Stir Fry Time, A Word About Coconut Animos, Mild Nacho Cheez Sauce, Mac & Cheez Peas, Portabella Burger, B Vitamins

Here's a look at my food creations from last night.  First up is a Veggie Stir Fry!  I used 1 Large Portabella Mushroom, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot, a splash of GSO (Grapeseed Oil), a handful of Walnuts, 2 Mini Red and Yellow Sweet Peppers, 2 C Broccoli, a few splashes of Coconut Aminos, and Water.  This was tasty!  I had a sample of it last night and saved the rest for dinner tonight.

A few words about Coconut Aminos...

I use Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos.  I like the flavor of this because it's almost like a gentle soy sauce type flavor.  I'm not usually a salty-foods and flavors fan but also know it's necessary in foods such as this stir fry.  This was a less salty and more healthy alternative.  I do tend to prefer Coconut Aminos and Braggs Liquid Aminos over Soy Sauce and other Soy Sauce alternatives.  Here's the Product Description from Coconut Secret:

Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce 100% Organic, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free,Vegan Coconut Aminos is raw, very low glycemic, an abundant source of 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin and has a nearly neutral pH. A comparison between coconut tree sap and soy, shows that coconut sap contains 2-14 times the amino acid content of soy. Small batches ensure that our organic, low glycemic Coconut Aminos, made from this natural sap, is a raw enzymatically alive product aged and blended with sun dried, mineral-rich sea salt, hand gathered from pristine waters near the southern islands of the Philippine coast. Ingredients: Organic Coconut Sap aged and blended with Sun-Dried, Mineral-Rich Sea Salt. Nutritional Facts:Serving Size 1 Tsp. (5ml), Servings per Container 48, Calories 5 Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Sodium 113mg (5% DV), Total Carbohydrate 1g (0% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calorie diet. Net wt: 8 fl oz

 Another thing I did last night was a Mild Nacho Cheez Sauce.  I started with a suggestion I saw online but thought it was way too salty for my liking so I tweaked it.  It might need a little more tweaking but I thought it was a pretty good start:
1 C Cashews (Soaked 2 hours)
1 C Veggie Broth (I think I will use water next time)
2 Cloves Garlic
3 T Nutritional Yeast
2 T Light/Mild Miso (I used Brown Rice and would probably only use 1 T next time)
Water & Almond Milk to taste and for Consistency

I also added a tablespoon of Wildtree's Spicy Chipotle Ranch to this - I think I will try more of that next time for that little bit of extra ZING!  I couldn't help but use some of the left overs with a handful of corn chips while I wanting for my Macaroni Noodles to get 'done'.

Oh!  Yes...and I added about a cup or more of peas to this to make a "Mac & Cheez Peas" dish.

Next time I might also try this with some Broccoli instead or in addition to the peas but I really liked the way the sweet peas "popped' in your mouth.

I was originally going to have my Stuffed Mini Peppers I blogged about yesterday but I'm saving those for tonight instead.  Last night I needed to use some LARGE Portabella Mushrooms I had bought.  The first one is used in the Stir Fry at the top of this post and the other one marinated in a few tablespoons of Wildtree's European Dipping Oil - Balsamic.  It was EXTREMELY flavorful on its own but I threw it on a Potato Roll as you can see in these photos.

I started by laying down a few leaves of Leafy Greens/Lettuce, then stacked on the mushroom, then a slice of fresh avocado, then a little tomato.  This made a very tasty and flavorful "burger".  Since the Mushroom had a lot of mass to it - it did take a few more moments to 'flatten it out' which I did in a 'frying pan' on stove top and medium heat.

And just for kicks...here's another photo of this 'burger' to show the height...

No sauce was needed as this had a lot of flavor on its own.  I was pretty excited about these food accomplishments, too!

Another thing I have been trying to keep in mind are foods with B Vitamins in them.  I tend to forget that Quinoa has various B Vitamins in them.  For some reason I ALWAYS remember they are packed with protein - and are a COMPLETE Protein - and are high in calcium, but often forget about those B Vitamins!  Mushrooms are another good source of B Vitamins...and Nutritional Yeast is good, too!  Those are just a few quick examples.  More Coming Soon!

Fiesta Quinoa, Fiesta Stuffed Peppers, Raw Happenings, A Little Cuteness!

