Mixed Berry Smoothie, Ups & Downs of LightLife, Butternut Vegan Mac & Cheese

Time has been flying by!  I do have things to share but haven't had time to share it.  I almost forgot it was my birthday today, too!  But then again - it's just another day!  So, this will be a mishmash of a blog entry - yet again!

Kicking things off with a smoothie I had the other night!  I've been pretty bad about eating fruit lately.  I mean...technically...Tomatoes, Avocadoes are fruits, yes, but other fruits I have been passing over lately.  I think it's just because I find them too sweet lately.  My sensitive teeth have been avoiding the naturally sugary jolt.  I think a way around this is smoothies and I've going to try and work on this!  Having said that - what do you think about the photo above?  I have been trying to take some better pictures and have been tinkering with lighting a bit.

The Smoothie contains:

1 c Coconut Milk
1 T Flax Meal
1 T Hemp Seeds
1 T Chia Seeds
2 C Frozen Mixed Berries

This next photo is from Monday.  It was our League of Women Voters 2nd Annual Sunshine Event.  I blogged about it last year a little bit so I figured I would mention it again this year.  This time around we took a tour of the City/Municipal Building and had about 5 speakers including our Mayor, City Manager, Chief of Police, Freedom of Information Officer, and a couple of Council Members.  I think the event was a success and it was something that has been in the works for a couple of months!

Here's a new-to-me-product.  I found them a while back on one of our weekend grocery shopping adventures.  It's been a couple of weeks since I actually ate them but wanted to share it.  They were quite tasty.  It's been a long time since I have tried anything from LightLife because I'm not into fake meats and I found a bunch of their items salty (years ago) but I see they are coming out with a bunch of new products so I'm happy to see them kicking it up a notch!  I made a simple homemade Thousand Island type dressing/dip for them.  It was a complete meal and quite filling, too!

This was a completely thrown together meal one day while working.  I went to a grocery store nearby and grabbed 3 items...frozen cauliflower rice, Daiya cheese sauce, and LightLife Vegan Dogs.  I only bought them because they were 2 for $5 and then there was a dollar off coupon on top of that so far $1.50 I thought I would revisit them.  I still didn't care for them.  I ate a few of them in this dish and then picked around it and just ate the cheesy cauliflower rice!  

The weather has still been awful here but I was able to visit my parents and brought Cricket along for a playdate with their dog Lexi.  They surprised me with Amy's Vegan Curry for dinner last night!

As for this double photo...it was a Butternut Squash based Vegan Mac and Cheese dish I made earlier this week.  The recipe is below - all in a blender:

1 Can Organic Butternut Squash Puree
2 T Tahini
3 T Nutritional Yeast
1 t Minced Garlic
1 t Smoked Paprika

1 t Turmeric

To Taste: Yellow Mustard, Lemon Juice, Balsamic, Braggs Liquid Aminos, Almond or Coconut Milk

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?

Another Day - Another VEGAN Mac & Cheese

I NEED to get to the store.  I ran out of cashews.  I don't have any pine nuts or Brazil nuts at my house at the moment either.  Believe it or not...I don't even have carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, or much else in the way of produce either.  How the heck did I make this vegan Mac & Cheese, then?

1 C Sunflower Seeds

1/2 C Potato Flakes *

4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 T Wildtree Absolutely Onion

Handful of Hemp Seeds

Splash of Pumpkin Oil

1/3 C Nutritional Yeast

1 Hefty Squirt of Yellow Mustard

1 C Water

2 T Apple Cider Vinegar

Sprinkle EACH of Black Sea Salt, Nutmeg, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric

Top with Smoked Paprika, if you wish!

By Potato Flakes you can even use PLAIN Instant Mashed Potato Flakes that also happen to be vegan.

It was pretty tasty.  The texture was different from a smooth cashew base but it was hearty and did the job!

Eats, Chats, Books, & The Birds & The Bees!

Hello there!  So much to type and so little time - once again!  I will start of by saying that Paco's dental surgery went very well and she's back to normal.  He didn't have any issues with his ITP (Immune Issues) while re-cooping!  Thanks for all of the positive thoughts, prayers, vibes, and asking about him!  That means a lot!

