roast meal. This time I made it right! :) Except, I used pinto beans instead of kidney. T said "This is the best meal you've made in awhile!" To which I replied "It's a Gena original!" Then he said "I knew I liked her!" HA HA!

After dinner we went to Trader Joes. I am stocking up on goodies like nuts and dried fruit for after the baby is born (I'll do a post on my little "stock" in the future). But I wanted to spotlight something I've been using for awhile that T and I love: 21 Seasoning Salute!!!! We are obsessed! I put this on everything, it's so good! It has onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato granules, savory, lemon juice powder, and oil of lemon! Phew, that's a lot of spice! Everything you need in one place! Have you had it? Let me know if you try it! I love it on my kale salads!

Have a great day all!

Quick Post!

Hiya! Happy Friday! Sorry for the late post today, I've been cleaning.. as usual. HA HA! Plus T is working on heat in the baby's room, so I am trying to stay as calm as possible. When T and his Dad do something together I become very nervous. Although they own a construction company, when it comes to MY house, I can't help but get nervous. Not to mention when my father in law walked in, he said "We should have a fire extinguisher handy.."  Not funny!!! Ginger obviously doesn't like all the noise, she was trying to hide..

This week has been pretty hectic, we are working in overtime to get everything done before the baby comes. Which isn't helping my "resting" idea.. I did have a delicious lunch one day: on spelt bread, Bubbies pickles, hummus and avocado. YUM!

And a really lovely dinner: acorn squash stuffed with black beans and brown rice and a side of brussel sprouts sauteed in garlic and olive oil. Delicious!

Sorry for the short post! Like I said, super busy! Be back soon! Have a great weekend all!

Resting Up!

Hey Sweetie Pies! I hope your week is going well. I am trying to relax and get stuff done at the same time! :) So many little things that I have to get done before the baby is born, but I am also trying to get my rest and relax as much as possible. The weekends are so hectic, so during the week I spend my days trying to chill and get all the rest I can!

I pulled this card yesterday (from Magical Messages from the Fairies): Express Your Individuality: Allow Your True Self To Shine Because You Are Awesome!


Just a little pick-me-up on your Wednesday! :)

Over the weekend I made a delicious meal inspired by Gena. I actually meant to make the exact meal she did, BUT, I forgot the beans at the store (D'oh, pregnancy brain!). So instead of rice and beans, I used potatoes. I WILL make it the right way next week because I am loving Field Roast! Thanks for turning me onto it, Gena! I am not a faux meat fan AT ALL, but these don't have any crappy ingredients and they are super tasty. They do contain gluten, but they are soy free. Plus, they have 25 grams of protein! 

I also made a delicious vegetable and rice soup last week. This had carrots, celery, potatoes, brown rice, chickpeas and vegetable broth. I always add kombu and soy-free miso. Perfect cooler weather meal. Everyone always asks if I use cookbooks for my meals, but the truth is, I usually just wing it, and sometimes I get ideas (or recipes) from other bloggers.

And finally, my favorite snack this week: a dark chocolate Theo Bar. I always put my chocolate in the freezer and I grab a little piece whenever I want some. One bar usually lasts a week or two.

Finally, here I am at almost 35 weeks! I am pretty sure the baby has dropped because I am feeling her a lot lower and my ribs don't hurt at all anymore. She's almost ready!!!

Have a wonderful day all!

Bestie Birthday Sunday

Hello Butterflies! I hope you all had a great weekend! I have a few meals from last week, but yesterday was filled with delicious food (and a lot of it), so I figured I'd save the other stuff for later on in the week. First though, this is the most fragrant beautiful rose I've ever seen! T picked it for me from our yard! I can't walk buy without smelling it, it's so lovely!

Yesterday, we headed down to our parents houses, at the shore, to have one last visit and see everyone before the baby is born. She is due in almost a month, so we won't be making any long car trips. Our parents are about 40 minutes away and our hospital is about 25 minutes from us, so needless to say, we are hanging tight at home for the next few weeks. But Saturday was my besties birthday! I've mentioned before, my bestie is going to be my sister in law next Summer! She is marrying T's brother! I can't wait! Unfortunately, her Father passed away a few weeks ago. Some of you may remember the prayer request I had a few months back. I'm so sad for her loss. :(

When we got down there we headed to the farmers market to hit-up the only vegan lunch van in the country! Have you heard of the Cinnamon Snail? They hang out in Hoboken during the week and are stationed at the Red Bank Farmers Market on Sundays. T and I always hit it up whenever we are down there on a Sunday. We always get the same thing: The Maple-Mustard Tempeh Sandwich.

Holy crap, this is the best sandwich I have ever had! We LOVE it! The sandwich consists of maple-mustard glazed tempeh, some wilted kale, tomato, onion and Veganaise on spelt bread. We've had it probably only 3 or 4 times, and every time it's always worth the wait! If we lived down there, we'd probably be having it every Sunday! It's THAT good! I think I need to try to recreate it, SOON!

For dinner my Mother in Law made vegan eggplant parm. My bestie and my mother in law are both vegan (thanks too Skinny Bitch and ME!). Ha ha! I've been asked a few times how she makes it.. after cutting the eggplant in slices she coats them with olive oil and then covers them with gluten free bread crumbs. She bakes those until they are slightly cooked and then layers them in a casserole dish with sauce and a little Daiya (sometimes she leaves out the Daiya). The layers go: eggplant, sauce, Daiya, eggplant and so on. Then she bakes it until done. I've made it a few times at home as well. I actually prefer it without the Daiya. This time it only had a little. T obviously dished out the portions, because this portion was ridiculously HUGE and messy! Ha ha!

