Community Involvement & Family Time

Taking a look back at June 24th...our community did something special to celebrating the ratification of 100 years of Women's Right To Vote.

Our Courthouse bells rang 19 times at noon and many of us gathered for a rally and fellowship.  There were several speakers and those who dressed up and held signs.

My mom and dad were watching Trinity that day and the stopped over for the first part of it.  Trinity was a HIT.

She even made the front page of our paper the next day!  This is her and me holding signs.  It was a lovely day.  I'm part of the Suffrage Centennial Committee and there are LOTS of things planned thru the end of 2020 so you will be hearing a bunch more about these events soon!

Here is a photo of the Courthouse lawn with those who participated.  The brick building in the back is our local historical society.

Another thing that I haven't really blogged too much about is that when our company was sold DH and I spent two days in Erie to not only help with their 70th Anniversary for WICU but to get to know some of the people at the main office and such.  Here are a bunch of us passing out fans, coloring books, and sports bottles.

Another thing I was able to do in the middle of July was with our Zonta Membership.  Each year we do a "Summer Surprise" and we don't know where we are going or what we are doing until we leave for the evening.  This year - we didn't travel too far.  We had a private tour and history of our local, historical Struthers Library Theatre.  Many of us have been in the theatre fairly often but it was nice to have a behind the scenes look and really take our time.

And I mean...REALLY behind the scenes...this was backstage!  I just LOVE all of the old signs we saw.

Here is some of our membership enjoying the tour!

Earlier in the summer...my mom, dad, sister, Trinity and I went to Waldameer which is a theme park/adventure park in Erie.  It's been YEARS since I have been there but it was Trinity's first time so it was SO FUN!!!

On the way home that day she was super weird and starting sucking her toes like a thumb and I couldn't stop laughing.  Even funnier was the oh-so-serious look on her face while she was doing it!

Total Evolution really kept me fed this summer with all the running around!  WOWZA!  Here is their Avocado Toast - vegan style, of course!

And here is one of the build-your-own chia bowls.  I chose Peanut Butter, Granola, Raspberries, and it was great!  They use Soy Milk as a base.

Blabbing About Bottled Finds!

I almost wasn't sure what to blog about today but then I quickly remembered I was lucky enough to go on a 2 day shopping spree for food so I thought back about some of the things I was able to find and thought about my TOP 3 bottled finds and thought I would share them with you.

First...Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar Drink - specifically their Apple Cinnamon Flavor.  WHY?  Well, some of you might know that DH has Crohn's and each day is a different experience.  Because of his Crohn's he has had other issues and we are finding out all go hand-in-hand in his case.  He was lucky enough to talk to a local doctor about his sinus infections and come to find out this same doctor also has Crohn's and seems to have many of the same problems as DH.  Long story short he needs to increase his intake of fermented foods.  Some of which he has already been doing.  DH doesn't seem to have a problem with ACV which I think is AWESOME.  This past weekend he tried this Apple Cinnamon flavor for the first time and LOVES it!  Problem?  It's hella expensive.  I'm going to try and make it myself soon!  I will keep you posted!  Something else I wanted to mention about this ACV Apple Cinnamon Drink is that I have now seen a vegan and an non-vegan version.  One version has honey in it so it's not technically vegan.  However, the one I bought for him had Stevia in it and no honey.  Interesting.  I wasn't aware of this until now!  Tricky, tho!  So keep your eyes peeled.  Unless you are a Apia(n) Vegan or Beegan that is.