Here's one of the more memorable thrown together meals I have had over the last few weeks!  It's a cheaters meal but super yummy!  I did boxed Daiya Mac & Cheese and added a package of frozen veggies and a little bit of almond milk then topped with sprinkles of nutmeg, smoked paprika, basil, etc.

Another thing I have enjoyed at home lately is vegan egg salad made from mainly avocado, spices, etc.  It certainly hit the spot!

This bread wasn't the best...not sure what kind it was but I highly doubt I will be getting it again.  I remember what the package looks like so I will avoid it.  What I have been craving for lately in the bread section is sprouted bread and I think I will have to make that happen soon!

One of my many attempted at vegan Mac & Cheese from scratch...I swear I do it a different way each time.

With this attempt it was very creamy!  The photo isn't that great but it was tasty!

Of course I threw some smoked paprika on top!  YUM!

I'm not sure why but I have been finishing off a lot of meals with nutmeg and/or smoked paprika as of late.

I'm sure by the title of this blog post you were thinking something different...but...I thought I would literally post about the BIRDS and the BEES today...at least the BEES...anyways!

A few weeks ago I took this photo on the fly on my iPhone...I can't remember a time that we have had bees and flowers this early in the year!

This past weekend it was near 70!!!!  Woot!

My birthday was on the 16th...I treated myself with this Daiya Cheesecake.  I will tell you that I am SET for a while on Vegan Cheesecake...I can't believe how rich and sweet this was!  I'm not sure to that!  It almost hurt my teeth! LOL

I will say I like the strawberry better than the plain.

I really like these vegan offerings but don't have them often and I think that is a good thing...on several levels!

This past weekend we traveled to the Buffalo area for a day trip and I was stoked to find 2 of the vegan cookbooks that were on my wishlist!

First up...Jason Wrobel!  This book is HUGE!

Then a blogging buddy of ours...Zsu Dever's Book as you can see in the next photo!  I can't wait to jump in!

And finally...a shout out to my buddy Opal!  I was able to chat with her on the phone today and it was so wonderful!

She's my oldest online buddy...it's been YEARS since I first came across her blog (and it was a few blogs ago) and a few blogs ago of mine, too!  It was great to talk to her over the phone...I bet it's been about 10 years or so since we 'met' online.  We chatted about family, the weekend, gardening, community involvement, etc...can't wait to chat with her again soon!  It was the highlight of my day!  YAY!

Things Have Been Pretty 'Cheesy' Lately

Over the past couple of weeks things have been pretty cheesy!  Of course there are no actual dairy products in the cheesy recipes I show you here today and I apologize in advance but these are lacking actual recipes, too!  I literally threw them together and only wrote partial recipes or didn't write up a recipe at all! 

I will tell you this about the first photo you see - as a thickener I used a bit of NuNaturals Oat Fiber.  It worked quite well.  I also used nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, Bragg's Liquid Amino's, Turmeric, Coconut Milk, and a few other ingredients.

As for this 2nd photo - I used Corn Pasta.  I used about 1/2 package of Daiya Mozzarella, 3 T Earth Balance, 1/4 C Nutritional Yeast, 1 t Paprika, 1 t Garlic Powder, 1 t Onion Powder, 1 t Mustard Powder, 1 or more cups of Almond Milk, 1 t Turmeric, and Black Sea Salt to taste.

This turned out pretty wonderful, too!  Incredibly creamy and cheesy!

As you can see I have been using more more Turmeric in my recipes.  This is the Turmeric I use from The Raw Food World.  I LOVE it! 

For this last photo - I made some Cashew Cheese and topped it with Cajun Seasoning.  I used 2 C Cashews, 2 C Water, 1/4 C Lemon Juice, 1/2 C Nutritional Yeast, 1 Small Onion, 1 t Avocado Oil, 1 t Dried Garlic, 1 t Bragg's Liquid Amino's, 1/2 t Turmeric, Pinch of Cayenne...and topped with Cajun Seasoning to taste.

I had LOTS of this Cashew Cheese Left over and used it for Nachos, as a dip, some in other sauces, and MISC recipes that needed a little more creaminess!  Which one looks/sounds more up your alley!?

