Vegan MoFo Coming TO A Close ~ Raw Vegan Swiss Cheese Spread & Altered Framed Art

I've been taking it easy getting back into crafting lately.  I have been working on this upcycled frame.  I used Powdered Chalk blended with acrylic and metallic type paints to get this color.  I painted on several layers.  I also painted right over the glass frame.  No real reason - just felt like it!  On top of the glass I used these embellishments.  I think it would look neat over our faux fireplace mantle for Fall/Autumn.  I bought this frame a while back for a dollar at the Dollar Tree.  I think I bought a few others as well so I will probably end up doing more altered and upcycled art with it.  I've also been into Mixed Media and Art Journaling more lately, too!

Vegan MoFo 2013 is coming to an end.  The last day is Monday which also marks the end of the month.  I will miss it but will continue to post more Vegan Dishes and Recipes here on my site as I did before.  I've meet a few great people thru it this year and I hope to keep in touch with them and their blogs.

As for today's food related post - I decided to try and do a Raw Vegan "cheesy-like" spread.  It ended up tasting VERY good and resembles the flavor of Swiss Cheese.  I would like to try this again and get it more firm to try and slice it for 'cheese slices'.  

Here's the recipe for this one...

Raw Vegan Swiss Cheese Spread:

1/2 C Pine Nuts

1/4 C Hemp Hearts/Hemp Seeds

1 T Nutritional Yeast

1 T Lemon Juice

1/4-1/2 C Water

Splash of Garlic Grapeseed Oil

Pinch Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

The Grapeseed I use is organic and in raw form.  I realize Nutritional Yeast isn't necessarily raw but many raw foodists still use it in their foods.  I think that if I try and dehydrate the spread for a bit it might be able to be sliced but I will experiment with that at some point.  This works well for a dip and/or a spread as it is right now and full of flavor!

Vegan MoFo ~ Chai & Chia ~ And Letting Go of Toxic Surroundings and People

 TGIF...and I don't mean Toes Go In First!

It was another busy week!  Eventho it was BUSY I felt really good about myself, how things went, the things I got accomplished, my surroundings, and the people I had around me. 

By nature - I'm a worry wart - I'm a nervous person.  I sometimes have a hard time letting emotions go.  Sometimes they get the 'best of me' which as you know means 'the worst'.  I tend to let things pile up and up and up and then eventually let everything go all at the same time - usually in the form of a "stress out situation'. 

Part of what I have been TRYING to do the last several weeks is to distance myself from situations like this.  And people like this.  This has done WONDERS for my overall well-being.  I don't mean to sound bitchy about that but it's TRUE...some people are just toxic.  BUT...if you know me or the purpose of this blog at all you will know that my goal is to keep things positive here at MY Blissful Journey so I will not get into any negative specifics about that because there is no real reason to dwell on the past - just improve your future, you know!?  So...I am happy to say things are certainly moving in that direction and for that I am grateful!

As for these first few photos, here...

The first one is of a Chai Latte I made using Almond Milk earlier this week!  I used some of the Chai I got from Chico Chai and added Almond Milk and on top sprinkled organic Cinnamon Powder.  Altho...this chai is pretty spicy by itself so it wasn't really needed I just thought it was a nice touch and addition for the photo.

In this 2nd picture I decided to try a Chia Pudding.  I used Chia Seeds soaked in Almond Milk and added some of Sun Warrior's Vanilla flavored protein Powder with a little bit of Wholesome Sweeteners Strawberry Flavored Agave Syrup.  It was quite good.  I'm going to tinker with this a bit, tho, as I think I would like the pudding to be thicker.  The sweetness level is pretty strong as it is regardless.

Now that I think of it I hope to do some Chai Latte's with some of the Sun Warrior Protein Powders in them in the near future.  I think they will make a nice addition.  Especially the Vanilla Flavor and the Chocolate Flavor.

The exact recipe for this Chia Strawberry Vanilla Pudding is...

3 T Chia Seeds (Dry)
1 C Almond Milk
2 T Sun Warrior Vanilla Flavored Protein Powder
2 T Wholesome Sweeteners Strawberry Agave Syrup (you can also use Agave and Strawberries instead)

I did all of this in my Ninja Blender.  It turned out really good, very sweet, and tasty!  I could taste both the Vanilla from the powder as well as the Strawberry from the Agave Syrup.

Vegan MoFo, Mostly Liquids, What I Ate Wednesday ~ Smoothies & Soups!

I started my day with a smoothie again but before I get to that I have a couple of soups I want to share with this. 

This is my dinner tonight.  It's Sweet & Creamy Carrot Soup - Pureed!

It has the following in it...



2 Pounds of Carrots
10-ounces Veggie Broth
1 C Water
1 Onion
1 tea Thyme
1/4 tea Turmeric
2 T Agave
2 T Coconut Milk

I sampled a bit last night and it was pretty good!  Quite sweet!  I may try it again and add some ginger down the road for some kick!

For this next soup...

It's a Spicy Tomato & Herb Soup - Pureed - and it was super yummy!
It has the following in it...

2 Onions
4 Cloves Garlic
1 tea Wildtree Dill
Lots of Black Pepper
12-ounces Stewed Tomatoes
4 Plum Tomatoes
1 T Agave Nectar
1 T Vegan Mayo
2 T Parsley
2 T Basil
2 T Chives
Cayenne Pepper to taste

This was my first time using Vegan Mayo in a Soup.  It's probably not really needed but I thought I would try it.  It contributed to the overall Zing, tho, I guess.  You could also use Vegan Sour Cream or Tofu, too, I suppose blended with a bit of Lemon Juice.