Next up...Tahini from Trader Joe's!  I have yet to try TJ's Tahini but I'm certain it will be a winner!  Tahini was one of the many staples I have been out of in my pantry lately.  When I took that trip to TJ's I was able to find a FRESH and refrigerated version of it but I was looking for the self version.  When I got up to the check out there was a YOUNG looking 75 year old in front of me claiming that she was a first time shopper to TJ's and the WONDERFUL cashier let her in on some of their secrets.  Secrets?  I have been to 3 different TJ's thus far and I didn't even know about their secrets!  So I listened.  He was telling her that if you wanted to try/sample anything in the store that wasn't already prepared that they would OPEN IT for you and let you try it right there in the store!  Heck!  I didn't know that!  Then he was saying that if you bought something and didn't like it they would give you your money back.  That's always a good thing, eh!?  He even said that with their wine if you didn't like it to bring back the empty bottle and they would refund you!  NICE!  When I stepped up to check out I had a nice conversation with the cashier, too!  I was telling him that I was having a hard time finding this Tahini so the cashier-assistant ran back and grabbed one for me!  AWESOME!  In the meantime I was telling him I was from out of town.  I jokingly asked him if it was always so CRAZY at this TJ's and he said YES especially on Saturdays and Sundays.  He said the BEST TIME to shop was right when they opened.  I told him I noticed that the one time I shopped at the one near Buffalo.  When I was paying him for what I bought I noticed he put something in my cart that I didn't buy.  I looked up and he said 'There you go - sorry it was so busy in here today"...MY GAWD...it was a bouquet of FLOWERS!  How sweet!!!!!  What a wonderful store AND guy, eh!?

So this blog post was a complete blab-fest, eh?  Sorry about that!  I'm not quite finished...teehee!  Another bottled YUMMY I found this past weekend was Just Thousand!  It was available at Target in Erie.  This was yet another first for me.  I know Just Mayo is my most favorite vegan mayo to date and I like their flavored vegan mayos, too!  I know that my buddy Hillary is pretty obsessed with a few of the Hampton Creek Dressings and rightfully-so!  I tried the Ranch before and it was pretty good!  I thought it was more of a Peppercorn Ranch than a Buttermilk Ranch but that's ok!  This Thousand Island was pretty spot-on!  I have to say that I make a pretty awesome vegan Thousand Island Dressing, too, if I do say so myself.  I think the main difference is the consistency.  Mine is thicker than Hampton Creek's.  So they have me there!

Anyhow...I'm pretty excited about these 3 finds for one reason or another.  Now I just have to find the ACV for CHEAP in BULK or make my own...which is probably what will happen at some point.

A Few Days Off, MWM, Inductees

I took a few days off from work!  I needed it!  I was getting burned out!  Hubby and I were able to spend some time on the road with our Abarth!  I slacked on photos except for when it came to Monday when we went to Cleveland.  More on that later in this post and a near future post.

We were able to visit Mad Mex in Erie on the way home and I opted for the Veggie Enchilada which was easily veganized by asking for vegan cheese and sour cream!  It was so YUMMY but not photo friendly so sorry for teasing you!  Here's a snapshot of the guacamole, tho!  I'm LOVING the GREEN theme in this photo!  I want those green plates, too!  'Just sayin".

While in Erie we stopped by the Whole Foods Co-Op.  It's been a while since my last visit.  And I had to restrain myself because I didn't want to spend a lot of money this trip.  I was very pleased with the visit because they are consistently upgrading EVERYTHING in the store!  I'm so happy they are doing so well!  I know someone who is reading this who used to live in Erie and who's cat loves Daiya would be thrilled to see the upgrades!  (hint, hint!)

I'm also happy to see so many new products there!  I grabbed Daiya Slices because they were $1.20 cheaper than Chao Slices.  I still haven't seen the Daiya Gouda and it's driving me CRAZY!  Since finding the last Jackfruit product I posted about I am compelled to buy additional Jackfruit products when I see them.  They had a growing Upton Naturals section and I decided to grab the Jackfruit BBQ.  I noticed Victoria Vegan has new labels and new offerings, too!  When I saw they have an Alfredo Artichoke I couldn't resist! That was my splurge as VV is quite expensive.  You can see the Earth Balance in the right hand corner, too!  Hubby has now converted to EB.  He really likes it!  No...is isn't veg and he never will be but EB he actually likes.  So now it's the only 'butter' found in our (mixed diet) frig.  The Whole Foods Co-Op is the only place I'm able to actually pick up issues of VegNews, too, so I jumped on it.
One of these days I will actually subscribe!  Of course I have been saying that for YEARS!

Here is my first MWM Post of the Week!  Remember to keep reading and link up below to participate!  You can link up as much as you want thru Tuesday!  It can be anything VEGAN...product reviews, grocery store visits, online purchases, produce stands and farmers market hauls, recipes, etc!  LINK UP at the bottom of this post!

I won't post photos in this post from our Monday trip to the RnR HoF but it will be very soon!

