Creamy Vegan Celery Soup & Life Updates

Hello!  Sorry I haven't been blogging in a while but I'm back!  I actually have 3 things to post today but I think I am going to stick with this one soup!  It's a Cream of Celery Soup VEGANIZED but before I get to the recipe I thought I would tell you a few other things that have been going on lately.

First...I am totally sick of winter!  It's 5 degrees one day and 40 the next.  Everyone (but me - knock on wood) is sick.  We got hit with another snow storm today and there is about 6 inches of snow on the roads just from today.  Under than is a good amount of ice.  My car didn't make it all the way up my hill when I drove home so it's off on the side of the road about a block down from my house.

I have been testing some stuff in the kitchen and I hope to tell you more about that in the coming days and weeks!

I've been busy with League of Women Voters stuff and I have been thinking about joining Zontas International and our local chapter.  I have also been really busy with County Fair stuff.  Not only do we have our entertainment committees - I'm now part of the concessions/vendors committee and VIP committee.  I was also put on the advertising committee.

I've also been keeping up with my foreign coins!  It's been pretty FUN!  My last HAPPY MAIL was Monday and I received about 5 new-to-my-collection countries.

My niece, Trinity, is growing TOO FAST - but then again - we all say that about the 'little ones' don't we?  She's 8 months old today.  She is crawling.  She's a pretty happy kid!

Now for the soup!

Creamy Vegan Celery Soup - or Cream of Celery Soup Vegan

1 Head of Celery Stalks, Diced

Put in pot/pan and cook until softer.

4 Smaller Potatoes, Diced

1 Small Onion, Diced

Put these 2 items in a pot/pan and cook until softer.

Then in a Blender...

3 C Almond Milk

2 C Water (more if needed to thin)

1 Bunch of Dill

1 T Minced Garlic

3 T Vegan Earth Balance or Vegan Margarine

Half of the celery above

Cilantro & Sea Salt to taste

Add the 'creamy' soup to the remaining diced celery and put on medium heat.  Serve.

Optional...

Smoked Paprika & Nutritional Yeast 

What's In My Kitchen ~ Current Top 10 ~ 2 X 2

For once I really wasn't sure what to blog about because I haven't been buying much even in the way of groceries and what I have been buying is pretty standard.  I haven't done a What's In My Kitchen in a long time so I thought I would do one today.  This time around I thought I would do my Current Top 10 in 2X2 format.  So...2 in each category!

SPICES - Turmeric & Smoked Paprika

I try and add Turmeric in as much as I can and it's tremendously easy to include in sauces, dips, and spreads!  Same with Smoked Paprika!  I just use a pinch in just about everything and it really kicks it up a notch!

Everyday Fruits/Veggies - Tomatoes & Mini Peppers

I eat some form of tomatoes nearly every day!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! I REALLY enjoy sweet red bell and mini peppers, too!  Especially Red, Orange, and Yellow!  I eat a LOT of these and they usually have a top spot on my What's In My Kitchen List!

Nuts/Seeds - Sunflowers & Cashews

Cashews are almost always on my list whether it's actually IN my kitchen or on my grocery or wishlist.  However, I have had to start replacing them with Sunflowers lately because of prices and availability.  I adore both of them but haven't found them as interchangeable as some other bloggers...YET. 

Tools - Tupperware Holiday Cups & BlendTec Wild Side

Many of you may know that I have a VitaMix that I use often but a few years ago I bought a BlendTec Wild Side Jar that attached on my Vitamix base.  I still use my Vitamix but will also use this BlendTec Jar other times.  Just like anything I think there are Pro's and Con's to each.  The most important PRO for me for the BlendTec Wild Side Jar is that it's more user-friendly in getting the contents out (better than the Vitamix Jar).

One purchase I haven't talked about yet was Tupperware.  A friend of mine had a book party and I grabbed the Holiday cups similar to the one of the top of this photo.  They are small and cute.

Condiments: Lemon Juice & Dijon Mustard

I have found that I am using more and more Dijon Mustard in my sauces, dips, spreads as of late to enhance the flavors.  Lemon Juice is almost ALWAYS in my frig, too!