(Click Photo to Enlarge)
Last night I wanted to make something stuffed and decided to do these stuffed peppers.  I have also declared it QUINOA WEEK as my own personal goal.  Try and do as much with Quinoa as possible, I guess.  On the left you can see the "stuffing" and it made a BUNCH so I used the left overs for my lunch and then on the right is the actual Stuffed Peppers.  Here's (roughly) what I used in this for the stuffing:

1 Small Sweet Onion
2 Cloves Garlic

3 tea Wildtree's Fajita Seasoning

1 Can of Black Beans

2 C Cooked Quinoa

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

***I stuffed this into Mini Yellow Sweet Peppers - I cut them in half and scooped the mix into each one and baked it for about 25 minutes***

Raw Happenings

Yesterday I watched one of Matt Monarch's videos on YouTube and he's back in California for a while and while he's here is popping in to his business The Raw Food World.  It was neat to see a tour of their facilities.  I also like to watch the videos of the Raw Foodists and their visits to the Farmers Markets.  Especially the ones in California.  I have to live vicariously thru them, I guess.  I was so happy to see Matt purchasing some wild fruits!   Another Raw Food Happening for me this week - and I'm really excited about it - is I finally took that step and ordered one of Dan McDonald's DVDs.  I have been a follower of his on YouTube for a few years as well as part of his INSIDERS Club.  No...I didn't buy this DVD shown, here, but I haven't seen a graphic for his newest DVD that just came out today which is called "Blending Mastery".  It has over 40 recipes all done in a high speed blender and all done raw vegan style.  He said that with all the suggested variations it was more like over 400 recipes!  Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!  

After a full day of work yesterday hubby and I went to our county fair and worked on a new seating chart for the concerts.  He's a board member of our county fair.  When we got home I had a HUGE salad and ran out of a really awesome Lemon Garlic dressing/marinade so I'm eager to see what kinds of raw vegan blender recipes Dan's DVDs suggest.  After he went to sleep I was working around the house and sat down for a while and this is what Riley was doing.  I'm not sure why he was looking at the back wall like that or why he looks so pathetically sad.  I think he does that to get my attention sometimes.  Speaking of attention-getters...Paco was lazing out again last night.  While I was running back and forth from room to room I noticed he was under various blankets in the Living Room.  Last night was more muggy than it has been but he didn't seem to care.  Suzie seemed to keep to herself a bit last night.  All-in-all I feel pretty good about the last few days...with work at actual work, with home, with community events, and planning for events in the future!  What do you have on tap!?

Weekend Recap, A Very Special Benefit Fundraiser, Groceries

(I meant to post this yesterday but I was interrupted more than once! LOL)

A little recap of my weekend...Friday Night my husband and I met up with my mom and dad for dinner for Fathers Day.  We went to a local golf club/restaurant that I have posted about before.  I again had their salad bar but didn't partake in an adult beverage like I had hoped.  My one wisdom tooth was REALLY giving me some troubles and it got worse the later in the evening it got!  I thought for sure I was going to wake up with an infection there but somehow beat it!  Thank GOD!

Saturday I sort of slept in a bit.  Since I was running behind that morning I wasn't able to attend our Farmers Market but that's ok because we still don't have all that much local produce ready in our area.


These photos are from the Benefit/Fundraiser for Melissa.  I've blogged about her and her (lost) battle with cancer the last  couple weeks.  With all of the medical bills piling up and her family still 'with us' they followed thru with the fundraiser to help with those costs.  It was the most amazing turn out I have ever seen!  As soon as you walked into the fire hall I saw over 400 'bags' for the Chinese Auction - every kind of themed basket you can think of as well as gift cards and gift certificates!  My sister and I had fun looking thru all of them!  We dropped our tickets into many of them.  We also donated $88 dollars worth of Wildtree for a Basket as well!  There were a lot of people who put their tickets in the Widtree one which was nice!  Megan and I won a few things!  The wooden statue with the ivy and bunnies on it we gave to our mom/dad for their front yard!  The Margarita Basket was cool, too, my mom got a lot of the mixes and I got the salsa and corn chips.  We divvied the Sombrero's, etc.  There was also a tea basket that I took most of the contents - suggested by my sister.  They did various 50/50s, a Chicken BBQ - of course I didn't partake, they sold t-shirts and cups in her memory, they had a beer garden, they had special prize/auctions, a LIVE Auction, chance/drawings, and a Cornhole Tournament.  Incase you are not familiar with the game of Cornhole (I know I sure wasn't up until a few years ago!)  It's basically a lawn game played with bean bags and raised platforms.  You try and throw the bean bags into the platform hole.  In the first group of pictures you can see a few outdoorsy-photos with people playing the game.  It's a BIG thing around here and people make and purchase custom Cornhole 'Boards' or Platforms.  I have to say I am super excited about the handmade heavy duty cutting board I won, too!  It's pictured in clear wrapping above - my sister got the big one and I got the smaller one but the small one is still a good size.  I have already used it several times.  The wooden hearts are hand made towel holders, too!  In the LIVE auction my father bid and won 4 rounds of golf at a local golf course - he was super excited about that as well!  He then won this HUGE Purple Hanging Basket for my mom - it was the size of at least 3 Hanging Baskets!!!  It was gorgeous!  There was a couple of signed NASCAR plates that weren't getting many bids so I told him to go for them and we would send them to my cousin and her husband in TN - they have a HUGE room filled with Racing Stuff!!!  It was a really nice day!  I wish I could have shook the hand of each one of the volunteers because they did an AMAZING job!

