Loving Cafe - Fort Wayne, IN

I figured today was the perfect day to blog about The Loving Cafe in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since I will be stuck in my house due to inclement weather.  Taking a look back on our fall road trip, I knew I had to dedicate a post about The Loving Cafe which is a 100% vegan restaurant in Fort Wayne.

The cafe was part of a plaza area that was pretty nice and had parking directly in front of the establishment.  The food was fast and fresh and full of flavor!  Hubby started off with a salad that had a nice creamy ginger type dressing.  

We decided to split some loaded fries.  There was a bean chili and vegan cheese they topped the plate with as you can see.  I decided to opt for the Mushroom Pistachio Soup and it was 'out of this world'!  Hubby chose the Cabbage soup and he said it was some of the best he ever had when it came to Cabbage soup...vegan or non-vegan!

I did sample some of his soup and it was darn tasty!  It was sweet AND savory.  I was surprised by the sweet and then realized they used raisins on the soup!  Clever!

Everything on the menu was clearly described and there were many creative dishes I was thrilled to see!  Ones I would have never assumed would be offered.  I took a few photos of the menus because I wanted to remember the food combos and ideas to see if I could make a version of some of them at home.

Some of them, I was a little afraid to try, because I thought they might taste too much like meat.  They seemed to do a lot with vegan shrimp which intrigued me but I couldn't seem to bring myself to try them at first day we were there.  I'm betting if I lived full-time near this place I would eventually have to try everything on their menu!

I loved the color of the cafe dining area!  The light fixtures were nice, too!  The prices seemed to be right in line with other non-veggie offerings in the area.  I'm so glad we were able to visit The Loving Cafe in Fort Wayne, IN, it was a great experience!

Vegan Mac & Cheese & Peas with Buffalo Bread Crumbs, Thug Kitchen 101, and Booking It!

The last couple of days we had our first snow storm of the year.  It's still in the process of hitting us.  Today I used up one of my vacation days that I had left and didn't even leave the house.  Driving was tricky and I didn't want to chance it.  I was able to get some stuff done around the house and online.  Because I had some extra time I decided to try the dish you see here.  It's inspired by Thug Kitchen 101's Creamy Squash Mac & Cheese with Hot Sauce Bread Crumbs.

I tweaked the recipe quite a bit so I guess I could say that it was inspired by that recipe?  For the bread crumbs you see here I used pita bread that I needed to hurry up and use.  I coated it with Frank's Hot Sauce, Almond Milk, and Garlic Grapeseed Oil - mixed and baked at 425 for 20 minutes.

As for the pasta - I have a few different partial boxes of various noodles that I wanted to get rid of, too.

For the cheese sauce -  all in a blender:
1/2 Small Onion, diced, pan fried
2 Potatoes, cubed, pan fried
1 C Water
2 T Lemon Juice
1 t Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 C Almond Milk
1 T Wildtree Garlic Garlore
1/2 C Nutritional Yeast
1 t Smoked Paprika
1 t Turmeric
Canned Diced Red Sweet Peppers*
Sea Salt & More Nutritional Yeast to taste

* The canned, diced sweet red bell peppers I threw in for color and because I didn't have any carrots.  The original recipe called for them.  I also added and changed a few things from their recipe based on what I had on hand and to taste.

I added about 1 C frozen peas to the pasta, drained, added the 'cheese' sauce, stirred, and added the Buffalo Bread Crumbs.

I had a lot of the sauce left over.  I had quite a few of the bread crumbs left over.  I didn't add the squash that the original recipe called for because I didn't have it.  This dish was all about a variety of textures.  It was just the right amount of creamy and the right about of spicy.  I'm totally hooked on adding homemade bread crumbs or croutons to Mac & Cheese now!

As for Thug Kitchen 101 - I totally LOVE it!  I can't wait to purchase the other ones they offer.  YES...it's very colorful with the language.  It doesn't bother me but if you aren't thrilled with swearing and cussing you might want to skip this one.  I don't think there is a page that goes by where they don't drop the F Bomb in some way, shape, or form.

