Last day of School/First Unofficial Day of Summer!

After the stress of finals my teen done with school and started her summer vacation! My tween has another week but we're just tightening up some loose ends.

Yesterday we had a nice pool party with my kids and 9 of their friends.  It was so nice to finally put a voice to all the kids I have seen through my daughter's  Facebook personal page throughout this school.

Looking forward to so much more!

I know this a super duper short post but I have been super busy.  Soon enough I will have much more time dedicated to my own adventures.

So far I created my Facebook blog page.  It's pretty much a blank canvas but so much I have planned in writing and slowly will add more!  Please like/follow me here and on Facebook.  Thanks!

Hot Chica Cooks Vegan is on Facebook!

Last Day of School!!!

No more pencils.
No more books.
No more teacher's dirty looks.

Remember that rhyme?

My teen is probably singing this song with her friends and soon my tween will do as she goes on to 8th grade at our local middle school next school year.

Me?  I'm looking forward to days in Disneyland,  pool, road trips, beach days, sleeping in, movie marathons, visiting my Mami, family visits, and fun with friends. Maybe teach myself the art of crocheting and jewelry making.  I would love to check out any easy hiking trails here in California and in Florida.

It sounds like I want to do a lot but I want this summer to be one of the best and memorable summers.  Life is short and I'm tired of holding back because the kids would rather be at a very close distance to our home Wi-Fi.

Noon today is the beginning of our summer vacation, what will you be up to?

My Writer

My teen has been writing since she was in Kindergarten.  Writing about the seasons started it all. I feel extremely blessed for the years homeschooling and being able to see her grow to such a talented young lady AND I'm very happy to introduce her latest poem featured on Teen Ink...




Our Love

Vegan Dal

For the past month or so I have had to live without my laptop because of a wire issue but now it is back and running and I'm thrilled!
I didn't realize how much I relied on the laptop.  I could have used my desktop but I prefer to sit very comfortably on my sofa and not on a computer chair.

We are getting ready for our summer vacation and I cannot wait to get out of the humdrum life of a housewife.
A change of scenery is what I think I need.  I'm so bored right now.
I know food will be my biggest issue.  Hitting the road will not be the same as going into my pantry or refrigerator and preparing non-dairy and mostly vegan meals.  It's going to be my biggest challenge yet.  I'm not a salad person and so far that is a lot of what I see when I check out the menus at different fast food venues.  I love soup but most, if not all, soups are made with chicken stock.  Vegetable stock is just as good if not better than the chicken stock used in restaurant soups.  Going to a vegan restaurant is not an option either.  It's a little bit intimidating for the other family members although all meals prepared at home are meatless.

I guess I'll cross that bridge next month....

Today what I have brewing in the slow cooker is one of my favorite meals.  I love Indian food so much.
This recipe is taken from the Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

What a Dal

2 tbsps olive oil
1 large yellow onion cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

I know it's a lot but stick with me.  It's so worth it and brings out the yumminess of this dish.

Pour the oil into a 4 qt slow cooker and set it on high.
In a food processor, puree the onion, garlic, and ginger and add it to the cooker.
Cover and cook for about 2 minutes while you get the rest of the ingredients together.
Stir in the all the spices with the vegetables for about 30 seconds.
Turn down the slow cooker from high to low and add the lentils, kidney beans, and water.
Cover and cook for 8 hours.
Before serving season with salt and pepper.  For a smoother texture (like you would get in an Indian restaurant) puree up to 2 cups of the finished product in a blender or food processor and stir back into the pot.
I'll be serving this over jasmine brown rice.

Enjoy!

Cleaning and Saving Money

Lately I've been cutting back and trying to use more natural products.  Just when something we regularly use is almost done I scour the internet to read the latest on do it yourself and homemade remedies.  
Last month I made deodorant for my tween by filling up the empty deodorant stick container.  After spending about 30 minutes looking through all the ways you can do it, I used this:

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
essential oils 

Essential oils is optional but to please my teen I used her favorite scent, rose.

Mix baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot powder in a bowl.
Add coconut oil and use a fork or pastry cutter to blend into the dry ingredients.
Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil (I used tea tree oil).

It was enough to fill up her deodorant container and lots left over.  The rest I let it rest on wax paper inside a glass container (like the kind you use to pour your pudding).  

My husband tried it and liked it very much.

Today I ran out of Ajax so I used this:

1 tbsp baking soda  
1 tbsp borax
1 tbsp kosher salt  

Mix it up and shake it onto the counter.  

If you want something with a scent a really great idea is to boil some water and throw in some citrus peels.  I great idea I like to do is when the kids peel their citrus fruits I put it in a ziplock bag and throw in the freezer until I am ready to use.  Also another idea is to put some grow some herbs and other plants on your windowsill.  I had a tomato plant in the kitchen and just watering it made my kitchen smell so fresh.

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