Smiles, Backlogging of Vegan Finds, & Community Happenings

I'm still trying to catch up on posts.  I really have to stop doing that.  Life gets in the way, sometimes.  This photo of my darling niece was taken a while ago but I thought it was too cute NOT to post.  That AND she's wearing one of her many unicorn shirts.  Yup!  I'm totally getting her into BOTH unicorns AND dinosaurs!

I've had this Rebel Kitchen Mylk before but recently found it at our local Tops Market and it was on sale and I had to grab it!  I found the chocolate one and the chai one there!

I want to say I grabbed this a while back when we visited the Whole Foods in Buffalo but I'm 2nd guessing myself.  I've never been a cereal person but this looked interesting.  Heck...I have never been much of a breakfast person but I'm REALLY trying to change that.  So far...I'm failing.  I still have this unopened.  Hopefully, SOON I will crack into it!

I finally got my hands on 2 of these plant-based burritos from Alpha Foods.  I know a lot of people absolutely LOVE these.  I thought they were 'ok' but I didn't find them mind-blowing.

And speaking of burritos...I was also able to locate one or two from Daiya recently.  These were also just 'ok'.  I found the texture of the burrito itself a little weird.  The taste wasn't bad...it just wasn't as awesome as I had hoped it would be.

This was another Whole Foods product I forgot to highlight on my blog when I got them several months ago.  They were tasty!  They had a nice medium strength spicy kick to them, too!

This was something I was really surprised about when I first saw them at my local Tops!  They are pricy but because I had never seen them before I HAD to try them!  They were really yummy!  I also had their little dessert cup thingies, too!  YUM!

My husband thinks it's weird that I eat waffles plain and like toast or pop tarts with my hands instead of a fork.  I hadn't had these in a LONG time and found them on sale a while back at the Lakewood Wegmans!

I was able to find these again at my local Aldi.  When they first came out I saw them but it's been a while in between.  I think they are pretty good.  They also have a root vegetable one, too!

Back in early March our local Zonta Club had it's Annual Lucky Numbers Luncheon which is a crazy day of fun and fundraising!  I was thrilled to see THIS vegan handbag as one of the prizes.  I'm not into fashion or accessories usually but I did throw my tickets in this one!  I didn't win but it was all in good fun and we did raise a lot of money that day.  There were over 120 LARGE prizes!

In other community news, I'm part of a group who is trying to wrangle up volunteers in our county.  We are organizing an annual weekend of volunteerism in the middle of May.  It's called Warren County Serves.  More on that in coming posts.  I think this photo was from our February meeting and since we live in the snow belt you can see we even wear hats inside sometimes because the heating systems couldn't keep up with the frigidly low temperatures.

During our Mid-March Zonta Meeting not only did we do another collection and shipment for Free The Girls we also took part in My National Freedom Day.  

Here are some of the photos from our shipping party!  We shipped another 400 bras to Free The Girls!  That is the 3rd shipment we have done since joining to be an official drop off location.  1,264 bras have been shipped in the 3 shipments so far!

The Good, The Bad, & The...CUTE!

We'll start with the...CUTE...because it's the easiest and, well, THE CUTEST!  The other day my father sent me this photo of my niece.  Apparently, she has messy hair and doesn't care!

Now...for a little bit of the...GOOD!  I found this a while back and it is darn tasty!  Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter made with REAL Pumpkin!  I have a few spoonsful for a snack on occasion!

And for another 'nut butter' I am feeling conflicted about this one...while it smells and tastes WONDERFUL the texture is a little hard to deal with!  Sure...I expected the oil to be on top and that I would have to stir but OMG it was SO DRY on the nut butter part that I got oil all over me and couldn't really stir it at all!  YIKES!

The last time I saw this brand I had the spicy queso (I think) and it was ok but really thin and runny.  THIS ONE was MUCH BETTER!  I liked the consistency and the flavor better than the first one!

For the next product...I guess I aimed a little too high with this one.  Perhaps my expectations were too over the top but I have to say I really didn't care for this product.  The noodles were very gummy and a weird slimy texture that didn't jive with my pallet.  Sorry, folks!