YES!  I shop at Aldi!  I wanted to go to Wegman's but didn't have time on Sunday but I always like to stop in at Aldi and check out the deals!  In our Aldi's Store - they unload the truck and put all the produce out RIGHT AWAY - there is NO back room for that so we are getting it right off the truck.  I know it's not as good as your local farmers but we still have very little local an fresh produce here - especially for the fruits and veggies you cannot grow in our area, ya know?  So, anyways, we did our shopping there on Sunday and I stocked up on some stuff!  I have noticed more and more Organic labeled items in our Aldi's as well!  That makes me VERY happy!  You will be seeing some of my new creations very soon!

How was your weekend?

Animal Friends, Dijon Quinoa & Veggies, and Vegan Buffalo Sauce

I took so many pictures this weekend that I had to consolidate them so my blog posts weren't too long.  I will have at least 2 entries today - this being the first.  I used a few free photo collage makers online and I will continue to tinker with them.

Here are some photos of Paco!  The top left one and the bottom left pic where of him while Dale was playing his new guitar!  He got quiet the deal on a Martin D41 - He's been a Martin Guitar Enthusiast for a long time and he's owned several since we've been together.  He traded in two valuable ones for this guitar.  NO...he didn't pay ticket price on that!  But he couldn't pass up the deal he got either!  It was UNheared of!  So, he's a VERY happy camper today!  We've noticed that Paco LOVES it when we play our String Instruments.  I loves being serenaded and he loves the 'concert'.  He calms right down and sits there and watches who ever is playing.

The other pictures of him are sleeping or almost sacked-out.  He was pretty emotional this weekend like that.  It was nice!  Dale took the photo of him sleeping on the upper right last night.  I am usually the one snapping the photos but he couldn't resist with Paco being SO sound asleep on his lap!  The cat remained pretty low key all weekend as did Suzie other than her barking at the neighbors during their yard work and the other noisy neighbors getting home VERY late at night.

Here's another collage of furry friends I took over the weekend.  Of course you can see Riley here on the bottom - he was pretty much a slug all weekend, too!  He decided to fall asleep that way - silly boy!  The top to furkids are my parents!  The orange cat is Jeter which is my Mom and Dad's beautiful boy and Wolly is my Mother-In-Law's kiddo!  You might be wondering why we/I spell WOLLY that way...well, YEARS ago my MIL had another Boston who's name was MOLLY and when they came across this one - a rescue - she wanted to pay tribute and turned the M into a W and that is how WOLLY came about.  This passed year she had two other dogs pass-on which was really hard.  This is the only dog they have now.  I'm tempted to bring Paco over for a visit soon, tho.

We FINALLY got to get groceries over the weekend, but I think I will go thru my whole weekend ins and outs in my next post.  I will stick with the Furkids and the Food Attempts in this one.

Here is dish that turned out REALLY well - that I am quite proud of, actually!  I think I will call it Dijon Quinoa & Veggies.