Vegan Mac & Cheese (Daiya Sauce), Coconut Almond Date Balls, Garden Of Life Hull

I'm still catching up on posts from the last week or two and today I am going to blog about some of my foods and finds!  Starting off with this super easy recipe for a Vegan Cheese Sauce using Daiya Shreds to make Mac & Cheese.

1 C Daiya Shreds
1 C Almond Milk
2 T Nutritional Yeast
1 T Earth Balance
Pinch of Garlic Salt and/or powder
I have to say...this was super tasty, a great comfort food, and one of my better attempts at a Vegan Mac & Cheese.

I really don't know what possessed me to make these Coconut Date Balls but they turned out pretty good - especially for my first attempt!

1 C Almonds
3 Soaked Dates
1 tea Coconut Oil
1 tea Cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
zest of a lemon (or two)

All in a high speed blender!  THEN...I rolled them in shredded coconut!  I used Approx 2 to 3 cups.  It was a little messy but it was worth it!

This past Monday I received my box of goodies from Garden of Life!  I'm so excited about these products and will be blogging about them often because of the amount in which I received!  I guess you really don't know how big the containers are until they are smack-dab in front of you!

This box couldn't have come at a better time because I'll be going into work EARLIER than usual for the next week or so and I'll be putting their Energy-Blends to the test for sure!  Yeah...like 4am...FUN! 

The very first one I tried was the Perfect Food Raw - Apple Flavor.  It's a Brand new flavor of theirs!  I have to say the aroma was very nice!  The flavor was peppy right from the start!  An energizing yet welcomed smack in the face.  As I continued to sip I found myself liking the flavor more and more.  For this first taste-test I decided to do it straight-up...1 scoop in 8 ounces of water.  I will be adding this to recipes for quick breakfasts in the near future, too!  This morning I did the same thing with the Raw Protein Marley Coffee Blend...1 scoop in about 8 ounces of water.  I enjoyed this flavor even more than the apple which I was a little surprised at because I'm not much of a coffee drinker.  I prefer tea...as many of you know.  This Marley/Garden of Life Partnered Combo is exclusively available at Whole Foods Stores.  I'm looking forward to my attempts with both of these products as well as the other products I received.  But I have to say they are pretty tasty and satisfying as-is and straight-up with water, too!  Just a preliminary mini review of sorts with MUCH MORE to come on these products, soon!

Raw Collard Veggie Wraps with Apricot Tamari Dipping Sauce & Super Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese

I'm not usually one to pat myself on the back but I was pretty tickled with myself on this attempt!  I mentioned yesterday that I bought some Collard over the weekend at our little Farmers Market and wanted to make sure I started using it pretty quick!  So last night I made Raw Collard Veggie Wraps with an Apricot Tamari Dipping Sauce.  Here is what I did for the Dipping Sauce:
2 T Tamari Sauce (I did half Tamari/half Braggs)
1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
2 Cloves Garlic
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Sesame Oil
4 T Apricot Preserves/Jelly/Jam (or fresh Apricots)
* A while back I located some Apricot 'preserves' that happened to be vegan and bought it only because it was inexpensive and I love Apricot flavored things AND it was vegan!  So...without this addition I thought this dipping sauce was a little saltier than I wanted it to be and added 4 heaping tablespoons of it and it turned out AWESOME if I do say so myself!

I remembered to take a picture of the inside, too!  I cut thin slices of the following for the insides:
Cucumber
Sweet Red Bell Pepper
Carrots
Snow Peas

It's what I had on hand but you can really put anything inside, I purpose!  That's the beauty of wraps!

I just realized I forgot to locate a photo I took using the cut-up veggies in a Stir fry of sorts so I will probably post that tomorrow.  It was a last minute decision using 'leftovers', really.

In the meantime - another thing I did last night was make this cheese sauce.  Yup!  Another 'cheese' sauce.  It's almost like I don't make the same 'cheese sauce' twice - but - you know what?  I like the differences - it keeps me guessing!  Since this made so much I used some on a funky type of Macaroni Noodle I found at Big Lots for cheap and saved the rest for 'dipping' corn chips!