Convenience Items: Aldi Guacamole & Vegan Veggie Burgers

Avocadoes are ALWAYS expensive where I live.  The cheapest place to buy them here is my local Aldi but the last 6 months or more even Aldi's has made it so I can't or won't purchase them.  As of this weekend, they were priced at $1.69 each....the highest I have seen them at Aldi.  So instead, I opted for one of their prepared Guac's which was priced at $2.99 but you get 2 packets which would last me longer than 1 Avocado!  The other convenience item is their Vegan Veggie Burgers which I blogged about last week.  I added them to Taco's this weekend!  YUM!

Must-Have's For Munchies: Carrots & Celery

I have been trying to shy away from massive amounts of corn chips and have been opting for Carrots and Celery Sticks instead.  So far - so good!

Oils: Grapeseed & Pumpkin Seed

As many of you know, I sell Wildtree Products.  But not for long because we will end that journey the end of this year.  I have and will probably continue to use Grapeseed Oil as my main oil of choice when I do use oil, however, I found some Pumpkin Seed Oil a few months ago at a really good price and I'm almost done with that bottle.  I will be on the lookout for new good deals on oils, soon!

Superfoods/Additions: Sprouts & Chlorella

As you can see from my recent blog posts I have been getting into sprouting again and have been trying to include Chlorella into my daily intake more and more.

Superfood Contents: Genuine Health Gut Superfood Summer Berry Pomegranate & Hemp Seeds

Here's a new product I need to tell you about and upon opening the tub it smells AMAZING! It's Genuine Health Gut Superfood Summer Berry Pomegranate! @genuinehealth #GHsuperfoods - Genuine Health sent me samples to work with and I'm in the process of working on ways to include this product in some recipes. In the meantime, I'm simply mixing it into water and BAM! There you go! I'm always excited to try a new product that helps with gut health and is VEGAN!

WHAT'S IN YOUR KITCHEN Link-Up!

Vegan MoFo ~ Kitchen Tour Time!

Today is Kitchen Tour Time but I'm embarrassed at the sight of my kitchen at the moment so I thought I would take this time to blog about some of the things I HAVE in my kitchen.  This may be a lengthy post.  I have a feeling it will be!

Before I get to the appliances I have in and around my kitchen I have been getting a lot of questions about certain ingredients and products I have been using as of late.  I thought I would combine many of these into one post.

First up...one of the most asked about products as of late is this Kelp with Cayenne.  I've also LINKED to the specific product for you in case you wanted to check it out over at The Raw Food World which is where I got it to begin with.  It's part of a line of sea seasonings.  The one I have been referring to a lot lately is the Organic Kelp with Cayenne.  It gives you the benefits of a sea veggie and gives you a little bit of natural saltiness without adding actual salt to your foods.


They have other flavors, too, including a Trio Blend of Dulse, Laver, and Sea Lettuce which I have yet to try...one with Sea Salt, Kelp, and Dulse...another being Dulse with Garlic...on that is straight-up Dulse...you get the idea.  I've had a couple of these in my pantry for a while and they keep well in a cool dry place.  Right now they are only $4.10 each and are TOTALLY worth it!.

I usually make my own dressings but there is a new-to-me line that I am REALLY stoked about!  And it's from a company that I have adored in the past!  Foods Alive!  Check out THESE dressings!  They are AMAZING!  And right now the individuals are priced at-cost!

If you take a look at my sidebar you will see a search button and if you type in Foods Alive you will see the others posts on my blog containing some of their products that I have enjoyed and blogged about in the past.  But these dressing are in a class of their own!  Take a look at the link above and let me know which ones appeal to you most!  Oh...and of course WILDTREE is my favorite brand of many products and I am a Rep if you are interested!

Salad Booster from Living Intentions is another product I keep in my frig as often as possible.  It's a great product to have on hand.

There are TWO flavors...the original and the Vegan Cheesy!  Both are excellent!

The original contains: Seeds, Wild White Chia Seeds, Spirulina, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Chlorella, Organic Dulse, Organic Kelp, Organic Dill Weed, Organic Spices, Organic Lemon Peel and Organic Cayenne.