I ended up mixing a few flavors together that were sort of a ying and a yang but it turned out really tasty and very flavorful!  Here is what this dish has in it:


2 C Cooked Quinoa
1 C Frozen Peas
1 C Corn
1 Small Red Pepper, Chopped
1/4 C Fresh Basil - Finely Chopped
1/4 C Hemp Hearts/Seeds
2 T Grapeseed Oil
2 T Lemon Juice
1 tea Maple Syrup
To Taste - Wildtree's Lemon Pepper

Last night I threw this together - just because.  It ended up being my dinner and it was better than I thought it would be.  I know it's missing some green but I did eat another meal earlier in the day that filled some nutritional holes, here. Corn off the Cob with Wildtree's Spicy Chipotle Ranch Sprinkled on top and I cut up a spicy vegan "chick'n patty".  I thought it needed a dipping sauce so I tried to throw together a Buffalo Sauce of sorts.  I didn't write down the measurements but this is what I put in the sauce:

Wildtree's (now discontinued) Spicy Chipotle Hot Sauce
Water
Onion
Garlic
Tomato
Apple Cider Vinegar
Veganese
Agave Nectar
Ketchup
Potato Flakes (as a thickener)

What did you do this weekend for food?  Did you take any photos for your animal friends?  Stop back later today for another post!

Spicy Chipotle Stir Fry & Sunridge Farms Peanut Butter Power Chews

This is my 2nd post of the day so be sure to scroll down!  Prior to doing the Vegan Stew (I talk about in the next post) I did a quick Veggie Stir Fry!  I didn't have a lot on hand so this is what I do for this - I used Onions and Red and Green Peppers as well as Frozen Green Beans.  I used Grapeseed Oil for the stir fry and Wildtree Spicy Chipotle Ranch for the seasoning!  It was very simple yet flavorful!  I was very pleased.  I ended up getting a small package of julienned Onion and Peppers from my local 'mom and pop' grocery store.  I don't know this to be fact but I think that when their deli makes their items fresh each day they have left over fresh produce and they package it up for a reduced price.  Since I had been making a LARGE grocery run this coming weekend I thought I would buy this little but to hold me over.  It only cost me 97 cents and there was enough for my Stir fry AND my Stew (next post).
 
A while back I received some Peanut Butter Power Chews from Sun Ridge Farms!  I have been 'sitting on' my tasting notes for these babies for a while now.  I figured today was as good of a day as any since I found myself CRAVING them and don't have any more left!  Ahhh...at least I will have the memories, right!?  I remember these Power Chews SMELLING like wonderful peanut butter!  The squares or rectangles were of different sizes but substantial, regardless!  They were VERY filling and even at my hungriest I could only eat 2 or 3 of them!  They did last a good amount of time.  The Peanut Butter flavor was amazing and oh-so-natural, too!  They were crispy and fun!  These were a nice alternative to 'Rice Crispy Snacks'.  And they were jam-packed with Protein, Iron, and Calcium!  What a treat!  I sure LOVED them while they lasted!

Tonight my husband and I are taking my mom and dad to Jackson Valley for dinner for Father's Day.  I'm quite excited about it.  I think I will partake in an 'adult beverage' as well!  It's been a long week!  I do like their place for dinner as they have a great salad bar!  Tomorrow - my mom, dad, sister, and I will be attending a fundraiser for Melissa - who passed away a few weeks ago - we are still doing a Wildtree Fundraiser for her family as well as attending to show support for her and her family.  I know I will recognize people throughout the day.  Sunday I have plans to clean and grocery shop as well as Farmers Market HOP both days this weekend!  I hope you have a great week, too!  Drop me a note and let me know you stopped by!

Spicy Chipotle Ranch Vegan Stew, A Word About Clove, and Chi's PLEASE!

I've been wanting to try and do something with one of our newest products called Spicy Chipotle Ranch.

Last night with what little I had in the house before shopping this weekend I made a darn tasty Vegan Stew with it!  I used Pinto Beans, Corn, Green Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Green & Red Peppers, Onions, Water, and Spicy Chipotle Ranch from Wildtree.  It was VERY GOOD!

I would also like to try this with Vegan Sour Cream for a dip in the near future!A few other suggestions that were vegan or easily veganized were: Taco Salad, Chipotle Black Bean Burgers, Stuffed Avocado, and Fried Zucchini.  

I told you earlier this week about this past weekend and the Strawberry Festival.  Well, while we were there - towards the end - and a girl brought her 4 week old Chihuahua with her.  He was so cute!  This is a pic of my sister with him.  He only weighed 1.8 pounds.  My sister LOVED him!  There was another Chi, there, as well, but didn't really want to be social with us. 