YUP!  We dropped by the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame!  Just days before this years induction.  They were getting ready for the festivities!  More on that in a future post!



It's LINK UP Time!!!!  We would LOVE for you to join us during this week's MWM (MidWeek Munchies!)

An InLinkz Link-up

Tater Tots & Fiats!

Happy Friday!  Last night I literally threw this Tater Tot Casserole together!

I started with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Carrots.  I made a mild cheesy sauce with Almond/Coconut Milk, Earth Balance, and left over Egg Trick Seasoning (the recipe for that is from The Vegan Zombie Cookbook).  I then topped it with baked Tater Tots.  Next step - I covered it in leftover vegan cheese sauce I made with a combo of almond milk, Daiya Cheese, and spices.  Then I sprinkled Wildtree Taco Seasoning and Hemp Seeds over it!  This was pretty amazing if I do say so myself!  I think I just might have to make more of these!  Oh!  And I didn't bake this casserole either...stovetop!

Earlier this week I blogged about the Fiat Meet Up from last weekend but I nearly forgot to post these photos so here they are!

I really wanted to post these because you can see our new orange graphics and rims!

Yup!  That is our Abarth on the right!  I just LOVE the orange color!

We might adjust and/change the back a bit in the near future tho!

In case you missed the previous post - this was the Western NY - Southern Ontario Fiat Club and we went to the Grand Opening of the Erie, PA, Fiat and Alfa Romeo Dealership!

Here's another look at some of what we did with the graphics and rims!

We have the rims done first at a local tire store - they did a great job!

We had the graphics done locally, too, and I do like the sides the best out of everything!

We have a few things we hope to do in the near future with the club - one being European Car Day in Clarence, NY.  We may try to get to Pittsburgh for Fiat Freakout if we are able to for the weekend part of the meet up.

This weekend will be a Wildtree Weekend!  We will be at Chapman Dam State Park. 

The Fiats Are Coming! The Fiats Are Coming!

This past weekend was fun!  It was the first Fiat Meet Up of the season that Dale and I were able to make!  We first met another couple in Jamestown, NY, and then headed to Dunkirk, NY, to meet up with a group that was traveling from Buffalo, NY.  After chatting for a while we all headed over to Erie, PA.  There were about 12 or 13 cars that was on the ride!  It was a little cool and windy but at least the sun was shining!  The reason for the meet up was to get a group of us from the Western NY - Southern Ontario Fiat Club over to the Grand Opening for Auto Express Fiat Alfa Romeo of Erie.  During their Grand Opening of the Fiat Dealership they were raising money for an animal shelter there, too!  Dale and I made a small donation.  I think they raised over $1,000 for the shelter that day.  After we all left the dealership after spending a couple of hours there many of us went to Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood/Busti, NY, and enjoyed the sun, some of the group ate, and others tried some of the brews.  There was a Reggae/Folk Fusion type band that played on the outdoor stage and we listened for a bit.  After Dale and I left the group we went out for dinner.  It was a great day!  We met some new people and met up again with some new friends we made from last year, too!  Oh!  We took our Abarth - not the Fiat 500 Pop - but we hope to take both of the cars to an upcoming cruise-in soon!

In case you are trying to find me in the photo above - I'm the one in the grey shirt next to the guy in the blue shirt to the left of the red car.  The guy in the blue is Dale.

Sunday - my mom and I traveled over to Nobel Winery near Westfield, NY, to meet up with my sister who was putting on a bridal shower for her soon-to-be-sister-in-law.  It was the first time I met her.  But it was a nice day and I am always happy to see my sister!

Monday - Dale and I did some yard work.  We did some major trimming of the trees in our front yard...which isn't much of a yard since we live so close to the street...we will call it our front garden instead.  It was long over due and now it's done...it looks much better.  So YEAH it was a busy weekend!  What did you do?

Past Happy Mail, Local Eats with Vegan Options, Paco Update

Hello everyone!  Thanks for all of the kind words, thoughts, emails, notes on Instagram, etc...I appreciate it!  I have so much to share with everyone but so little time! 

I hope to be doing updates more this week to try and catch up!  I have lots of products to share with you - I have reviews I need to catch up on - I have lots of articles and recipes to cross promote and link to over at TRFW and much, MUCH More!  In the meantime...here's a sneak peak at some of the things that have been exciting me lately!  My shipment from last month, actually!