But the recipes are very creative, the factoids are fun and make you think, the artwork and pop culture references are neat, and the inspiration to cook for yourself is spot on!

Another thing I did today was re-arrange by Book Shelf...my actual book shelf...and work towards adding to my virtual book shelf, too!

Do you have any of the Thug Kitchen Books?  If so - which one(s)?  What are some of your favorite recipes in them?

Creamy Creamed Mushroom Soup - Vegan!

Ingredients for this CREAMY Creamed Mushroom Soup are:

1 C Nut-Based Milk (I chose Almond)

1/4 C Vegan Margarine

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

About 1 Pound of Mixed Mushrooms, sliced (Fresh of Frozen)

1/4 C Vegan Sour Cream (store bought or home made)

1 T Soy Flour

Simple Directions Include:

On Medium Heat in a large pot add everything except for the mushrooms and stir until combined and thickened.  Add Mushrooms and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Simple Sunday Post!?  What do you think!?

Simple Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Side Dish ~ My New Favorite Comfort Food!

Since I have been trying to avoid bread and pasta this month and because I didn't want to buy anything at the store until I absolutely HAD to - I have been eating some really odd things! 

This was one of them.  But it ended up being VERY memorable!  I went to Giant Eagle in Erie a weekend or two ago and found a bag of frozen Cauliflower and Sweet Potato.  Those were the ONLY 2 ingredients!  So, of course, I was curious about them! 

I heated them up in a frying pan on the stovetop and added a bit of Earth Balance, Cinnamon, and a pinch of Black Himalayan Sea Salt.  It was absolutely incredible!  It was certainly a comfort food!  In addition, I did a side-by-side with frozen corn.  I always like adding dill to my corn!  YUM!

I had some leftovers of both side dishes.  I found a can of spinach that I had to use quickly so I decided to throw it all together in a bowl.  This was the outcome.  It was pretty good, too!  Next time I would probably try adding a sauce and a bean of some sort.

Have you ever seen and/or tried the frozen, diced Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Combo?

I have been working on a few projects in the evening that requires research so I have been at my desktop typing away.  The other night I turned around and saw Riley and Cricket basically spooning!  LOL

Fall is certainly here.  It's getting much colder.  The last few mornings have been at freezing point. 

I hope to do some more soups and blender recipes and dishes soon!  Happy Friday!

Comfort Zone Cafe & Fun With Parents!

I have almost all of my vacation time still left for the year so I decided to FINALLY take a day off this past Monday.

I didn't spend it alone.  I was with DH and my parents all day.  My parents have been looking at campers and still had yet to visit Camping World which is where we go ours a few years ago.  We spent a few hours going thru MANY of them but before we get to the final decision I thought I would share with you where we went for lunch while mulling it over...

The place you are seeing in the first photo is called Comfort Zone Cafe and it's in a really neat looking section of Hamburg, NY.  The owner and workers were all super nice and loaded with personality.  They had a nice selection of panini's, soups, beverages, etc.

They said on their website that they always have (at least) 1 Gluten Free and Vegan "Boat" available and it changes with the season.  Of course, that is what I was interested in and this next photo is what I opted for.  It's an Acorn Squash Boat.  It was very yummy!  PLUS it was something 'outside of the box' when it comes to vegan options which I ALWAYS appreciate!  It was stuffed with mashed squash, celery, cranberries, apples, onions, and Cannellini Beans, etc.

And finally...here is a photo of my parents with their recent purchase!  It's a Jay Flight Camper and it's about 28-feet long.  I LOVE the expressions on their faces!  The only downside is that they have to wait until spring to get it out of storage and enjoy it!  WHY?  Because winter is upon us.  Yup!  In case you don't already know - I live in the snow belt and it will arrive any day now - I'm sure...sigh...Regardless it was a fun day and we had a delightful lunch at Comfort Zone Cafe in Hamburg!