Last night Paco was snuggle-E after a while, again.  Of course, I wasn't going to complain about that.  In this photo you can see Suzie's back side as well.  I'm so happy they are all 'used to' each other now.  Sometimes Riley 'grumps' when Paco gets too close when HE is the one who wants to be closer to me - but - for the most part - every one is ok with the daily in's and out's of the 'Bliss House Hold".  Paco really likes to 'burrow' in blankets and be covered and that is common for Chihuahua's.  He's been hiding his eyes under blankets lately when he gets tired but tries to fight it.

And other times he uses the 'sleeping bag' method.  He's so funny! 

In other news - I still don't feel quite right since I have been to the dentist.  I have to say my front teeth where all the intense cleaning took place is getting a LITTLE better BUT my upper left hand side wisdom tooth is causing some 'ruckus'.  I think it's moving around again and it's sensitive but in a different way than the front teeth were sensitive if that makes sense. 

I have been 'upping' my intake of CLOVE to try and help things along.  How does CLOVE, help?  Well, they are known to have antioxidant, anti-septic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, warming and soothing properties.  The spice contains health benefiting essential oils such as eugenol. It is a phenyl-propanoids class of chemical compound, which gives pleasant, sweet aromatic fragrances to the clove-bud. Eugenol has local anesthetic and antiseptic properties...useful in dental care essentials as well as in treatment procedures.

The other important constituents in this spice include:
essential oils:    acetyl eugenol, beta-caryophyllene and vanillin, crategolic acid;
tannins:   gallotannic acid, methyl salicylate (painkiller);
the flavonoids:  eugenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and eugenitin;
triterpenoids:  such as oleanolic acid, stigmasterol and campesterol
and several sesquiterpenes.

It's also great for digestion!  And...contains a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, selenium and magnesium. Potassium is an important electrolyte of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

But the benefits of clove don't stop there!  Clove contains very good amounts of vitamin A and beta-carotene levels. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is also required by the body for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin in addition to essential for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.  Additionally, this spice is a good source of vitamin-K, vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), vitamin-C and riboflavin. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.

One of the things I have been sipping on a lot more than usual lately is Blue Lotus Chai's Rooibos Masala Chai which is heavy on the Clove as well as other beneficial spices.

So...there is your clove lesson for the day! teehee.  Hope you found something useful!

Blissful, Kid Time, Great Northern Beans

Yesterday was a HAIR UP sort of day!  You know...it pays off to be a packrat, sometimes, too!  I kept this shirt from YEARS and YEARS ago and since losing some weight it looks much better on me so I am wearing it more!  I've also noticed my eyes becoming a richer BLUE since dropping dairy, too!  BUT...the most important part is that my digestion is the BEST it's been in my WHOLE LIFE even as a baby - so my mother tells me! 

I'm in desperate need of a hair appointment and I have been putting it off for MONTHS.  NO...I'm NOT getting it cut!  My Hippie Hair will stay! :)

You have probably seen my "Truly Blissful" One Stroke Painted Sign in the background of some of my photos - especially the ones of the dogs!  Well, I have been messing around with some photo editing options and came up with this.  I'm thinking about incorporating it into my blog, somehow.  Maybe a Banner - down the road.  YEARS ago the sign was created by a local painter and crafter.  She made it for our candle kiosk - back in the day.  Of course, we haven't sold candles in YEARS!  But I have always kept the sign and it's been a part of our home ever since.  When my grandmother was a live her and I took One Stroke Painting Classes from her, too!  After my grandmother passed away (in 2006) the artist/teacher "Sandy" told me that my grandmother was her favorite student.  My grandmother had arthritis but certainly tried her best and was proud of what she was able to create when we took those classes together!  It was so fun to see that in her!  Pardon the walk down memory lane, there, no real reason to that story, but I wanted to share!

Since I was gone over the weekend - my husband was home with 'the kids'.  Monday and Tuesday Night I spent the whole evening(s) with them and I think they liked it.  Tuesday Night Paco was a little hell-raiser while my husband was still awake...he was quite the busy-body!  BUT...as soon as he went to bed the 'kids' were on their BEST behavior with MOM.  I LOVE it when they are like that!  I really think Paco likes the new ukelele, too!  Everytime I take it out to learn a song or play along with a song on YouTube he stops what he is doing and listens.

It's been cooler lately, but muggy!  Last Night we had some wicked Thunderstorms.  The kids don't like those at all!  So after 2:30am I was UP! 