This, however, was AMAZING!  The flavor was great and the texture was right on, too!  BUT...locally, speaking, was WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!  I had to try it just once but at $7.99 I can't justify it...no matter how yummy!  Knock 2 to 3 bucks off and I will consider it!

I've had this one other time before but when I found it again I had to grab it not only because I was out of vegan cheese but because it was on sale and I had a craving!

This was the first time I had come across this brand of hummus so I knew I had to try it and was glad I did!  It was great!  And the price was right, too!  I'm looking forward to trying to find it again and trying another flavor!

I did find the new or at least the new-to-me Mexican Classic Blend of Daiya Shreds and I enjoyed them!  YAY!

This was a bit more than I wanted to spend but I rarely find Engine 2 brand items and knew I wouldn't be back to that location for MONTHS.  I gobbled it up rather quickly to say the least!

I tried the Bootleg Bucha Apple Spice and it was pretty good.  Another flavor I had right around that time was a HOPS one and I really liked that one, too!  One of these days I hope to visit a Buffalo Based Booch Place...maybe even Bootleg!  Time will tell!

Kombucha Journey, New-To-Me Vegan Amy's Kitchen Products, & Ms. Trinity

YIKES!  Yet again...time has gotten away from me!  I have way too many photos to post and things to blab about so I'll have to work towards checking those items off my list and not overload everyone in one post.  Altho...I have a feeling this post will surely be long enough on its own!  First up...an update on my Kombucha Journey!    This was the 2nd batch I did and we did do a 2nd ferment with it!  My parents found a few of these cute bottles at TJ Maxx for cheap!

In the first photo, you will see our first flavor.  It was straight-up Kiwi!  In the 2nd photo, that is pure blueberry!  Both were fizzy and both were tasty!

And finally, this one is orange and kiwi!  We have started our 3rd batch and it should be ready to fruit and 2nd ferment in about a week.  It's been FUN!  We already have quite the SCOBY Hotel going, too!  I think we might have to start doing more than one batch at a time!

A few weeks ago I went to the Erie Target and found a few new-to-me Amy's Kitchen Vegan Labeled Products including this Ravioli!  It was SUPER tasty!  The sauce really MADE it!  The only problem with these Amy's meals is when I find one I really like I could eat like 4 more in one sitting!

Then there were these Asian Dumplings.  At first bite...I thought it was 'ok' but as I continued eating it I found myself really enjoying it!  After it was all gone, I found myself wanting more!  

Paella!  Another winner!  I really didn't have much of an opinion of this going in only because I'm not a Paella Guru by any means.  I think I only had Paella maybe twice before and I made it both times and I made it myself so who knows if it was close to a traditional Paella.  Regardless, I did find this one quite tasty and I would certainly buy it again!

And to finish out this post I thought I would post a pic of my wonderful niece with my parents dog.  I have a series of these photos on IG in case you want to see more.  Ms Trinity calls me Aunt Ja Ja.  She's a gem!  I love her dearly!  

LOTS of Vegan Finds, Volunteering, Family & Friends!

Continuing with my updates - I'm jumping right in with the 6X6 Photo Splashes!  Hope you don't mind!  Many of these photos are from quite a while ago but I thought they were still worth a mention!  This past summer we spent a lot of time at the fairgrounds.  It seems each year we spend more and more time there.  Each weekend.  Many evenings!  Starting in Mid April and going thru Mid October!  We did a LOT of potlucks and community dinners.  It really does feel like a Commune down there at times - that is the part I like!  PLUS...I can share some vegan dishes that non-vegans seem to enjoy!  As you can see I was rocking the Florida Crystals this year!  It's a nicely labeled vegan sugar!  

I did get a few of the Grainful meals for the camper freezer.  They came in pretty handy.

I made a lot of Tomato Salads...Tomato and Onion...Tomato, Onion, Cucumber...Tomato, Onion, Sweet Pepper...you name it!  

The photo on the bottom-center was a few of us doing Voter Registration at a local high school.  The League of Women Voters always partner-up with the official Voter Registration Guru at our local courthouse!

And then you can see some more propagation experiments with that last photo!

