Hi, guys!  I’m slowly coming out from under the craziness that is having a newborn baby to care for, and I actually have a minute to write up a post.  I hope to have more time before another two months (or more… ahem) goes by.

Let me start by saying that if you have any friends who’ve recently had babies, or even not that recently – bring them food!  I can’t tell you what a big help our friends were when we first brought Pearl home from the hospital and in the weeks that followed.  Most of them aren’t vegan or even vegetarian so we were even more touched that they went out of their way to get us vegan meals.  Our biggest and most heartfelt thanks to Karen & Brian, Rebecca & Matt, Jason & Marion, Robert & Ro, Larry & Sara, Mr. Joe, Steph & Bob, Megan & Mike, Matt & Katie and Dave & Molly of Madeleine Bistro.

I’ve been meaning to write about this tasty Quinoa, Corn and Black Bean meal for weeks, partly to thank my dear friend Karen for making it for us, and also because it was so yummy!  We ate this with tortilla chips and some guacamole we had in the fridge, and it was a really satisfying weeknight meal.

I’ve had a lot of dietary changes in the past weeks (which I’ll have to get into more detail about in a separate post), but the short version is that we thought Pearl had an allergy to a protein that I was eating.  For weeks I’ve been abstaining from dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, chocolate, and wheat.  Over the weekend we found out that Pearl’s issue might be totally unrelated to what I’m eating (or it might not…), so I’m still abstaining from the possible allergens while we figure it all out.  The dairy and eggs are obviously not an issue for me, but the soy, nuts, chocolate and wheat have been pretty difficult.  I feel like I’m having to re-learn how to eat all over again.

Needless to say, I look fondly back on those meals of kale and peanut noodles and New Farm mac n’ cheese that we enjoyed in Pearl’s early days.  Fortunately I can still eat this tasty Quinoa, Corn & Black Bean dish, so I’ll be making it myself sooner than later.  Another big thanks to Karen for introducing us to this healthy and delicious meal!

And just because I can’t resist, here’s a recent shot of Pearl…

Hey, guys!  Just wanted to take a moment and post a few more pics of Baby Pearl.  Daddy and Mommy are pretty tired, but little Pearl is getting plenty of shut eye, as you can see…

She loves snuggling with Daddy.  Especially in the middle of the night.

And of course she doesn’t want to leave Mommy out.

Thanks to all of you for your kind and congratulatory words.  We really appreciate them.

Pearl joined us at 12:53AM this morning, weighing in at 7lbs12oz.  She and I are both doing great and are trying to get some rest in the hospital.  Once we get home and the dust settles, I’ll do my best to give you guys more photos and updates.

Before I do that, I want to give you a little background and more information about green smoothies.  Ryan and I have been making breakfast smoothies for years, but we used to only add a bit of spinach.  I was talking with a customer about this last spring, and she recommended I check out the book Green for Life.  I really enjoyed the book, and it inspired me to get more creative with the greens I added to my smoothies.  I starting using dandelion greens, romaine, parsley, mint, tatsoi, beet greens and kale, to name just a few.

For three or four weeks I followed the recipes in Green for Life until I felt I had a pretty good grasp of the amounts to use, as well as an idea of the combinations of fruit and veg that I like best.  The main thing I took away from the book was to make sure to vary the fruit and greens that you use, which was really easy for me to do over the summer since there’s such an abundance of seasonal fruit available.

The smoothie I make in this video is one of my favorites, and it’s the one I’ve been making most often lately.  Some other versions I really like are romaine with frozen pineapple and mango, or beet greens with frozen strawberries and fresh oranges.  Speaking of oranges, they’re great with just about everything, and they’re particularly yummy with grapes (and any greens).  If you use oranges just cut off the peel, cut them in half and toss them into your blender.

Another thing you might want add is some flax meal or oil, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and I like adding a vegan protein powder as well.  I usually only add cocoa powder if I’m adding berries or only using bananas (which are also tasty with a bit of cinnamon), and if you want your smoothie to be totally raw you could use raw cacao powder instead.