I was going to try and make my lunch to bring with me today but I REALLY need to go shopping!  I don't have much to make a meal in the house!  I have a can of corn, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, and an onion.  That's about it! This weekend we will hit up the farmers markets and stores!

The other night I did make a simple bean dish with these Great Northern Beans.  It worked out to be about 2 cups of them and I added water, onion, Minced Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, a little Wildtree Savory Spinach for color, and a sprinkle of Wildtree's Lemon Pepper.

I ate this for lunch yesterday.  It's more filling than it looks.

Do you have any suggestions for me ONLY using the following ingredients?  Pinto Beans, Onion, Diced Tomatoes, and Corn?

Another Wild Weekend! Strawberry Festival, Forrestville, NY, Merritt Winery

 Yes!  I'm still catching up from the weekend!  This past weekend we were in Forrestville, NY, at Merritt Winery, for their Strawberry Festival!  It was VERY Fun!  We were a vendor with our Wildtree stuff there!  Saturday was gloomy, tho, but we still did very well sales-wise!  So well, in fact, that we had to beg our up-line to spot us some product for Sunday!  Because we have such an awesome team leader she did help us out BIG TIME!

You can click on these photos to enlarge them!  Here are a few of our display but also of the other vendors, too!  We were in between a fellow vendor friend ours GlassWerks out of Lakewood, NY.  We've done many shows together.  On the other side of them was another friend Recycled Peaces who sells Tye-Dye items and he's from Onoville, NY.  There were 2 other vendors who were from the Warren, PA, area that we have done a few shows with, too! 

Behind us was a nice large covered picnic pavilion area that the Winery had which also included a kitchen.  It was outdoors but still covered and secure.  They had a Beer and Wine Stand outside where you could buy by the glass or bottle.  They were serving chocolate covered strawberries and strawberry short cake.  I was tempted to get just the strawberry topping of the shortcake but didn't we were too busy to take a break.  My mom and sister got me some hummus and it was in our cooler all weekend.  I think there were 6 different kinds so I literally ate Hummus all weekend!  There were some veggies and crackers as well for dipping!  I keep saying I want to make some of our dips with Vegan Equivalents and I have at home for myself but always forget to bring them with me while we work!

I can't believe how much we sold!  We brought VERY LITTLE home with us!  One of our newest best sellers is the Happenin' Hot Pepper Jelly!  We sold 52 jars of it!  And it's VEGAN.  I LOVE that Wildtree's Jams and Jelly's do NOT have Gelatin(e) in them!

 There were MANY Bands throughout the weekend, a Classic Car Show, and many Motorcycle Groups stopped by!  Former Boxer and Politician Baby Joe Mesi was there and this years funds raised went to his Anti-Bullying Campaign.

It was a real fun event!  We plan on attending each year as a vendor from now on!  We've been there in the past - just for fun - and they have various charities they raise funds for - in the past we've been there for the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Foundation Charities.

Tikka Masala Spinach & Rice, Corona Beans & Kale, Walnut Hemp Snacks, Sweet Tahini Dill Dressing, Marinated Kale, Hemp History Week Last Week

First, I would like to send a shout-out to my Instagram Peeps!  If you are visiting from Instagram and have a Vegan Food Blog please let me know your URL.  If you are a visitor that would like to find me on Instagram you can find me HERE.

Last night when I posted this Tikka Masala Spinach & Rice dish I received a lot of feedback - which I LOVE - and I told them to be on the look out for the blog post today!  So...here it is!  Here is what I did for this dish:


2 C of Cooked Rice
1 C Cooked Spinach
1 Medium Onion
Splash of Wildtree Butter Oil (Yes!  It's Vegan!) - to 'cook' the onion
1/3 C Wildtree's Tikka Masala
1/3 C Almond Milk

This was TOTALLY yummy!  It has a nice amount of kick but it isn't 'firetruck' hot!  If I had peas I would have added those and/or chickpeas.  You could even use Eggplant or Cauliflower, too!  VERY Versatile!

Last week I went to Wellness Cafe for lunch because I KNEW they were going to have a Vegan Soup and I was VERY hungry and didn't bring my own lunch that day!  Here is a photo of it.  I like this place because they try and use local foods whenever possible and whole foods.  They have a 'regular' side of the menu and then they have the vegetarian side of the menu.  Most of the vegetarian choices can be made vegan.  Each day they feature 1 or 2 soups.  I always ask if they are vegan bases.  Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't but they are ALWAYS very helpful with all the questions I have.  They also try and keep each dish at 300 calories or under.

