Many Vegan Aldi Finds...But Some Others, Too!

Over the summer I noticed yet another gas station chain that started carrying more random vegan things!  YAY!  This Willy's brand of salsa had 2 or 3 of them that I tried.  I have to say it's unlike other salsas and I truly believe it's because of their punchy-use of bold cilantro.  I know cilantro is one of those things that some people love and others hate.  I've always liked it but I can see in some cases where the over the top use of it could give certain things that soapy taste.  For some reason the loads of cilantro worked here.  They also seem to love garlic.  Lucky for them...I love garlic, too!

Here's a pic of the new, local Falafel that is being made in-house at Total Evolution.  It's also vegan and pretty wonderful!  This was a HUGE sandwich!  You can pick your own toppings for it, too!

Prior to August, this was our set-up for camping season.  Our new-to-us-but-gently-used 5th Wheel is on the left and my parents Jayco is on the right.  I don't especially like the specific spot we had this year or last year but I didn't complain too much either.

Here's another meal I grabbed at Total Evolution this past summer.  You can build your own wrap.  Most places that tends to be the vegan option around here but you basically get lettuce, tomato, and onion.  I then see if places have salsa or a balsamic for the dressing...BUT...with Total Evolution they have some really neat things to include.  This one contained their in-house hummus, carrots, greens, sprouts, celery, tomato.  I've done variations of this from time to time and I will certainly start sharing more of them with you!

At our local Tops I have fell in love with a new product but that love comes with a hefty price tag so when I see them on sale I will grab one.  It's the line of products from The Coconut Collaborative.  In this pic, here, you will see the Chocolate Ganache.  When I opened the first one I thought...gee...I could eat all 4 in one sitting!  But, you know what?  They are so rich I could only eat one!

Many of the products in this post are new or new-to-me products from Aldi and that includes this one!  It's the Vegan Vegetable Potstickers!  They are tasty!

Another find at Aldi are these Eggplant with Yellow Pepper Raviolis!  I LOVED these and hope I can find them again soon!  There is another kind, I hear, but I haven't seen those locally yet.

I finally spotted their Vegan Sour Cream.  I grabbed some.  It was ok.  It was certainly good enough for the price!  A nice, cheaper alternative.  I would probably buy it again!

One of the one pot meals I did in the camper this year was squash with vegan margarine, vegan pepper jack cheese, and topped it with tortilla strips!  It know it doesn't look like much but it was VERY yummy!  I would categorize it as a vegan comfort food for sure!

I don't really have time to do a blog post YET re-capping fair week but I thought I would give you a little teaser for now.  These were our new work banners that were at our broadcast booth!

Moving on to a thing or two from Wegman's!  I did grab this to have the camper during fair week.  Let's just say...it lasted about a day!

I can't remember which place I spotted these at since there were about 2 to 3 weeks I seemed to travel all over the country-side grocery shopping at various places.  I'm not sure if I grabbed them at Wegman's or Mustard Seed.  I don't think I went to Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Co-Op, or Trader Joes during that specific time so it might have been Wegman's or Tops.  I'm leaning more towards Wegman's as the possibility.  They were easy to do in the microwave and for a nuke-able meal it was tasty!  I recommend vegan mayo and ketchup on them!

One thing I know I found at Tops was THIS!  Mango Sorbet!  I thought I would try it but didn't really have a WOW pre-judgement, however, when I had my first taste...I was blown away!  This was one of the BEST naturally-tasting mango flavored treats I think I have ever had!  YUM!

Also at Tops - right around the same time - I found these gorgeous watermelon radishes!  I knew I had to buy them since we don't usually see them available for purchase in our area!  I really enjoyed them.  I share them with my mom, dad, and 2 ladies at work and all for of them thought they didn't have much taste.  They were a sweeter flavor and not a spicier flavor like regular radishes usually are and I think that threw everyone off.  I think most people go for your 'standard' fruit or veggie and then when you ask them to try something new they already have a pre-judgement that they aren't going to like it.