In this first photo you can see Sun Warrior Immune Shield, a new Skin Brush, salted Sacha Inchi Seeds, Kelp Noodles, Shea Butter, and Nutritional Yeast.  Yup!  Had to stock up on some nutritional yeast...I was getting low.  I did get the Kelp Noodles but because of the horribly cold winter weather we have had for MONTHS now they froze.  I contacted the lovely customer service people over at TRFW and they said they could send me another one or credit my account because Kelp Noodles change texture if frozen.  I thought that was pretty amazing that they offered to do that - I mean - it wasn't their fault they froze,  you know?  It's not like THEY control the weather! LOL - but I thought that was wonderful!  I decided to opt for the credit and will re-order in the more fair weathered months since it's still really cold here.

In this photo you will see I stocked up on some snacks!  I couldn't resist!  The prices were awesome when I ordered them!  Plus I LOVE Foods Alive products!  I got two of their Flax Crackers.  I also grabbed a pound of cashews, a few salad boosters, some raisins, pro-biotic almonds, Organic Cayenne Powder, and some Khorasan Wheatgrass Juice Powder (Kamut).

I have to say all of the powders that I have been getting from TRFW have been AMAZINGLY fresh!  The colors and aromas are so VERY vibrant!

I've still been building my Raw/Living Foods and Vegan cookbook area in my house and this was one of the books I grabbed with my last order. 

I have a slew more on order again and hope to get them before the end of this week.  I'm also visiting my local library again since it has been a while.  If anyone is on GoodReads let me know - I have been posting on that app for a while now, too!

Have you gotten any new books as of late?  I'd love to hear about them! 

A couple of weekends ago Hubby and I went to our new favorite place in Erie...Mad Mex...mainly because there are a lot of vegan options there for me!  Here is what I had...it's the Chickpea Chili Burrito.  You can opt for the Daiya Cheese and Tofutti Sour Cream like I did.  We also got a few of their amazing dips!  2 out of the 3 of them were vegan.  Now hubby wants me to try and make Pepita Hummus and Tomatillo Avocado Dip...and I hope to do that soon!  I'm already trying to come up with a few other things I want to try at this place the next time we go!  They have 'home made' vegan salad dressings, too, including a RANCH.

Now...this past weekend we visited a local gem of a place that has been around for decades - and generations!  My husband loves it - always have - of course - he's no where near being a vegetarian - so yes - we are a mixed diet household - anyhow - they had a special salad for March - and I had them do it without what ever meat they had on the menu.  They came up with this for me and it was FABULOUS!  I asked them to add it to their menu full time!  Not sure if they will but it was great!  It was iceberg lettuce and mixed greens, pineapple, green peppers, tomatoes, almonds, roasted coconut, and I choose the grape balsamic dressing made with local grapes!  It was WONDERFUL!

Now for a quick PACO update!

His ITP has been under control for at least 3 months while he's been on a LOT of medication.  While I hate putting all the pills in his body - it's what he needs to stay 'normal' - we tried to take him to a lower dosage with the approval of our vet - he ended up relapsing - so she told us we had to get back on the dosages he was on prior to trying to take him down.  It seems to be working, so that is good.

However, it's been about a week and he had an unrelated issue...he basically threw his kneecap out of place.  This has happened once before about 3 years ago.  But this time was pretty bad.  He's been trying to 'walk it off' and has found some work arounds.  The first two days was rough but he's been getting better since then.  The vet told us she didn't think he was in pain - and she thought he just noticed a 'difference' or it felt 'weird' and it was something that he would have to work out himself.  He hasn't been acting like it's been bothering him but he will pull up on it every once and a while...I think he's trying to pop it back in. All-in-All he's been doing fairly well with it and we do have pain pills but he's only really needed one on that first day.  I hope to have more posts very soon!  There are LOTS of things going on!  It's been CRAZY in my whole lately! How about you!?

Hiatus OVER! Vegan Options at Mad Mex & Trip Planning!