Of course there was dessert! We had vegan carrot cake from the The Twisted Tree and my Mother in Law made vegan peanut butter cups from The Kind Diet. As you may of noticed, that is her signature vegan desert! She always makes them and they are so delicious!

I was also lucky enough to visit the spiritual store with T and my Mother in Law. T sat and read the paper on the couch they had and some lady asked him if he could give her a "reading!" LOL!! T had to correct her and tell her he was just reading the paper waiting for his wife and mother! Ha ha! I bought a few energy stones (of course), for balance after the baby is born (as if a stone will help..he he). I also got this gorgeous bookmark (I have about 30 bookmarks, I think I buy one every time I am in a book store) and MORE oracle cards (another thing I have way to many of). These are Magical Messages from the Fairies by Doreen Virtue! The next ones I want to get are the Mermaid Cards! :)

We also bought the baby a Christmas dress and an adorable coat and matching booties from a boutique I had a gift card for. You will have to wait until after Christmas to see her in her little dress! It's so precious!! 

How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting? Do you buy something in excess? :) Have a great day all!

Pumpkin it Up!

Good Day Everyone! I hope you are having a super week. I'm busy getting things done before the baby's arrival! So much to do, so little time! :) 
Anyway, I've been in the kitchen a lot lately. This was a pumpkin and white bean dish that I got from Whole Living Magazine (formally known as Body + Soul Magazine). The recipe was pretty simple, I used a whole pumpkin and cooked it whole in the oven then peeled it and adding the flesh to a pan that the white beans, onion, garlic and tomato paste were already cooking in. I also added my own pumpkin seeds as garnish. This came out pretty good. I really don't have too much success with making recipes out of magazines, weird. We are never 100% crazy about them. Oh well, still super nourishing.

Over the weekend, I picked up homemade ravioli's at Whole Foods. These were obviously vegan and had vegetables inside. After they cooked, I added them to a pan with olive oil, seasonings and a little tomato paste. They came out really good, although the pic looks really bad! :)

Speaking of pumpkin, at the Farmer's Market this week I picked up some vegan pumpkin bread from the same stand I got my vegan goodies last week. So funny, I RARELY post sweets or baked goods (mostly because I don't bake often and when it comes to sweets I am simple, dark chocolate is my poison of choice!), but lately I've got sweets galore going on! Must be the pregnancy! ;)

And more sweets for your liking: a vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookie from the same stand. I love that all of her goodies are made with organic, local, fair trade ingredients, and only the best wholesome ingredients. She uses spelt flour for her non-gluten free items and  organic evaporated cane juice for sweetener.

For lunch I've been switching back and fourth from kale salads and wraps. This was a spelt wrap with hummus, soy-free miso, avocado, spinach and nutritional yeast.

And another yummy dinner: brown rice with kale, soy-free miso and butternut squash. Mmm, so good! My favorite thing to do with any grain is to add a piece of kombu and soy-free miso for nutrients and flavor. I remove the kombu once it is cooked.

Lastly, my ENTIRE pregnancy I've been waiting to park in one of these spots. I know, silly, but I just wanted to feel special! We finally got to do so when we visited Babies R Us over the weekend. I was stocking up on organic diapers (cloth and regular). I don't think you can ever have enough diapers!

Have a wonderful day!

Apple Picking Again and Fun with Animals!

Hello Pumpkin Pies (I call Ginger, Pumpkin Pie all the time!)! I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was pretty jammed packed. Eight months pregnant and I am still up and about! Having a good time. :)


Going back a few days, on Friday we headed to Whole Foods for dinner and groceries. I had some brown rice avocado sushi.

I also grabbed a fresh made juice, Honeycrisp Apple!! Yum! I love that my Whole Foods makes unpasteurized juice and Honeycrisp? The.Best.

On Saturday we went to lunch at our favorite little salad/soup bistro. I had a plate of white beans.

And a big bowl of vegan split pea soup!

After lunch we went apple picking (again) this time with my brother in law and future sister in law (my bestie!).

We picked a few since we still have some left over from our last apple picking trip.

I really enjoy the scenery. The weather was perfect too! A nice Fall breeze was in the air!

They had a lot of fun Fall stuff.

We wanted to get our pumpkin at another farm nearby, so were just enjoyed the fun decor while waiting on line.

Little baby white pumpkins, so cute!

After apple picking we stopped by a local health food store. I had an Apple Cider Vinegar Grape/Acai juice by Bragg's. I enjoy apple cider vinegar, I like to take a spoonful after dinner. But this juice tasted like the vinegar with a tiny splash of grape. A little too strong for my liking, and I am in love with Kombucha so you KNOW this was strong! :)

After that we went to a different farm that had some friendly animals.. here is T feeding the goats!

So cute! A few of the goats were fighting, a little one was beating up a bigger one! Sounds like Ginger..

There was a rooster just roaming the area! Ha ha!

The cows were chilling!

And a beautiful peacock along with some turkeys and ducks.

Finally, pumpkin time!

When we got home from our looong day, I enjoyed some raw chocolate I picked up at the health food store.

I really like this chocolate. Rich and smooth! Mmmm!

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Have a great day!