The Vegan Cheesy contains: Organic Sprouted Pumpkni Seeds, Organic Sprouted Sunflower Seeds, Organic Sprouted Sesame Seeds, Wild White Chia Seeds, Spirulina, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Nutritional Yeast, Chlorella, Organic Dulse, Organic Kelp, Organic Dill Weed, Organic Spices, Organic Tumeric and Organic Chilies.

SunRoot Sweetener is something I JUST started using.  I need a little bit more time with it before I completely make up my mind but so far so good!  It's an alternative to Agave and other natural sweeteners.

It's made from Jerusalem Artichokes - also known as - Sun Chokes.

It's sweet but I don't think it's AS sweet as some of the Agave's I have tried.  It's VERY dark in color, too.  I made a two layered RAW Freezer Fudge that I will be posting about in the near future and used this as the sweetener.  The flavor of fudge was Pistachio Cacao in case you were wondering.

Of course other things you will find in my kitchen are various Nut Butters, Garden of Life products, raw nuts and seeds, more recently Cacao products, and Super Food Powders among other things.

Now...when it comes to certain appliances I have throughout my kitchen there are a few.  I started with Ninja Blenders before I was able to get a high speed blender.  Once I got my high speed blender I saved all of my Ninjas.  Yes...I have several.  I still use them for food processing, mostly.  I have many different sizes and I also have these containers that I store in the frig at times, too!

Once I finally got a high speed blender I went with a Vitamix...actually the Vitamix went with me, actually!  I was lucky enough to win one.  I'm so grateful I was able to win one.  The only down fall is now I will ALWAYS have to have one.  I hate to say I have a 'prized possession' because that sounds so material but I would have to say my high speed blender is one of the things I just may have to guard with my life.  Is that too dramatic?  Meh.

I use my Vitamix EVERYDAY at least once.  However, I have  often wondered the differences between the Vitamix and the BlendTec.  I'll get to that in a moment.  But first I would like to jabber about my Vitamix.  I supposed I should name her, shouldn't I?  Anyways, I LOVE my Vitamix as I have said but there are only a few things I wish were better about it.  One being I wish it was glass and not plastic but that isn't a 'make it or break it' for me.  When making thicker dips and spreads like nut butters and hummus for example it is hard to get all of the 'good stuff' from under the blade.  I feel like I am wasting a lot when this happens.  Also...it's not the easiest to clean when doing a lot with nuts...they tend to cause a build-up under the blade.

Enter the BlendTec WildSide Rebel Jar and XR Vitamix Fit Jar.  These jars make it so that you can have a BlendTec and a Vitamix at the same time, basically.  I wanted to try this prior to possibly purchasing a BlendTec, too.  I'm glad I did.  Yes, I know...I'm a bit of a blender freak now.  I have noticed a few things with this WildSide Jar.  I LOVE the jar.  It fixes the problems I was having!  It's so much easier to clean and under the blade stays cleaner with little effort.  I also get nearly everything out of the jar with little effort - that was the other concern I had with the Vitamix Jar in the first place.  There are 2 things I'm not overly thrilled about, tho.  One being it's MUCH louder than the stand alone Vitamix and the other is I don't think the BlendTec gets 'chunks' as smooth as the Vitamix.  I think the BlendTec breaks them down better but I like the textures of the Vitamix better.

This could be because I'm using a BlendTec blade and Jar on the motor of the Vitamix that is yet to be determined.  There are pros and cons of each but I have a love for both of them because of their pros.

Next up...yes...I have an Excalibur Dehydrator.  I love it and I need to use it more than I have been as of late.  I think that will be a goal of the upcoming season.  If you want to search for my past recipes feel free in the search box on the side just type "Excalibur" in there.  I will be gearing up for snacks and breakfast bars and cookies with this soon I have a feeling!  I'll tell you it was one of the BEST Christmas presents I even got (thanks Hubby!)