Well...long time...no write, eh!?  It's been a MONTH!?  OMG!  Sorry folks!  LOTS has been happening - so much that I can only share bits at a time.  First off...I have switched or should I say added on more tasks at work.  I'm now in sale in addition to many of my other 'jobs' there.  It's been good so far which makes me smile because the first quarter is the hardest so I am optimistic!

Then last weekend hubby and I went to Mad Mex in Erie and I was told by my brother in law that they had vegetarian options but I was almost overwhelmed by HOW MANY they had and vegan, too!  Woot!  Let's just say this is my new favorite place and I can't wait to go back!  I opted for the Angry Hippie Burrito! Yes!!!!  They have Tofutti Sour Cream and Daiya Cheese to make nearly anything vegan!  DOUBLE YAY!  I don't know why I didn't get a pic of the actual plate but the burrito was HUGE - it was the biggest one I have ever seen, actually!

But the food was just part of the experience!  I just LOVED the atmosphere!  The colors were rich and dark with brighter yellow accents!  The lighting was amazing!  The art work was on the verge of grunge but was totally rockin' it all over the place!  The tin and metal lighting and art was throughout the place as well!  I posted more pics on my instagram if you are interested in more!

I completely fell in love with this place!

Here was one of the lights!  Very cool!

Well, since I am writing this blog post in a hurry and from a 2nd account I will get right to the next part of my post!

I have been writing all along - while I was away!  I have been writing more and more for The Raw Food World News Site more specifically their Recipe Section!  It's been FUN!

Then...Matt has been doing live hang outs on Tuesday Nights so I have been trying to attend those as well!  I've been learning a lot from them!

I should be getting my next shipment next Tuesday so I will be sure to take pics of what I got!  Lots of cool stuff!

I've also been shopping in preparation to our trip for The Breakers that is rapidly approaching!  We will be going in March!

The more I learn about the place the more I feel as tho I will be out of my comfort zone...I mean...I'm NOT a girlie-girl!

So this is one of the outfits I grabbed recently!  I ended up getting a few more and the red/black dress (not pictured) I ended up really liking!  More on that down the road!

I plan on catching up on blog commenting over the next week!  I have missed you all terribly!  Please drop me a note - can't wait to hear from you!

Happy Weekend!

Dave Coulier Later in the Week...

 

Later this week my sister and I are going to take a quick road trip to Erie to see Dave Coulier at Jr.'s Last Laugh.  I'm so excited!  He played JOEY in Full House.  My sister and I have watched every episode MANY TIMES in our younger years!  It's sure to be a fun time and kick back to our child hood seeing him do some stand up!  I can't wait!  I wonder if we will get to meet him...that would rock!

A 3rd Fiat?

Well, Sort of!

LONG story short...it was a deal we couldn't refuse. 

We already traded in the Olive Green Fiat we just purchased about 2 months ago in of this LOADED New 2013 Abarth.  It's a sportier version and has MUCH MORE Power!  I really think this is what Dale wanted last time.  Everything worked out well with this trade.  It couldn't have gone any better, actually!

Dale really LOVED that the brakes were RED.

The color is Gray with a Black Stripe on each side.

We are thinking of customizing it a little bit - but just subtly.  When and IF we do I will certainly keep you posted!

I'm stoked because it has not only a sun roof but a screen for the sun roof!

Here's a closer look at both the wheels/brakes and stripe.

With Abarth's - even tho they are made by the same company FIAT - they do NOT bare the Fiat Logo - they have their own Abarth logo instead.

Dale also LOVES the Rims on this!  Same color as the car!  And the trademark Scorpion in the center!



This car came with the upgraded comfort package!  The seats are pretty freakin' awesome!  The seats are even heated!

It's also equipped with Beats Audio!  YES!  Dale and I have been fans of Beats for a while now.  One of these days I should blog about the headphones/headsets we have in the home studio!  They are AMAZING!

Anyways...just a few more pics of the new ride!  Dale's stoked!  We are REALLY looking forward to the upcoming Fiat Club Events and meeting new people!  Dale and I NEED that!

Here are a few links that might be of interest...especially if you aren't familiar with Fiats and Abarth's. 

Their MAIN PAGE for Fiat USA.

Abarth's Specifically.

Wiki for Fiat and Abarth.

And where we have made our Fiat and Abarth Purchases:
Auto Express Fiat of Erie.