Looking for delicious, quick, easy recipes? Look no further. Click here.
Posts with tag Jennifer McCann

Homemade "maple syrup" is a less expensive option for baking

spring hills maple syrup
Do you like to sweeten baked goods with maple syrup? It can be a wonderful way to give your cakes and quick breads flavor and sweetness. If you use dark maple syrup, you also add some vitamins to your finished product. However, in the current economy, real maple syrup can sometimes be out of reach for daily use.

Happily, Jennifer McCann of Vegan Lunch Box fame comes to the rescue, with an improvised, homemade "maple syrup" that can take the place of the real stuff in your baking. It's especially good for vegans who are avoiding honey. She combines brown sugar, maple flavoring, water and cornstarch and gets something that is similar to the the real thing.

Cozy up to your apples

three sizes of apple cozies
Each day, I pack up some food to bring along with me to work. Some days it's a complete meal, whereas other days, I just bring a snack (knowing that either we're having lunch at work or I'm going to run out and grab something). One consistent thing about my to-go food is that it nearly always includes a whole piece of fruit. However, I rarely feel comfortable just tossing an apple, pear or nectarine straight into my bag, for fear that it will get punctured or smashed. Instead I walk to work, clutching a piece of fruit. It's an effective protective measure, but not very convenient if I have other things to carry.

Lucky for me, Jennifer McCann of Vegan Lunch Box fame has devised a clever way to keep your lunch time piece of fruit unscathed. She has whipped up a pattern for an apple cozy and is making it available on her blog (she's also got patterns available for orange and banana cozies). So get out those crochet hooks and dress your fruit in style.

Vegan Lunch Box, Cookbook of the Day

cover of Vegan lunch boxThe day I first discovered the blog Vegan Lunch Box, I sat at my desk and read every single word of the archives. This was back in early spring of 2006, so there weren't too many months to sort through (Jennifer started the blog in September 2005), but I imagine I spent at least three hours reading while I should have been doing work. Even though I'm not a vegan (nor have I ever eschewed the animal products) I loved seeing all the creative ways Jennifer McCann packed innovative and delicious meals for her son to eat while at school.

I remember when she self-published the first version of this book (those copies are now in collectible demand by Vegan Lunch Box fans) and later I was thrilled to hear that she had gotten a deal with a publisher to make the book more widely available. Happily, a copy of the new, De Capo Press version of Vegan Lunch Box landed in my mailbox earlier this week and I delighted to say that all the charm and appeal of the Jennifer's blog translates well into print.

Parents, especially ones with vegan and vegetarian kids, will adore this book. It's also great for anyone who packs a lunch and is trying to cut animal products out of their diet. It is full of creative recipes and inspiring lunch time serving suggestions. If you're trying to shake off the lunch box doldrums this is just the book to help you do that. It's divided into two sections. The first offers up lunch time menus and the second contains all the recipes. The menus always reference the page number where the suggested recipe can be found, making for easy prep.

Tip of the Day

Butterscotch sauce is a rich and buttery treat that makes a great seasonal dessert topper in place of chocolate or whipped cream.