A while back I noticed that our local Walmart started carrying more Sweet Earth products INCLUDING the Veggie Lovers Pizza!  I have to say this is a WONDERFUL Vegan Freezer Pizza, folks!  I can't wait to grab another one!  It was SO flavorful and I LOVED that it had 2 sauces on it!  YUM!

In the fall I did try and take more photos around town and you can see one of them with the railroad/bridge in the center.  Another thing I tried to get back into was Meditation.  I'm still trying with that!

I think I fell back on TOO MANY Vegan Mac & Cheeses this past fall - including the one you see here.  I do remember that one being a squash base and it turned YUMMY!

I also found some more Enjoy Life snacks at Tops.  Maple Sweet Potato?  I just HAD to!  Glad I did, too, they were tasty!

Here you can see a photo of my wonderfully adorable niece Trinity!  More photos of her to follow - because she's too cute - NOT to brag about, eh?

Another silly selfie on IG with a filter that gave me eyelashes.  

Another photo from the fairgrounds from this past fall when we started seeing mushrooms popping up everywhere!  I just LOVED the colors!

The two photos on the bottom of 'this 6' on the right and on the left were from the Annual United Fund Kickoff!  Some places have the United Way and we have United Fund here.  It's pretty much the same idea...local charities and fundraising each year.  This is the 2nd year I was the Slowest Potato Peeler.  Now it's going to be 'a thing' and I will have to make fun of myself and it from now on!   It's all in good fun, tho!

The one in the center-bottom was the first of many Free The Girls IG posts!  More on that in coming posts but in short...it's a new service project for our local Zonta Club.  We have an ongoing drop off location for new and gently used bras for Free The Girls - based in Indiana - and they help survivors of trafficking start their own retail business in their own communities!  The 3 countries they have programs in currently are Mozambique, El Salvador, and Costa Rica!

In a RARE Day Off this past fall...I met up with my parents, sister, and Miss Trinity for a trip to Erie.  We found this artist and sculpture guy who reused and recycled items and placed them in his front yard as works of art - and BOY - were they!  It's FREE to visit!  Here you can see 6 photos of the outing!  

Of course Trinity has to have unicorn stuff because I'm her aunt!  There was a car that was made into a spider...they often light that up with each season.  There was a 'dude' they dressed up like a Pirate for Halloween.  A wasp.  A 2-headed Dinosaur.  And a Flag Wall made out of License Plates!

Total Evolution in Warren now carries Earth Below Kombucha which is locally brewed in Emporium, PA, and I have to say I have enjoyed each flavor I have tried so far!  I can't wait to try more!  They have a tap installed at Total Evolution!  Woot!  

Here you can see more about FTG (Free The Girls) and another Zonta Club post!  I will be blogging about many of our service projects soon!

I was telling you how I was trying to get more and more into plants!  Well, I started my parents in on a few, too!  You can see their green and pink one is doing better than mine!

I was able to find another BOOCH at Whole Foods Co-Op in Erie a while back, too!

Oh yeah...and a skeleton dressed up like a clown in a coffin from the Auto Art place in Erie is above, too!

More teasers, here, but I told you we took a trip to Indiana!  I will be posting more about that soon - PROMISE!

Trinity is pictured above in one of the first FORTS we made!  She LOVES them!  And BOY do we make some good ones!

Also this past fall I really needed to do some reflection so I went over to Kinzua Dam and took some photos!

I know I was telling you a while back about the new vegan line at ALDI well here is another Salad Dressing I found!  It was VERY GOOD!  It was a Tahini Goddess!  

In the center on the bottom, you will see a group of people eating!  This was our 3rd gathering for the group we welcome from Erie from the Multicultural Resource Center.  We finally have a name for our group!  Welcome To Warren County Committee!

This Refugee group was 9 to 13-year-olds and they were so fun!  I was so excited to spend more time with them this time around!  They were Refugees from Syria, Eritea, Ukraine and a few adults from Ukraine, Bhutan, and Kyrgyzstan.

And just to finish up a few random catch-ups...the 3 top photos here are from our League of Women Voters Annual Membership Meeting in the fall.  We went to a small local museum that I had not been to but was glad I did go!  It was a neat place.  

Then another photo of my parents plant I started them on, one of the photos from our Indiana road trip, and a random photo from a live remote broadcast prior to us leaving for our trip.

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!