When I saw this at Aldi this summer I knew I had to buy it because my local Aldi isn't consistent with what they carry so when you see it you should buy it because you don't know if or when it will be back.  I still have yet to open this but it sits nicely in my freezer until then!

And finally, another find at Aldi!  The first go around with these - that everyone was talking about - I didn't have them at my local store - but - I was able to find them this summer and tried them.  They were pretty good!  Next time I would like to try and top them like they did on the box...with mushrooms and onions...and greens, oh my!

  

Vegan Aldi Finds! Plant Based Dips & Tofu!

Just another quick post today!  I just HAD to share what I found at my local ALDI this week!  3 Plant Based Dips from Good Foods!  I doubled checked to make sure they are also vegan because I have seen some items that will say Plant Based but still have dairy or even meat in them!  YIKES!

First up is this Queso Dip!  It's WONDERFUL!  I already finished the whole container!  Oops!  Guess I will just have to get more!  The base is a cauliflower and almond combo alongside some other wholesome ingredients - including Chia Protein!  I was checking out their website and I see they have a BUFFALO flavor, too!  I MUST get my hands on that!

Before I get to the other 2 dips I found and bought the other day I thought I would insert the TOFU here!  I finally found the ALDI Tofu!  I haven't tried it YET but here is what it looks like!  It's already baked and Teriyaki flavor!  I can't wait to try it!  

I have noticed a lot of the vegan items I have found locally I can't find again.  The Vegan Cream Cheese and Shreds and a few of the vegan burgers have been pretty consistent but I can't find the ice cream anymore or a lot of the other burgers or vegan chick'n alternatives.

Here is the Creamy Cilantro!  I haven't opened it yet but it sounds and looks wonderful!  This one has both cashews and almonds in the base with the cauliflower and chia protein!

As I continue to look at that website I noticed they have a Tzatziki too!  OMG!  A Vegan Tzatziki!  Yes, please!  I have to find that one, too!

And here is the 3rd one I grabbed!  This one was pretty good.  It threw me for a loop a bit because there was 'bits' of something in there...it wasn't as smooth as the queso!  I think it was the minced garlic and/or the almond bits.  The taste was good, tho!  I might put it thru my blender again! LOL

Aldi is REALLY stepping up their game!!!  YAY!

Vegan Air Fryer Ideas, Raw Food, More Vegan Finds!

I think I'm back to the point of 'regular' blog posts!  Woot!  So I will do away with the 6-pack of photo splashes for now.

I briefly mentioned getting my parents an Air Fryer for Christmas.  Well, we actually bought my sister and brother in law one - as well as - my hubby's grandmother an Air Fryer, too!

So...basically, I'm the only one in my family that doesn't.  I'm thinking in the near future that might change.  DH also is intrigued by InstaPots so I'm betting that will be in our future, too!

Because I have been spending more time at my parent's house since my Dad has been out of the hospital I thought I would see what the Air Fryer could do!

Mom and I did Sweet Potato Fries from raw...and then we did Asparagus from raw, too!  

The Raw Sweet Potatoes took a little longer than frozen - I would imagine.  They turned out great!  As for the Asparagus - the taste was intense - which we all liked - and we like the crisp - but - if you let these little buggers sit too long they get a little rubbery...so serve immediately!

 While we were traveling we visited a different Ollie's...not the one in our own town...that I normally post about.  I found a Raw Food Cookbook at the other store for only $3.99.  Of course, I had to grab it!

This will be a shorter post today because I'm in a hurry and have a lot on my plate for the day!

Yesterday I stopped in at our local ALDI and found Good Foods Plant Based Dips!!!!  Woot!  Check out this Queso Dip that IS VEGAN!  It was pretty darned tasty!  I have to buy more ASAP!

Things I Bought, Things I Didn't, Concert Going, & Other Current Events

This will be yet another LONG post!  I thought I would kick thing off with one of my recent grocery shopping hauls!  I stopped in at my local ALDI and just wanted to find something for my lunch during that specific work day and I walked out with a slew of stuff!  Ironically, when I was thumbing thru my YouTube Feed later that day - BOTH No Egg Craig AND The Vegan Zombie had posted ALDI Videos with the same items!