More Wraps, More Dips!

This is a classic Left Over Wrap!

This contains the last little bit of tofu I had in the freezer.  I seasoned it with Wildtree Memphis Seasoning.  I also used left over corn and black beans.

I melted some Daiya 'Jack' Shreds on the wrap and added the rest of the ingredients and that was my wrap!

1/3 Block of Tofu, Frozen, then Thawed
1/2 C Black Beans
1/2 C Corn
Handful of Daiya Shreds
Pinch of Wildtree Memphis Dry Rub (to season tofu)
1/2 Avocado, smashed (with lemon juice)
2 T Salsa

All in a skillet (except Daiya, Avocado, Salsa) with Earth Balance, until done.

For a separate meal/snack I did the remaining multi-colored mini potatoes in a skillet with pumpkin oil until crunchy.  I also made a Lemon Dill Cashew Dip for them.

2 C Cashews
1 C Water
1/4 C Oil (I used Pumpkin)
4 tea Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tea Nutritional Yeast
6 T Lemon Juice
1-2 tea Wildtree Dill
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Seas Salt

This Lemon Dill Dip was AMAZING!!!!  It could simply be watered down more for a dressing.  I tried to do this and I found equal parts Water, ACV, and Lemon Juice worked nicely!

Almost Mex Tater Tot Casserole (Vegan) & Post Card Writing!

A little over a week ago I co-organized a local Post Card PLUS Writing Campaign.  We set up a SAFE PLACE for any and all people in our community to gather and write post cards, letters, emails, or make phone calls to our elected officials.  ANYONE was encouraged to attend regardless of party affiliation.

The purpose was to COMMUNICATE with those we have voted for - no matter WHO that was.

It could be about ANYTHING.  Any issue ANY individual was concerned about.  We had people there who were passionate about education, healthcare, free speech/free press, the environment, Womens Rights, LGBT+ Rights, Immigration, Refugees, Non-Profits, Parks, Gerrymandering and redistricting, and MANY others!

In other news...MORE VEGAN FOOD and VEGAN RECIPES!

I've been getting some notes from readers and friends who are revisiting my blog after being away for a while who are asking what I have been up to lately with FOOD.  Well, the truth is, I have been VERY LAZY in the food department.  I need to get back into the swing of things for MANY reasons!  

Regardless I have another sloppy meal to share today!  It's a comfort food.  Then again -aren't MOST comfort foods - SLOPPY?

The photo you see above is a variation of a vegan Tater Tot Casserole.  It's nearly Mex-Inspired but I was out of corn.  If you read yesterday's post you will see that my kitchen is nearly bare of fresh, frozen, and canned items!  YIKES!  So I used what I had on hand!

1/2 Bag of Tater Tots

Pumpkin Oil as needed

up to 1 can of Black Beans

1 to 2 C Canned/Diced Tomatoes

1 T Wildtree Absolutely Onion

Turmeric and Smoked Paprika to taste

Black Sea Salt and Nutmeg to taste

About 1 C Vegan Cheese Shreds

I could of added Cumin and Cayenne Pepper to taste, too, but for some reason I didn't.

I actually did this as a Hot Pot...on the stove top!  

I really wasn't sure how this would work out...but it was TASTY!  I was pleasantly surprised.  The Tater Tots broke up into a mush because of all my stirring.  Another way to do it is to bake it which would be better for the crispier texture and I might try that at some point but this was the quicker and lazier version.  Regardless it was pretty YUMMY!

Things Are Getting Kinda CHEESY Again!

After a few days of 'technical difficulties' I'm back posting!  Very sorry about that!  I'm excited to get 'back to it' tho!

This post is partially a TEST as well as a post to show you some of the random foods I have been eating as of late.

These are literally 'thrown together' but I will say that the 2nd photo that you see below was darn YUMMY so I will be doing it again and post the recipe down the road!

