The Impossible, Kitchen Book Shelf, Work Food Hull, Vegan Mac & Cheese with Savory Spinach, and Deep Thoughts...

I don't know if I have just been overly grateful lately - more grateful than usual - or if its that I have been a little more emotional lately - regardless I have been THANKFUL and have been realizing more and more - perhaps I have just been listening better or more often to the people and the things happening around me...not sure....but it's been one of those weeks!  A week where I have been doing a lot of thinking!  GOOD thinking and perhaps even mediation.  More positives than negatives or at least trying to not give the negatives as much attention as I have in the past.

I'm continuing to make mini-goals for myself thru out the day(s) and week(s) and have had some success with them lately.  I've been learning and trying to enrich myself as well.  I think this has something to do with it all.

Yesterday I attended a 'meeting' of minds in our community and I think that something or some THINGS might come out of it!  The topic was "Farm To Table" among other sub topics.  There were only 5 of us but it went VERY well and we all had different backgrounds which made it even better!  We all have various things we can contribute and if things progress like I hope they will I will be explaining more of that down the road as they happen!

Some things we have already here in our area in addition to some things we want to revamp or volunteer for include: The Ag-Mobile, Farmers Markets, CSA's, Farm-to-Table and Farm-To-Schools, Urban Farming, Community Gardens, Community Food Security, WIC and Seniors Farmers Market Vouchers and getting the word out about them, Our Area Ag Programs that already exist, Master Gardeners, Food Hubs, Composting, and Co-Ops!

Last night I took a few pictures on my iPhone around my kitchen and this was one of them.  It's a pocket in my kitchen where I have a few of my cookbooks.

Do any of them look familiar to any of you?  Which ones do you have or which ones do you enjoy?  I have more but this was just one section, really, plus, I think I might be moving them and rearranging them soon!

I will try veganizing more of the recipes soon!  Many of you know I am a cookbook rebel and have a heck of a time following a recipe!  :)

Here is a mishmash of what I brought to work today!  In the Green Blender Bottle I brought some Boku Organics Super Foods in Water today.  Let's just say I prefer them in juices!  I will be posting more Juice and Smoothies with Boku Organics Products in them very soon!  My husband and I had a chat last night about our future fruit purchases.  I'm REALLY going to TRY and stomach Bananas.  Bananas and I do NOT have a friendly past BUT I really WANT to start liking them because of their benefits!  I just have to quit being such a BABY and start eating them, eh!? :)

In the Red Plastic Carrier is the Tangy Avocado Dressing I made the other night.  I was running out of reusable storage items for transport so I found that little portable soup container that sealed nicely and I put the dressing in that!  I bought some leafy greens yesterday from a small locally owned grocery store we have here.  They usually buy regional items when they can and it's a great way for me to avoid Walmart.  I also have some organic Cherry Tomatoes I need to finish in there as well as some multi-colored mini sweet peppers from last week that I bought at Wegmans.

You might be wondering what is in the foil?  Well, I'm going to re-use the foil for as long as I can -  but inside are two vegan English Muffins with a very small amount of Earth Balance, as well as some Nutritional Yeast Sprinkle, and a squirt of Bragg's Liquid Amino's that I had for Breakfast.  I was so VERY excited when I found these English Muffins at Aldi last weekend and they contained NO dairy!  Woot!  Hubby was excited for me, too!  YAY!

In other food news last night I had a great attempt at Vegan Mac & Cheese!  YAY!  Here is what I did for this "cheese" sauce that made a HUGE batch, I might add!

3 C Soy Milk
1/2 C Nutritional Yeast
1/3 C Flour (Bob's Red Mills)
2 T Tomato Paste
1 T Minced Garlic
1 T Lemon Juice
Squirt of Agave (Wholesome Sweeteners)

I put these ingredients in my Ninja and it worked AWESOMELY.  I think gently heated on the stove top for about 5 or 6 minutes along with some Earth Balance to thicken but have it NOT stick.

I poured some over the noodles I made and it was very good!  Creamy and a sweeter-cheese-E like flavor.  Later I went back and tried an experiment of adding about a teaspoon or more of Wildtree's Savory Spinach to it and I cooked it all down for just a minute or two.  I'll tell you!  That last addition made a glorious difference!  Just that little bit of GREENS in there!  YUM!  I originally wanted to add peas but didn't have any!  This was tasty - if I do say so myself!

I'll be back later today - but in the meantime - I will leave you with this thought...

Feedback ALWAYS Welcome!  I hope you all have a splendid day!