Check this out!  Not only do they have a new Vegan Ranch they have a Vegan Harissa Ranch!  I tried the Ranch last night and it was pretty tasty.

It was thinner than most Ranch Dressings and was a bit heavy on the vinegar so it was like a Ranch Vinegarette but I still liked it!

This next photo is the actual haul!  I grabbed 2 dressings (they also sell a Vegan Cesar but I didn't buy that one), Potstickers, and Vegan Cream Cheese.  The 'patties' I found at my local ALDI were the Lentil (which were AWESOME), Asian, Thai, and BBQ Chicken.  I also grabbed some Guac, Vegan Moz Shreds (which I tried before), Frozen Cauliflower Rice, and Bread/Thins.

I only spent $35 on all that!  Now on to some of the things I have found interesting this week but did NOT purchase...

First up is this Cucuzza Squash.  It's the first time I have seen this in my area!  I have been thinking about it ever since so I might have to go back to see if they still have some.  I found this at my local Tops.  I haven't cooked with it YET but have heard you can cook it like any other squash.

Yesterday I stopped into Family Dollar to get some Unsweetened Ice Tea and noticed Love Beaty and Planet Shampoo and Conditioner.  I read the back of the bottle and found they were vegan - among other things!

I was pretty shocked that they were priced at $7 each at Family Dollar but all-in-all was THRILLED to see them there.  I have never seen or bought this line before and might try it at some point - just not now.

$7 Shampoo and Conditioners at Family Dollar.  I'm not sure if I have ever seen that before.  If it were $2 or even $3 - I would have JUMPED ON IT!  I guess I'm just CHEAP.  I guess I should say...THRIFTY, eh!?

So...I haven't done my Concert Recap YET from Fair Week so I guess now is as good of a time as any, right?

I really slacked on photos this year, it seems, but here is one that I did get from the Colt Ford Concert and Meet & Greet.

From left...my Dad, me, Colt Ford, my Mom, Patsy (who is a director), and Missy (who is one of the fair photographers).

Colt Ford was our Tuesday show.  On Wednesday we had Ben and Noel Haggard with opener Allie Colleen.  Both acts have music in their blood and are the 2nd generation of performers!

This is a photo of Allie Colleen.  Her father is Garth Brooks.  Her performance was AMAZING!  She has a great voice.  She had a wonderful connection with the audience.  And she is so sweet!  I spoke with her a couple of times when she first arrived and again before and after she went on stage.

Funny thing...I'm short...not quite 5'2"...Allie Colleen is quite tall and has a strong handshake.  Even the guys were saying how firm her handshake was!  You GO Girl!

She was a peach!  VERY talented!  I wish her all the BEST!

Noel and Ben Haggard are 2 of the sons of Merle Haggard.  They also performed.  I didn't catch much of their concert because I was handling a few other issues backstage and with the vendors but what I did hear was well received by the packed house.

Those two acts were on the stage Wednesday...then on Saturday...were these guys!  They are a tribute band.  Can you guess which band they are a tribute band of?

If you guessed Fleetwood Mac - you are correct!  They were AMAZING!  They were my favorite act of the week!  They were 'on point'...isn't that what the kids say, these days!?  Regardless, I am now a fan of theirs and hope to see them again someday!  They put on a wonderful show!

Those were the acts we had at our fair during fair week.

THIS week, a friend of mine and I were lucky enough to get some tickets to the Alabama Concert at the Crawford County Fair.  Here is a photo of the two of us.

We both worked full work days that day and drove after hours to the concert and then drove back.  It was TOTALLY worth it!  One of their members no longer tours due to him having Parkinson's but the other two members were really great and their band was terrific, too!  Memorable show, indeed!

Special THANKS to those who reminded me of the upcoming Vegan MoFo!  I signed up with seconds to spare!  That might be a little dramatic but I was cutting it close to the sign-up deadline!

Please let me know if you will be participating in this year's Vegan MoFo!

I've done it for YEARS but the last 2 years it was a bit hit and miss with my posting for it.  Hopefully, this year will be different and I will be more active with it again!