I normally use a Vitamix blender for my smoothies, and I do think that a high-speed blender is best for these.  The greens really get pulverized, as do any seeds in the fruit.  That being said, a Vitamix blender is pricey.  We’d already burned through two blenders that were both pretty high quality when we decided to take the plunge and get a Vitamix, and we got a refurbished model that was much less expensive than the brand new models.  If you do a lot of blending, I think a Vitamix is definitely worth the investment.

If you want to learn more about making green smoothies and all the health benefits they provide, Green for Life is a great starting point, and there’s also an abundance of information about them online.  The main thing I tell people is to not be afraid to experiment so that you can find what you like best.  If they taste terrible to you, you’re not going to drink them.  For example, I know that kale is one of the best greens to use for these, but it’s really hard for me to get a smoothie down that has kale in it, so I don’t use it as much as other greens.

I hope that this video and post are helpful to you and that you’ll try making your own green smoothies (if you’re not already!).  They really are a great addition to your diet, and if you drink them regularly, you’ll definitely feel the benefits!

It’s our last day of give-aways here at C’est La Vegan, and I think we’ve saved the best for last!  That’s coming from a chocoholic with a raging sweet tooth, of course.

I met Allison of Allison’s Gourmet at Vida Vegan Con, and we became fast friends.  Allison is awesome, and I feel so lucky to have had that time with her.  I just wish we lived closer to each other.  I have a feeling we could do some serious baking together, though I’m sure my waistline is probably better off with some distance between us… (not that I have a waistline right now, but I’ll get it back eventually!)

Even if I can’t see her as much as I’d like, I can have some of her tasty treats delivered right to my door whenever I feel like it.  Allison recently sent Ryan and I a sampler of some of her chocolate products, including her new artisan chocolates, and I was totally blown away by everything we tried – from the elegant packaging to the incredibly decadent chocolates.

For today’s give-away Allison is going to generously send one lucky winner a four-piece sampler of her brand new artisan chocolates.  I can tell you that they’re as delicious as they are beautiful.  To enter the give-away, visit Allison’s site and tell me what you’d most like to try.  You can increase your chances of winning by following C’est La Vegan and Allison’s Gourmet on twitter and by liking C’est La Vegan and Allison’s Gourmet on facebook.  Don’t forget to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.  The contest is open to US residents and will close December 15th at 9pm PST.

And check out Allison’s Friday With Friends blog post today, featuring and interview with yours truly!

UPDATE: The winner of the give-away is Megan, who said – I like this chickpea curry. http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/cheap-ne28099-easy-chickpea-curry/  I use a can of tomatoes when I don’t have fresh, and I throw in a can of coconut milk. Great giveaway – I’m trying to eat more whole foods as well!  Congratulations, Megan!

I was sent “Eat Vegan on $4 a Day” to review, and I have to say that I’m really excited to get cooking again so I can really implement the ideas in this book.  The basic premise is that a diet based on beans, grains and fresh fruit and vegetables will save you tons of money, while also improving your health.

This book is chock full of information about ways to implement the money saving strategies put forth, as well as how to prepare different types of beans and grains.  It contains charts for cooking times and measurements that I know I’ll reference again and again.

I definitely don’t have the healthiest diet (though it is healthier than the standard American diet on many counts), so I think this book will be a huge help in getting me where I’d rather be with my food choices.  I often feel overwhelmed about implementing an entirely whole foods diet that’s based around beans and grains, but this book makes it seem so simple.  Author Ellen Jaffe Jones gives you the tools to successfully eat well, and as the title indicates, to save a lot of money while doing it.

I’m so excited that one of my readers will have the chance to win this book!  Simply leave a comment telling me about your favorite healthy and affordable meal.  The contest is open to US residents only and will close December 14th at 9pm PST.

There’s still time to enter the other give-aways happening here at C’est La Vegan, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our final give-away of the year!

As you can see from the video above, I’m a huge fan of Earth Balance buttery spread.  It’s a great substitute for butter, and so much better for you.  If you’re a skeptic, I challenge you to give it a try, and with today’s give-away that just got a lot easier!  One lucky winner will receive 3 coupons good for any Earth Balance product of your choice.

The Earth Balance product line has been expanding to include options like soy milk (and nog!), mayo, peanut butter and coconut spread, so there are lots of options for you to try.  And once you get your coupons and pick up your products, you can use them to make something yummy to enter in the Earth Balance Holiday Bake-Off Contest.

To enter today’s give-away, just leave a comment telling me what products you’d like to try and what you’d make with them.  The contest is open to U.S. residents only and will close Tuesday, December 13th at 9pm PST.  You can increase your chances of winning by following C’est La Vegan on twitter, and by “liking” C’est La Vegan on facebook.  Make sure you leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry, and don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the next give-away.  Good luck!

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment below telling me how you would enjoy your jar of queso – maybe it would be in a recipe or just right out of the jar, like me.  You can increase your chances of winning by following C’est La Vegan and Food for Lovers on twitter, and by “liking” C’est La Vegan and Food for Lovers on facebook.  Make sure to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry, or they won’t be counted.  The contest will close Monday, December 12th at 9pm PST.  Good luck!

And if you haven’t already, there’s still time to enter yesterday’s give-away for Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar.  Check back the rest of the week for more give-aways!

UPDATE: The winner of the give-away (chosen by random number generator) is Maria, who said – Been wanting to cook brussels sprouts again, and this would be wonderful to use!  Congratulations, Maria!

Before Ryan and I took our recent trip to Ojai, our friends recommended we check out the Ojai Olive Oil tour and tasting room.  It was unfortunately a little drizzly out, so we didn’t get to take the tour, but we did visit the tasting room.  They had both unflavored and flavored olive oils, as well as balsamic vinegars to try.  Everything we tasted was absolutely amazing, and they had unique flavors that I’d never seen in other oils and vinegars.

My favorite oils were the Basil and Garlic flavors.  But what really blew me away were the flavored Balsamic Vinegars – especially the Peach and Blackberry Ginger, although all of the flavors were incredible.  Rather than tasting artificial or chemical, each one tasted exactly like the flavor described.  I love using balsamic vinegars with fruit and desserts, and these flavors are perfect for just that.

To kick off a week of C’est La Vegan give-aways, the kind owner of Ojai Olive Oil is generously going to send one lucky winner a bottle of their Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar.  To enter, just leave a comment telling me how you would use the vinegar if you’re the lucky winner.  (I’m personally planning to make a blackberry compote to drizzle along with the vinegar over some vegan vanilla ice cream…).  The contest is open to U.S residents only, and it will close on Sunday, December 11th at 9pm PST.

If you aren’t the winner, you can still order directly from the Ojai Olive site, and they’ll ship the products right to your door.  Any of the oils, vinegars or cosmetic products would make great holiday gifts, even for the non-cook.  They’re so good that they’ll turn anyone into a gourmet.  And be sure to check in each day this week for new give-aways and holiday gift ideas!

Ryan recently re-vamped his website, and it looks even more fantastic than it already did!  He now has a section on his site to highlight the food photography he’s done for me over the past few years, which features some really amazing and mouthwatering images.  I’m so proud of him (and so grateful for his help with C’est La Vegan) that I just had to do a post celebrating all his hard work.

And on top of everything else, Ryan cooked everything that we made for Thanksgiving this year since my wrists have rendered me pretty useless in the kitchen.  He did an amazing job.  He’s been doing a lot more cooking in general since I got pregnant, and he’s been such a huge help with keeping our place clean, doing all the dishes, getting me water, stacking pillows under my swollen ankles, scratching my back where I can’t reach… the list goes on and on!

I have a whole new appreciation for people who go through pregnancy without a partner.  I can’t imagine doing all of this without Ryan’s help and support, and of top of taking care of me, he’s been working his butt off on a couple different documentary projects in addition to rebuilding his website.  Thanks for indulging my shameless praise of him – after all he did this weekend to make sure we had a fantastic Thanksgiving, I really wanted him to know how much I’ve appreciated him!