First up is a Mac & Cheese of sorts...and vegan of course!  I used a handful of the remaining Daiya Shreds I had left and built the vegan cheese sauce from there!

Even more YUMMY is this 2nd dish!  I enjoyed this one WAY MORE than I thought I would and I hope to post the recipe soon!

The cheese sauce does NOT contain Daiya or any other 'fake cheese' to make it.

The secret ingredients are organic liquid smoke and a splash of chunk salsa!  Yes...there IS Nutritional Yeast in this recipe!

Over the next several months my recipes will focus on 'eating from your pantry' and 'vegan eats on the cheap' for the most part.  There is sure to be some strange food combos and odd ball ingredients - but that's all part of the FUN...isn't it?

Cricket, Hair, and Such

TGIF!  Just doing a quick post for today as I plan to switch gears starting next week post-Vegan MoFo.  Remember you can still sign up for the MoFo Off Season Community just click on the first graphic at the top of my sidebar for full details.  Today I thought I would share some photos of Cricket.  These were taken a few weeks ago when we are camping.  I brought her the one day and she really loved hanging out!

That first photo - I swear she's going to start speaking English or something - look at the LOOK on her face!  In the 2nd and 3rd photos she was looking out the window.  And the 4th one was one of the days I took her to work.  She walks around the office like she owns the place - I swear!  I will have near future posts and updates on the other furkids very soon!  Thanks to those of you who always ask about Paco (who has ongoing immune issues)

Here's a silly photo of me - a selfie - after getting my hair done.  It was LONG overdue.

Tonight is my husband's 25th High School Reunion.  I have some ideas as to how the events might go down but I will save it for a post next week!

It's sure to be a brew-haha!

The weather is REALLY cooling down RAPIDLY.  I will for-sure have to wear layers tonight to the reunion.

This week has been a week of QUICK MEALS, Convenience Items, and Comfort Foods.  Next week I will be changing that.  My goal is to start in with more warming soups next week and I want to get back to veganizing world foods, too!

This last photo is of one of the vegan white sauces I made for pasta this week.  Its base is Pine Nuts.  It was quite good but still me I don't think I wrote down the recipe!  Eeeeek!

Question of the Day: Tell me about the last sauce you made from scratch!

Vegan Mac & Cheese Pizza!

I have been seeing a few Mac & Cheese Pizza's online from popular recipe and foodie sites but they weren't vegan so last night I decided to try and veganize a Mac & Cheese Pizza and it turned out really well especially for my very first attempt.

I used a pizza dough that happened to be vegan and plopped the Vegan Mac & Cheese on top.  Here are some photos of this attempt.  I will say that I am NOT a pro when it comes to dough...far from it actually...so if there is anything that could be improved with this recipe and/or process it would be the dough.  But all and all this was quite the vegan comfort food!

It all started with this...

The most creamy vegan Mac & Cheese I have made to date.  It's loosely based on one of Dreena Burtons recipes.  It's NOT made with 'fake cheese' - the base is cashews.  I had a small bowl of the mac & cheese that would quite fit on the actual pizza.  It was wonderful!

I might have to also try and make a Vegan Mac & Cheese Stromboli at some point, too!

I mean LOOK at this...I usually only post 1 photo of my recipes.  I've seen other food blogs that post multiple shots of the same dish.  For this I will make an exception I suppose.

As you can see I also topped it with vegan bread crumbs and tomatoes.  There was a little bit of the vegan cheese base I had left prior to adding a bit of Avocado Oil and a little more nutritional yeast so I ended up drizzling it over top and baked it for about 5 more minutes.

I can see myself making all sorts of variations of this.  This is completely filling.  You could easily just eat one or two small pieces and be full!  It's VERY dense.

And the crust turned out just the way I like it...a bit crispy...but not overly so.