I really like this one because it's truly creamier than my other attempts thus far!  It's quite thick! I think the only thing I would change in the future is to add some Garlic.  Here is what I did for this:
1 C Almond Milk (or more if too thick)
1/2 C Daiya Shreds
4 T Nutritional Yeast
1/4 C Rice Crumbs (can use Bread Crumbs, too)
Paprika to taste

It's been a while since I grabbed some Daiya Cheese so I thought I would treat myself.  Ask Opal and I have discussed in the past I don't want to over use it but on occasion I do like to indulge.

What are some of your recipes for vegan cheese sauce?  What kind of Dipping sauces have you made recently?  Do share!  Have you made Collard Wraps?  What do you put in them?  What other kind of raw wraps do you like to make?

Vegan Mac & Penne Cheese

On Friday Night I wanted something quick and didn't have that much to work with.  This isn't much for nutritional value but it's a great comfort food and I was tickled at how good it turned out!

Vegetable Based Penne Pasta

with a "cheese-like" sauce!

Here is what went into my sauce...

About 1 C of Almond Milk

1/2 tea Savory Spread (Organic Gourmet)

1 T (or more) of Earth Balance

Handful of Daiya Shredded Cheddar

I cooked and stirred often until desired consistency!  This has been my BEST Vegan mac & Cheese Attempt YET!  It was so creamy and tasty!

Participating Post:
Blue Monday
Just Another Meatless Monday
Macro Monday
Made By You Monday
Monday Mellow Yellow
My Meatless Monday
Simple As That
Veggie Mama's Meatless Monday
Make The Scene
Project 52
Mix It Up Monday

Leahey Gardens Macaroni and Cheese

So much to review - so little time!

I know...I am WAY behind!

But here is a new purchase within the last few weeks that I had some very good luck with!

Leahey Gardens Macaroni & Cheese - Vegan & Delicious!

I thought it was a reasonable price for a packaged vegan Mac & Cheese - I paid $2.95

Semolina (enriched wheat flour), unbleached/unbromated flour, unmodified corn starch, yeast extract, nutritional yeast, soybean oil, tomato powder, sugar, salt, maltodextrin, natural flavor (contains canola oil) - are the ingredients!

I thought this was an excellent Vegan Mac&Cheese offering and I would buy it again. 

It's not overly 'cheesy' but it's also not fake tasting or overly nutritional yeast tasting! I ate a half of a bowl and it was delightful. To the 2nd half of the bowl I added some vegan cheese shreds and it gave it a bit of a more sharper cheese taste. 

 

 Good regardless - with or without a little doctoring!

This is the first Leahey Gardens product I have purchased and I'm very interested in trying more!

Here is their website!
http://www.leaheyfoods.com/default.aspx

Spicy Cheese-E Quinoa Pasta Bake

Originally inspired by this blog post

 This is one of these dishes that one thing turned into another that turned into another!  This first picture is the Cheese-E Sauce in the above link but tweaked a bit based on what I had on hand!  Here's what I used:

• ½ cup + raw cashews
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• pinch of Garlic Sea Salt
• 2 cups Almond Milk
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup Grapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp light miso paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

 I added to Quinoa Pasta and topped with Rice Crumbs!  I figured here is one dish!  Mac & Cheese - Vegan Style!

 And for left-overs...I added a bit of medium-spicy salsa!  I sampled a bit of each and I'm totally proud of both!

I also used my Magic Bullet for this PREP!

No-Cheese And Mac

 I did a little Cheese Alternative of my own tonight!  It turned out really well!  I'm surprised and actually happy with myself!  Above you can see the Mac&"Cheese" dish and below you can see the 'left over No-Cheese".  It made a lot and you can actually add more Almond Milk for the thickness or thinness you prefer or to stretch your batch.

I use leftover plastic containers when possible.  This was from a store-bought Hummus I bought a while back.  The rest of the "cheese" batch perfectly fit in there!

Here's the recipe I came up with:

1 C (or more) of Almond Milk

6 T Nutritional Yeast

1 T Wildtree Grapeseed Oil

2 Squirts of Yellow Mustard

1/2 T Wildtree Garlic Galore (you can also use 1/4 T Onion and 1/4 T Garlic)

I'm very pleased with the way this turned out :)