Big Jim Peppers Are Here, Homemade Chana Punjabi, Vegan Russian Dressing, and More pics

I was going to wait to post these photos in near-future posts but I'm already so far behind with blogging I didn't want to bankroll them.  that and I'm so excite to share these pics with you guys! 

First up...

This pepper!  BUT...this isn't just 'any' pepper...it's a Big Jim Pepper from our Rooftop/Container Garden at work!  Woot!  Sam and I cut one open and ate it raw and LOVED it.  It wasn't sweet.  At the end it had a kick to it, too!  YAY!  These did really well for us and we are already planning on doing more next year.  We had 3 plants that were good size and produced a few.  If we spaced them out more I think we could have gotten more of a yield but I'm happy with what we did get!

We have some late bloomers of our rooftop produce which I will be sharing with you soon.  We are still waiting on the Brussel Sprouts, too, but they do take a long time from start to finish.

Last night I wanted an Indian Inspired dish but also wanted to make some for my lunch today.  Based on what I had in my pantry and in my fresh stock in the kitchen I made some Chana Punjabi and it turned out great.  It wasn't spicy but it was tasty!  Here's the recipe I threw together...

1 Can of Chickpeas
1/2 tea Wildtree Garam Masala
1 tea Wildtree Garlic & Herb
2 Large Tomatoes
1/4 tea Turmeric Extract
Pinch of Garlic Chili Sea Salt

Last week I was sort of craving a Russian Flavored Dressing so I came up with this Mayo-Free, Soy-Free version that I was quite proud of that I did in my Vitamix.  Recipe...

1 C Cashews
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tea Coconut Sugar
1 tea Wildtee Garlic & Herb
1 tea Dijon Mustard
1/2 C Relish (or chopped sweet pickles)
3/4 C Ketchup

This was a great dressing AND a wonderful dipping sauce.  Overnight in the frig it thickened up because of the Cashews!  YUM!

Why...yes...YES...that is Moonshine!  I'm mostly posting this because I LOVE the way the photo turned out!

We visited 3 Moonshine places while in TN.  It's now legal there.  We sampled a few from Ole Smoky.  They had Moonshine infused cherries.  I thought I would like them more than I did but they look super cool in the glass jar, don't they? 

My husband ended up purchasing one of their baseball caps.  And some of their Blackberry Moonshine.

There were a few Wineries nearby and we intended to go back and check them out but we ran out of time while on vacation.

DOH!!!!

I just LOVED this fountain that was tucked back in one of the coves in the shopping district of Gatlinburg. 

There were places to sit and shop.  A few places to grab some beverages like a specialty coffee or pastry.  But my FAVORITE part was this fountain and the building facades.

I still have a LOT to blog about from our vacation and more photos to share here and on the Travel Blog.  But I will save those for another day!

I have more giveaways to post about, too!  Hopefully tomorrow!  Stay Tuned!

And don't forget to scroll down...this wasn't my only post for today!