More recently I added this to my kitchen...it's the Tribest SlowStar Juicer.  I'm ashamed to say that I haven't put it to the test YET but will very soon!  Prior to this one I had a Jack LaLanne Juicer.  I liked it but it didn't get the juice as 'juicy' and 'clear' as I wanted so I decided to get this one.  I almost purchased a different brand and made a last minute switch-a-roo because of the Instagram photos that Chris from The Vegan Zombie posted.  It seemed like he was getting the results I was looking for and that is what switched my mind at the very last moment.

Another thing I should mention is that I have a SLEW of Mason Jars throughout my kitchen!  Dozens!  I store everything in them.  You can read more about that HERE as to why I started that when I did.  It has just grown since.  HERE is another post and HERE is another post - both with pictures!  I guess in a way you can see my kitchen in those photos and posts, too, when it was a little more 'put together'.  Another example would be HERE.

Fickle Pickle on Possible Purchases...

One of my FAVORITE Blogging Buddies OPAL and I have been chatting a bit about possible purchases and either not being able to make up our minds on which to purchase or wait for a better price on those items that are on our wishlists.  I thought I would do a little bit of a blog post of my own with some of the things I have been going back and forth on as of late.

I've had a juicer for a few years and it was great when I first got it and it still work well, however, I was left 'wanting' and have grown a little bored with it.  After much reflecting on the juicer topic I really FEEL like it's time for an UPGRADE and maybe that will make me what to get back into it more.  The one I have now was about $90 a Walmart when I did purchase it a while back.  It's a Jack LaLanne Juicer.  The main complaint I had with it was there was still a lot of pulp in the 'already juiced juice'.  I was looking at the Juicers available over at The Raw Food World and there are probably 3 to 5 of them I want for different reasons but don't want to buy more than 1 at this time.  So far I think this Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL might be the way to go for my wants and needs at the moment.  These two parts are what opened my eyes on THIS specific juicer...

Cutter and Filter

The Italian-made, stainless steel cutter’s diagonal knife blades first grind the fruit into pulp. Then, 115 surrounding, conical knives grate the pulp into minute particles and propel them against the micro-mesh filter’s 40,000 strainer pores. Smaller particles, combined with superior filtration, maximizes yield.

Speed

There are two settings: a whisper-quiet 6,500 RPM for juicing leafy vegetables and softer fruits such as watermelon and oranges

Does anyone reading have this juicer or a comparable one that you would like to share feedback on?

 Another appliance I have been pondering a purchase on is this EasyGreen Sprouter EQMV but I'm afraid it might be more involved that I am used to when it comes to sprouting.  I really like the 'soak, set, and go' idea of this product but after doing some research it sure looks like it has a lot of different parts.  This - like the juicer - takes up space - space I don't have a lot of left in my kitchen.  I'm the type of person where I have to have things out - and looking at me - to use them often.  That's why I always have my Vitamix and Excalibur out where I can see them.  Another option would be for me to purchase this and set it up at work.  Since we started doing Container Gardening at work - why couldn't we do this, too, right?  PLUS...that would encourage me to eat more sprouts and salads at work during lunch!  I'm still considering this.  I just haven't taken that step, YET!

Another thing I can't seem to make up my mind on is a Blendtec.  Yes...I have a Vitamix and I LOVE it but sometimes getting some of the dips and spreads our from under the blades drives me batty!  (See more on this on my Spatty Daddy post).  That and I kind of have this THING for Blenders, I guess.  I can't seem to get enough of using blenders!  But the thing that has been eating away at me about the Blendtec is which one to get.  Just when I think I have it pinned down to the 4Side or the WildSide I read about the Twister Jar!  Oye!  I'm so confused!  And THIS is one thing I don't want to mis-purchase because of the expense...like over $450 expense!  I heard from a few people that the 4Side was harder to reach everything so I am leaning toward the WildSide instead.  BUT...the Twister Jar's side scrapers really intrigue me, too!  Does anyone reading have these blenders?  If so...what are your thoughts!?

And regardless of which and what all of these items are higher ticket prices items and I really don't want to make the wrong choice.  PLUS...it's NOT like I will be buying all of them at once - it will be over time - when I am able to.