 In my previous post (yes, I have another blog post for today, below) I used local and organic Red Russian Kale from Edible Earth Farm in Tionesta, PA, and I used it here, too!  This is my version of Cornona Beans and Kale based on what I had handy!
1/2 Bunch of Kale
1 C Lima Beans
2 T Grapeseed Oil
1/3 C Walnuts
1 C Garlic
1/8 tea Nutmeg
1 T Lemon Juice
This was very hardy!

Last week I had a bit of a sweet tooth but also wanted to do something with a protein so I took some Walnuts and Hemp Hearts/Seeds and cooked them up in Maple Syrup and let cool.  I also added a little bit of Cinnamon and Nutmeg to them.  They were so easy and quite tasty!  I think I might call them Walnut Hemp Snacks.  I broke them apart in clusters but one could get cute and make them into balls, too!

I think I used a small amount of the "Butter" Grapeseed Oil while 'cooking' in the skillet.

I was REALLY craving a dressing like the one I blogged about a while back that was inspired by The Vegan Zombie so I threw this one together that was different, but similar.  I used:
1/3 C Tahini (Plus a little more to taste)
1/3 C Agave Nectar
1 T Lemon Juice
1 T Wildtree Dill Blend
1/3 C Almond Milk

This was VERY tasty!  I did add a bit of Almond Milk to this batch and I have some left over in my frig.  I think I might use this as a dipping sauce for veggies but then again I might try and get some Cauliflower, too, and cook it up!  BUT...last night I did the 'other' Kale I got from Edible Earth Farm.  This is their Tuscano Kale.  It's not as bitter as some of the other Kales and it's almost 'buttery'.  It smells WONDERFUL Raw!  I like marinating Kale over night in the sauce I make for it and that is what I am doing here!  It will be part of my dinner tonight.  I might add some Nutritional Yeast and/or Hemp Hearts/Seeds on top, too!

Did you know that last week was Hemp History Week?  I once heard from someone that there was over 200,000 different uses for Hemp.  It sometimes gets a 'bad rap' because of those who 'just' smoke it.  I've never smoked it and don't intend to but I am a fan of Hemp for many other reasons.  As you can see I am trying to do more and more with the hearts/seeds in foods as it's a great source of protein, Omega 3's and 6's, 20 amino acids - including the 9 essential, and it's great for digestion and many other things!  Because of the controversy here in the US there aren't any (legal) farmers of Industrial Hemp so many companies and people go to Canada for their Hemp Hearts/Seeds, etc.  This is the case when I buy/use Manitoba Harvest's Hemp Hearts.  I must say I AM a fan of theirs!

Which Hemp Products do you enjoy?

Potatoes with Chive Basil Pesto, Creamy Avocado Power Pesto Over Pasta, Vegan Banana Nut Bread, Kale Pesto, Vegan Creamed Spinach and 'Refried' Beans

This post is a look at some of the foods I have been throwing together over the past week or so!  I do have more, too, but here are just a few to get things started!  I had some Baby Red Potatoes I needed to use so I sliced them up and pan fried them in Wildtree's Natural Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil.  If you have read a few of my posts about this specific flavored Grapeseed Oil before you may remember that it's dairy-free!  The "butter" flavor comes from a coconut! On top of these potatoes I used a Chive Basil Pesto Sauce I threw together!  Here is the recipe for this sauce!

1 C Chopped Chives

1/2 C Basil Peso Grapeseed Oil

1 Clove of Garlic

2 T Lemon Juice

3 T Almond Milk

1/4 C Hemp Hearts/Seeds

1/4 C Nutritional Yeast

I did some spiral pasta a little over a week ago and did another 'green' sauce.  This worked really well with this pasta, I must say!  The reason I did this one is because I wanted to do a creamy avocado sauce but also use some Hemp Hearts/Seeds!  Here is the recipe for this one!