Slashfood Features


Seasons
Spring (74)
Summer (300)
Fall (217)
Winter (73)
What is it?
Beef (634)
Bread (81)
Candy (518)
Cheese (582)
Chocolate (836)
Comfort Food (802)
Condiments (263)
Dairy (567)
Eggs (316)
Fish (377)
Fruit (1059)
Grains (623)
Herbs (10)
Meat (358)
Nuts/seeds (313)
Organic (5)
Pork (399)
Poultry (454)
Rice (56)
Sandwiches (34)
Shellfish (191)
Soups/Salads (120)
Spices (322)
Sugar (434)
Tea (7)
Vegetables (1401)
Holidays
Christmas (132)
Easter (37)
Halloween (99)
Hanukkah (56)
Memorial Day (15)
Mother's Day (37)
New Year's (41)
Passover (11)
St. Patrick's Day (14)
Thanksgiving (142)
Valentine's Day (50)
News
Food Politics (0)
Bakeries (151)
Books (810)
Business (1277)
Celebrities (238)
Coffee shops (194)
Edible Gifts (39)
Farming (467)
Fast Food (370)
Food News (559)
Health & Medical (872)
How To (1424)
Lists (834)
Magazines (508)
New Products (1588)
Newspapers (1628)
On the Blogs (2520)
Raves & Reviews (1189)
Recipes (2464)
Restaurants (1467)
Science (741)
Site Announcements (186)
Stores & Shopping (1022)
Television/Film (727)
Trends (1436)
Vegetarian/Vegan (95)
Features
Cheese Course (72)
Diary of a Distiller (30)
Dining at Our Desks (8)
Festive Family Feasts (9)
Guilty Pleasures (83)
Quizzes (22)
Raising the Bar (23)
Taste Test (18)
The Hungry Bride (34)
The Skinny Chef (65)
Tinfoil Swan (24)
Tip of the Day (370)
Wild Edibles (22)
X Marks the Spot (1)
Back to School (14)
Cocktail Hour (132)
Cocktail Revolution (0)
Cookbook Spotlight (569)
Cooking Without a Recipe (5)
Culinary Kids (235)
Did you know? (451)
Fall Flavors (135)
Feast Your Eyes (402)
Food Gadgets (485)
Food Oddities (1035)
Food Porn (892)
Food Quest (176)
Foodie Flicks (65)
Frugal Food (95)
Garden Party (28)
Hacking Food (109)
Happy Hour (212)
Head to Tail (44)
In Sixty Seconds (729)
Ingredient Spotlight (60)
Leftovers (53)
Light Food (189)
Liquor Cabinet (186)
Our Bloggers (34)
Pop Food (146)
Pumpkin Day (12)
Real Kitchens (85)
Retro cookery (154)
Slashfood Ate (206)
Slashfood Talks (4)
Slow cooking (55)
Super Size Me (121)
The History of... (72)
What's On Tap? (42)
Wine of the Week (52)
YumSugar (53)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (757)
Dessert (1366)
Dinner (1388)
Hors D'oeuvres (318)
Lunch (1041)
Snacks (1128)
Where Is It?
America (2660)
Europe (515)
France (178)
Italy (174)
Asia (551)
Australia (158)
British Isles (875)
Caribbean (38)
Central Africa (8)
East Coast (582)
Eastern Europe (45)
Islands (58)
Mediterranean (131)
Mexico (40)
Middle East (63)
Midwest Cities (230)
Midwest Rural (74)
New Zealand (63)
North America (94)
Northern Africa (21)
Northern Europe (66)
South Africa (36)
South America (101)
South Asia (125)
Southern States (302)
West Coast (936)
What are you doing?
Baking (832)
Barbecuing (112)
Boiling (130)
Braising (21)
Broiling (36)
Frying (190)
Grilling (212)
Microwaving (40)
Roasting (104)
Slow cooking (34)
Steaming (45)
Choices
Fairtrade (16)
Artisan Foods (161)
Local Eating (148)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (42)
High-fructose corn syrup (21)
MSG (7)
Trans Fats (58)
Libations
Hot chocolate (27)
Soda (174)
Spirits (424)
Beer (532)
Brandy (13)
Champagne (118)
Cocktails (472)
Coffee (417)
Gin (115)
Juice (126)
Liqueurs (81)
Non-alcoholic (27)
Rum (103)
Teas (185)
Tequila (23)
Vodka (164)
Water (88)
Whisky (119)
Wine (760)
Affairs
Celebrations (107)
Closings (14)
Festivals (87)
Holidays (285)
Openings (50)
Parties (246)
Tastings (163)

RESOURCES

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

 

Most Commented On (60 days)

Updates From

Sites We Love

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL