May Exchange

Exercising reasonable food safety practices while cooking for oneself is obviously important. I believe that cooking for others merits extra care.  For me this meant sitting this month out. My sweet little baby had a nasty upper respiratory virus which the hubs and I picked up as well. During the time period I was planning on cooking and hosting the exchange we were too sick and I did not want to exchange this virus! Sadly, I missed some great food. But I'm quite happy to have the recipes and try them now that we are all feeling better. The rest of the group exchanged:

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings , Jerk Sloppy Joes With Coconut Creamed Spinach, Spicy Cabbage Masala, Vegan Taco Foil Packet 

April Exchange

This month we exchanged:
Vegan Breakfast Burritos
I combined this and this recipe to make Coffee Muffins
Cold Carrot and Broccoli Soup
Funky Vegan Spaghetti with Marinara and Italian Sausage
Delicious Dal
Curry Stuffed Flatbread made use of this and this recipe
Broccoli and Potato Soup


A benefit of the freezer group that I had not anticipated has been that these meals are easy to give away. We had a family member give birth a few months ago and rather than work to cook a bunch of different meals I just handed over most of that month's exchange. Another friend had a nasty cold that he just could not shake. I guessed what in my freezer he might like best and ran it over to him.


All of the meals come labeled with cooking directions and no dishes to return. (Some groups have casserole dishes and other containers that they trade, reuse or return. Our group has for the most part used Ziploc bags.) Because of this they are particularly suited to being given away. 


Giving a dish away also mollifies the issue of not liking something that you get. Let's say that no one in your family has a taste for breakfast burritos. What do you do with the four servings in your freezer? Just throwing them would be wasteful. Next time you hear that someone is sick, in the hospital, just had a baby, or something else, ask them if they would enjoy it. Chances are they would like it and appreciate the break. Have you ever been the recipient of homecooked meals? What did you get and enjoy?

February Exchange

Ethiopian style beets and my set of spices

When you go vegan you often need to find new restaurants. American food is so often meat based that it is easy to find oneself in a restaurant of another region or culture. This month's exchange definitely had a ethnic food trend.

Ethiopian food is by far my favorite group of ethnic food. In an effort to not get it every night, as I am tempted to do, I am learning to cook Ethiopian food. Included are a couple of the most useful links I've found below.

This month we exchanged:
Veggie Lentil Soup
Red Lentil Thai Chili
Pesto Pizza (made with this pesto)
Dessert Hummus (That's right-dessert!)
Ethiopian Yellow Split Peas, Lentils, and Beets: made with a vegan version of Niter Kibbeh (using Earth Balance) and a Berbere spice mix.
Chana Masala
Quinoa Burgers