The tomatoes were amazing!  One of my advertisers gave it to me on a recent visit.  It's the same place I got some of the greens we are growing on our rooftop garden but more on that in a future post.

What do you think!?  Have you ever had Mac & Cheese Pizza before?  Vegan or otherwise?
What do you think of blog posts that show more than 1 photo of the same dish?  Do you like it or does it annoy you?  Also...be sure to scroll down!  I have two posts today!

"Cheesy" Sage Polenta Topped with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What a week and it's only Tuesday!  Instead of getting into the craziness of it all - I figured I would share a dish I made last week - instead!

"Cheesy" Sage Polenta Topped With Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recipe for Polenta Part:

1 C Polenta 

3 to 4 C Water

1/4 C Sage

2 T Earth Balance (or Oil of your choice)

1/2 C Nutritional Yeast

Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts Part:

1/2 Pound Brussels Sprouts, halved

Grapeseed Oil, drizzled

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, to taste

I topped the Polenta with the Brussels Sprouts and sprinkled more Nutritional Yeast on top.

This was SO GOOD!  This was a wonderful comfort food.  It was warming to the body, heart, and soul and was more filling than I thought it would be!  I will certainly be making this again in the near future!

Health Vegan Fridays Participant

Potato Lentil Hash

Just a quick note to tell you about a successfully tasty Vegan Comfort Food Dish I made last night! 
It's Potato Lentil Hash!  It was YUMMY!  Here's what's inside:

3 Potatoes
1 C Red Lentils
1 Large Onion
1 tea Wildtree California Garlic Pepper
1 T Earth Balance Vegan Spread

This is something I was very pleased with because of how few ingredients and how easy it was but also how flavorful it was!

Paco's Pouting, Suzie's Scratching, The Rouse is Rockin', and Sassy Cheesy Salsa

It kind of looks like Paco is pouting here.  I took this picture over the weekend - in the evening - when we were comfy on the sofa.  I believe this was Saturday Evening.  This was before I was so RUDELY Awakened by Suzie at 5am Sunday Morning Nailing just below my left eye as she jump off the back of the sofa and did her best impression of a Guard Dog while seeing something she questioned outside of the Living Room Window!  She woke me out of a dead sleep with that nail-scratch and I'm certain it will scare.  I've been putting Aloe on it a few times each day in hopes it will help in the meantime.  I don't usually wear make-up but I am trying to 'rock' the cover-up today while at work to try and hide it.  WOWZA!  Did that hurt for most of yesterday! 

Suzie knew she 'got me' and was trying to 'butter up' to me the rest of the day yesterday - her way of apologizing.  Of course I couldn't stay mad long.  I mean...LOOK AT This!  I sometimes call her my 'lil pot belly' cuz she lays on her side and shows her belly like a baby pot belly pig.  She cracks me up!  Yeah...so I couldn't stay made long even tho the scratch is clearly visible to everyone I come in contact with.

In other Weekend News - Saturday - during the day we went to Youngsville, PA, for the Rouse Summerfest with our Wildtree Stock.  Rouse is a local historical name known for quite a bit around here.  Now the Rouse Name is known for the Rouse Home/Estates.  It's a Retirement Home/Nursing Home/Transitional Care/Day Care, among other things.  It was a fun time, the weather was cooler than it has been, there were a few bands playing Bluegrass, Oldies/Beach Music, etc.  It rained a little bit but held off until almost the end for the heavier rain.  We didn't do awesome business-wise but we didn't do awful, either.

At the end of a busy weekend and headed into the busiest week of my work year I needed some comfort food and noticed I had some Daiya Cheese I needed to use.  I wanted an EASY sauce type thing for Corn Chips so I added the remainder of the Daiya Shreds into a splash of Almond Milk and melted it down and added a half of a jar of Natural Salsa - Medium - to it.  It's VERY tasty and I have lots to get me thru this week!  I think I might thin a bit out for pasta early this week to stretch it a bit further.  Rice mine work well, too!