Like I said...another long post...and I haven't even gotten to the Mall Photos...YIKES!

So...here's the scoop on our local mall...it was booming up until the mid 90s and it's been dieing and slow and painful death ever since.

Right now they are in the process of ripping it apart.  The plans have changed many times and to be honest I can't keep up with how the end of the project is supposed to look.  I will have to wait and see just like everyone else, I suppose.

I mentioned in a previous post that they were going to be scrapping all of the plants and trees.  Yup!  They were pulling them out and throwing them away!  A co-worker and I (with permission) tried to grab some of them to see if we could grow them from snippets.

In the photo above, I always did like the sky lights.  It was the sole reason this greenery survived as long as it did because no one has been taking care of them in YEARS!  Next to NO water has been applied either.  Just sunlight.

In this next photo, you can see many of the plants are dead but some are still trying to survive!  I hope our experiment works and we can save the ones we took!

In the background you can see The Bon Ton.  It's closing this week.  It's one of the very few clothing store in our small area.  It's a shame to see so many businesses go under here.  To the right you can see plastic and light...that goes to the outside.  They ripped off the front of the mall and are making it into a strip/plaza type thing.

In this photo, you can see what I am referring to even better.  All of that plastic tarp is 'outside'.  They used to be stores.  They are no longer.

Up front, you can see more plants.  There used to be fountains there, too, but they have been empty for YEARS.  All of that will be removed.  Since they have made the decision to remodel and rework this dead mall...we have seen a Dunham's Sports and Ollie's Bargain Outlet move in.  I've heard the next thing to open will be a Shoe Show but I haven't see the sign yet.  The only other stores remaining are a Label Shopper, Lee Nails, and a pizza place...all of which have had to move.

All Sorts of Updates ~ LONG Post Ahead!

I'm not quite sure where MARCH went?  It's been VERY BUSY for a March but at the same time I couldn't wait for April to get here.  Mostly because of the weather.  I'm SO OVER WINTER and ready for better temps! 

So as you can imagine, I'm WAY BEHIND on posting!  Here's the official warning...this will be a VERY LONG POST!  Possibly the longest post I have had to date!

There is a possibility I will be obtaining a few more vegan cookbooks over the next month so I better get up to snuff on that soon, eh?  Here is one from my last shipment.  Sweet Potato Soul from Jenne Clairborne.  I have thumbed thru it and already KNOW I need to try many of the recipes inside!  The photos are lovely!

Many of the photos in this post will be of foods I have been gnawing on or finding.  We have been taking a bunch of day trips the last month or two but I have been grabbing some filler in between our hauls.  I found these vegan burgers at Aldi.  I'm sad that the vegan line was a limited run but have been seeing some of them stay on the local level.  I try and grab them when I can to let them know there are buyers in our area!

I used some sprouted bread to make a simple lunch and/or dinner with this.

It seems like this next dish is something I had forever ago!  It was literally something I threw together...an accidentally vegan rice and quinoa packet...I threw in corn, black beans, green chilis, tomato, and garlic.  It was YUMMY.

I'm in the process of joining Zontas International on the local level and they have monthly lunch or dinners paired with their meetings.  They have been GREAT with veggie options.

 I usually opt out of the meal and go for the conversation in situations like those.  But they had Quinoa and Make Your Own Salad the one night and I was THRILLED!  They have a Summer Surprise Event each summer and you don't know what the details are until it happens.  One of the things someone suggested was to have a Vegan Meal such as a potluck and asked me for suggestions.  They thought it would be neat for the other members to try something new.  I will let you know if anything comes of it.

Here is a cheap, quick, easy, and breakfast I have out at a local restaurant.  Oatmeal with Blueberries, Pecans, and (sometimes) Brown Sugar!

And speaking of eating out...it was my birthday back on the 16th and DH, BIL, and I took a trip up to Buffalo and ate at The Pizza Plant.  I've blogged about some of their vegan options before but I was REALLY hungry for some of their Vegan Pizza (instead of trying something new, that is) so I got that and had PLENTY to bring home for leftovers! 