 

2 Avocados

2 T Lemon Juice

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 C Basil Pesto Oil

1/4 C Heamp Hearts/Seeds

1/3 C Almond Milk

 

 

To break up all the 'green' for a moment - here is my first attempt at Banana Nut Bread!  I was pleasantly surprised at my first attempt and will be doing this again!  Here is what I used for this:
4 Bananas
1/2 C Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
1/4 C Coconut Oil
2 T Maple Syrup
2 C Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Flour
1 tea Baking Soda
1 tea Cinnamon
1 tea sea salt
1/2 tea nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 C Walnuts
1/2 C Raisins

Looking back - I guess I forgot to tell you about our trip to Edible Earth Farm in Tionesta, PA!   The season is still young, here, but they had some greens and I bought two of them!  Their Kales, to be exact!   This Kale, pictured here, is their Red Russian Kale!  I have to admit it's the first time I have done anything - myself - with Red Russian Kale - and I LOVE it!  I did a simple yet flavorful Kale Pesto with it!  For the "flavors" throughout this Kale - here is what I did:
2 Cloves Garlic
Handful of Hemp Hearts/Seeds
1 T Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil
Vegan Parmesan to taste
1/2 tea Nutmeg

After my horrible trip to the dentist last week I wanted to continue to be extra careful since my teeth were even more sensitive now that they were clean and naked.  I stuck with softer foods...after eating Hummus for a few days prior.  I changed it up a little bit with this! I threw together some Vegan Creamed Spinach (but I didn't save the recipe, sorry!)  I know I used Earth Balance, Almond Milk, Nutmeg, and Vegan Parmesan Cheese but can't remember the measurements.  I also did some vegetarian "refried" beans with some crackers for dipping.  Oddly...if you spread the beans on the cracker and then top with the 'creamed' spinach it was very tasty!

So there you have it - a few of the foods I had consumed over the last week or so - I do have many more to share with you, too, and hope to do that soon!  What kind of foods have you been cooking-up lately?

I'm Alive - Life Has Gotten In The Way!

It's been over a week since my last post - I'm so out of it!  So very sorry!  I have been taking lots of pics and do have lots to share it's just a matter of putting it all in a post! 

I wanted to share this photo with you 'just because'.  I have been tinkering with various iPhone Apps for Photo/Editing and came across some filters for the back side of this Methodist Church that I walk by almost everyday on my way to or from work.    The sky is the filtered part that 'really got me' - I I love the color but I also love that the windows kind of match with the light.  My husband said it looks like it was on fire!  I just thought it was 'neat'.

June 1st was my husband and my wedding anniversary and we decided to take a day trip up to Western New York - various towns and suburbs - outside of Buffalo - where I was born and raised.  The last several years I have been showing him many places of interest and the older we get the more he likes to take a day and check it out!  This time we did a few things that I had not even done.  Including a trip to a place called Chester's Cajun Grill.  No - this is far from being a vegetarian restaurant but they were very nice and accommodating!  I had a HUGE salad with all sorts of raw veggies in it and corn chips as well as hot sauce, and stir fry veggies including various peppers, mushrooms, and onions.  It was quite impressive!  Of course, I really enjoyed the atmosphere, too!  It was a nice place!

For over 10 years now - it's been an ongoing joke that I have wanted a Ukelele and my husband said he would never by me one!  So every time we go to a music store I say "oh, look!  A Uke...but I will never HAVE one."  So that weekend he bought me one!  I'm still rather shocked!  It's fun!  I can play along with 4 songs so far!  "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "What I Got" by Sublime, "Let It Be" by The Beatles, and "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynryd Skynryd.  I'm not a pro by any means but I want to at least play around with it and try and teach myself something with the help of YouTube, that is.  I'm sure I will post more about this in the near/future!

Speaking of music...I have been a little obsessed with Bobby McFerrin lately.  Sure, I have always had an appreciation for him!  But I've been watching every interview and concert I can find online with him in it.  He's extremely talented and gifted!  Truly a a living legend of vocal experts!

I have TONS of food related pictures to post as well as our recent Wildtree adventures and some other interesting tidbits.

But I also have some not-so-wonderful news and it's not that big of a deal to most but it is to me!

I went to the dentist last week for the sensitivity in my teeth and was in need for a very aggressive cleaning, apparently.  Well, they did find a surface cavity.  A very small one.  Actually, it was more of a pit, really.  Regardless this is like life or death for me as I have NEVER ever had a filling in my life!  I'm freaking out so much and I have 5 to 6 weeks before I have to go back.  That it's even causing me a problem but the rough cleaning in the front bottom teeth is what is causing me nervousness!  It's still VERY sensitive and I'm not happy about any of it!  BUT...on to more happy and exciting things tomorrow, eh!?  I have LOTS on tap to share with you but today's post is just a mishmash of mini pieces I wanted to share!  Hope you are all well!  Miss you!