Oddly, this past weekend, we took a day trip back to Buffalo and the Pizza Plant and I grabbed another Vegan Pizza!  Oops!  I probably won't have it again for months or even a year!  The trip we took for our birthdays we did share an app...the vegan curry nachos!  The boys didn't even mind the vegan cheese!

One of my many finds the last couple of weeks was the Forager Project Cashewgurt LEMON.  I've been waiting to get my hands on this flavor and I finally found it.  And I have to say YUM YUM YUM!  It sort of reminds me of Lemon Meringue Pie...but BETTER!  This is certainly my FAVORITE FLAVOR so far!

In our day trips, we have been lucky to hit up a few places in Ohio a couple of times...and Buffalo area...twice.  Plus, Erie.  I've been VERY fortunate to have a couple of nice grocery hauls mixed in. 

More on that in this post and future posts - for sure!

With the first trip to Buffalo about 2 months ago when we went to the Indian Restaurant I stopped at a Halal Grocery Store that was right next door and found these little gems! 

These are called Chai Paratha.  They are the size of a big pancake but are sweet, savory, and contain chai spices. 

I read a website that said they are good for breakfast or with tea.  I did have them with tea once.  The other time I had them I ate them as a dessert with a Mango Chutney I made. 

They were totally yummy and I wish I had more!

One of the many blog posts I wish I would have done was one on how I recently cleaned my Excalibur Dehydrator.  But I'm sure there will be another day and time for that.  I hope to start using it again more. 

After I gave everything a good cleaning, I made these Raw Vegan Crackers.  I wasn't overly thrilled with the taste so I won't post it here until I have a better attempt after some tweaking.  They were a bit too salty for my liking.  As you can see I used several spices, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds, Flax Meal, etc.

With all of our running around, we have also had some RnR with the furkids.  It's rare if I can get a pic of all 3 of them at the same time but it happened this past weekend.

As for a furkid update - things have been ok.  I've been working with Riley's ongoing ear infections but that's nothing new.  I was finally able to get Cricket over to my parents for a playdate with Lexi.  Paco keep truckin' along, too!  I wouldn't be shocked if we had to adjust his meds again over the next couple of months for his ITP.  Charlie is aging by the day but still his feral self.  Age-wise we are thinking that he's about 18, Riley 16 or 17, Paco almost 7, and Cricket - about 5.

We take day trips because of the dogs.  We haven't been overnight somewhere in years other than fair week and that's the week they go to 'Uncle Jack's' as we call him. 

With Paco's ITP (Immune Issue) he rarely leaves the house unless he's going to the vet.

Cricket is still the leader of the pack.  Riley and Paco are followers.  When we lost Suzie to cancer there was a hole that is for sure.  When we got Cricket the flow was better because of her alpha-ness!  I know you can't tell by the pictures but I assure you that this little 6-pound wonder is a spitfire!

Like I said before - I'm still waiting for the weather to get warmer.  In the meantime, I have been enjoying some more soups I can easily make in my blender. 

This first one is a Black Bean Soup.  Because I waited a while to post it - I'm afraid I misplaced the recipe!  YIKES!  Sorry!  It was tasty!  And as you can see I used some homemade Cashew Sour Cream to mix in, too!

The 'red' is smoked paprika!  I can't get enough of Smoked Paprika these days!

This next soup I used Chickpeas as the based along with Coconut Milk and Tahini.  There is also Smoked Paprika, Garlic, Nutmeg, Onion, and Nutritional Yeast, too!

A couple weekends ago I went with my parents to an RV Show at the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood, NY, and while we were there we stopped in to a few places.  One place we can't pass up when we are there is the one Kitchen Store.  It seems like we always find something.  The blue edges you see in this photo is a pasta maker type bowl.  It's supposed to 'nuke' your pasta quicker.  That is yet to be determined but it makes a nifty bowl, regardless!

I guess you can also see the dish here, too!  So far I have found that it doesn't really cut the pasta time but it could be because I have a low watt microwave. 

The dish is pretty sturdy/heavy-duty and of a good size.  I like that there are little ledges/handles on the sides, too!

I made a Garlic Dill Alfredo Sauce for these noodles.  It's a Pumpkin Seed base that I used here, too!  It was pretty good.  Of course, I topped it with Smoked Paprika!

I almost forgot to post a few selfies.  I'm a horrible selfie person.  This first one is from the RV Show at the mall.  I saw this hat and thought I would try it on.  I regret not buying it.  It went well with the jacket I was wearing, too!  As you can see - I don't wear make-up.  Yesterday, while I was at Walmart I noticed a "Wet & Wild" brand section that was clearly marked "Cruelty-Free" and "Vegan" in several places.  Not only on the individually packaged items but on the signs above each product.  I thought for the heck of it I would grab some.  It was CHEAP!  Probably the cheapest I saw in 3 isles of make-up!  I bought some foundation, concealer, and mascara.  I know I won't wear it often but when I do I know it will be vegan!

Here's another selfie I took back on International Women's Day.  I even wore purple to celebrate!

I feel that ever since I decided to go back to wearing my glasses it's added about 10 years on me!  I need to get my hair done, again!  YIKES!  I actually like this shirt I bought at Label Shopper several months ago!  I think it was only $7.  I wear it for work a lot and will probably wear it to some upcoming Zonta Meetings.  And speaking of meetings...I have a League of Women Voters Board Meeting today!  There are lots of things in the works and I will share more details about those projects soon!

Photos I enjoy sharing more are of this little girl!  Here's my adorable neice!  Trinity is going to be 10 months on Saturday!  I can't believe it!

My parents watch her about 3 times a week and they sent me this photo on my birthday!

Her hair is getting thicker.  She can pull herself up and stand but hasn't walked on her own, yet.  She hates wearing shoes.  I think I have taught her how to say "Nom Noms" and "Nom, Nom, Nom" when she eats!

I can't wait to take her rolling skating and ice skating!  I'm a terrible bowler but I can't wait to go with her.  My parents and I are already making plans for camping and fair week!

She's a fan of Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars but REALLY doesn't like Taylor Swift (I can't say as I blame her). 

She already likes animals.

And I think her and I not only have an understanding of each other but we also get a kick out of each other, too!

This photo was taken yesterday.  She had an Easter Dress eventho my sister and her husband didn't take her to church.  Her husband is Catholic so that was pretty shocking they didn't go but I guess they had some churchgoers that were sick and didn't want her picking it up.  (Again, I don't blame them!)

My sister, her DH, and Trinnie are going on vacation later this month.  My parents and I were trying to go, too, but it didn't work out.  They are going to Charleston, South Carolina for about a week and a half.  As much as I wanted to go, I can't take that much time off from work and leave Paco for that long.  Dale said he would stay home but the planning process wasn't in our favor - nor were the prices!

I was, however, able to take last Thursday off and we took another day trip to Ohio.  We went back to Mustard Seed Market and this time we grabbed something at the cafe before we left.  Dale got a Strawberry, Orange Juice, Banana Smoothie and I got this juice.  They call it Waldorf Hysteria.  It contains Fresh Juiced Carrots, Apple Juice, Celery, and Mint. 

I ended up really liking it and the mint helped with the aftertaste, too!  The photo doesn't really do it justice.

My mom and I are already planning on taking my juicer to camp this summer!  So I hope to have more to report on the juicing front, soon, too!

And...last but not least...this MONSTER MEAL from our trip to Buffalo on Friday!

We went to Amy's Place for brunch!  It's been YEARS since I have been there!  They have LOTS of vegan options including what you see here!

It's Lentils and Broccoli, Rye Toast with Vegan Butter, Breakfast Potatoes, and Seasoned Tofu!  I added a little Ketchup and Frank's Hot Sauce and it was pretty amazing!  It made me wonder why I don't make Lentils on a lazy Sunday and use them throughout the week!  I need to start doing that!  I'll stop right there since this post was LONG enough but I have LOTS on tap so make sure you check back often!