And look at today's breakfast!  It's that color awesome!? 
All I did was use...

10-ounces frozen Blueberries
2 C Almond Milk
1 T Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein Powder

It was quite tasty, too!
So excited!  Breakfast TWO Mornings In A Row!  Woot!

Vegan MoFo (Post #2 Of The Day) ~ Basil Pesto Vegetable Soup

This is the 2nd of my posts for today!  Scroll down for the other.  For this post I wanted to tell you about this MAJOR soup effort I did last night!  It was Lunch #1 and Lunch #2 for me today!  The inspiration came from the weekend my sister and I went to a restaurant and she got the Basil Pesto Pizza.  She brought the leftovers home and the whole car ride home it's all I could smell and it made me CRAVE Basil Pesto.  Since I am doing MOSTLY LIQUIDS all this week I thought it would be neat to try and do a Basil Pesto tasting Pureed Soup.  This first photo you see here is the Basil Pesto part and the next photo is the finished product.  I have to say I was pretty pleased with my efforts here!  This soup had SO MUCH jam-packed into it!  The recipe is below...

Basil Pesto Part....

2 C of Basil Leaves
3 T Grapeseed Oil
1/4 C Pine Nuts
1 Clove Garlic

For the rest...
2 Carrots
2 Celery Stalks
4 Cloves Garlic
1 tea Thyme
1 C Veggie Broth
1 C Water (or more)
2 Plum Tomatoes
1 Summer Squash
1 C Lima Beans
1 tea Wildtree Rancher Stake Rub (basically a combo of Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Herbs)

I don't usually use this many ingredients in one soup but it worked well and it was just enough of the Basil Pesto flavor I was looking for!  I mean...you have fresh herbs, protein sources, calcium sources, various vitamins and nutrients, specks of color, but it's still a puree!  I really enjoyed it!

Vegan MoFo ~ Sun Warrior Vanilla in a Mango Cashew Smoothie AND Vegan Ice Cream Version

I am NOT the BEST person when it comes to Breakfast.  And even worse since going vegan, really.  Especially during the work week.  I'm more of a Night Owl - you could say!  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE fruit!  On occasion I will grab a piece of fruit and call that Breakfast, I guess.  I do love the 'every once a while bagel' and will eat that on the go from time to time, too!  And more recently I have been getting into Oatmeal more.  But...I would call these 'quick breakfasts' or something to 'get in my stomach' and they are few and far between.  I must confess - I don't do this every morning.  Sometimes - only a few times a week.  Tisk!  Tisk!  I know...I know...NOT Good, Jennifer!  Many studies say Breakfast is the most important part of the day!  Well, at least I am not in denial, right!?  I know where I am slacking and I have been making efforts!  Baby steps...but still...they are small efforts and that's what counts!  YESTERDAY...I set a mini-goal for myself.  That mini-goal was to FORCE myself to have a more meaningful breakfast TODAY!  And do the same throughout this week!  If you are one of my regular visitors you may know that this week I am doing MOSTLY LIQUIDS in addition to participating in Vegan MoFo 2013!  I want to give a SHOUT OUT to The Rebel Grrrl Kitchen.  Special THANKS to her for this inspiration. She was blogging last week about a fabulous Cashew Mango Smoothie she was excited about and I told her I 'just might have to try that'...and guess what?  I did!  I did make a few slight changes based on the ingredients I had on hand, tho.  Here's what I did for mine...

1 C Frozen Mangoes (Maybe a little more)
2 T Cashews (soaked)
1/2 C Almond Milk
1 T Sun Warrior Vanilla Warrior Blend Protein Powder
1 Handful of Baby Spinach

I have had my ups and downs with flavored Protein Powders.  But I have to say...and I am not exaggerating here...something MAGICAL happened with this concoction BECAUSE of the product I used in it!  It used to be that I wasn't much of a Vanilla Fan growing up but apparently the older I get the more I like it.  But I like the REAL vanilla...not the fake stuff!  Some of you may know how I am NOT a fan of bananas - well - I have used Mangoes in smoothies instead of Bananas and they are working really well!  With this flavor combo AND the addition of Sun Warrior's Vanilla Warrior Blend this was incredibly flavorful and VERY creamy.  Not only did I make this for my morning smoothie today - I tried to freeze a bit of it and it made a GLORIOUS Vegan Ice Cream! 

This is one for the books!  I will be making this often!  I will also be trying some variations of it!  I'm already thinking Strawberries and/or mixed berries!  I think Pineapple might work well, too! 

Of course I LOVE Sun Warriors Products because they are vegan and even raw but here's a little bit more of why I LOVE the Vanilla that I used in this Smoothie AND Dessert/Treat...

It's Gluten-Free, Plant Based, Non-GMO, and Soy-Free!

It's easily digestible!  It's heart healthy!  It promotes healthy kidney and liver functions!  Helps relieve Candida!  Improves Mental Clarity!  The list goes on and on, really!

Some of the wholesome goodness that is jam-packed in this product includes...15 grams of protein, Iron, 18 Amino Acids, and MUCH MORE!  Just check out the link above!  This is an amazing product!  Very versatile!  FUN!  And it tastes great!      I'll be sure to taste-test this product in other ways and report back here on my blog My Blissful Journey with my findings to share with you all!  Thanks so much for taking the time to visit and read!  Comments always welcome!

Vegan MoFo (#2 of the Day) ~ Vegan Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce, West African Sweet Potato- Peanut Bisque, Ninja Blenders, & Frugal Finds

Hello again - HELLO!  This is my 2nd post today - please be sure to scroll down for more Vegan MoFo and more! 

First...check out these Spring Rolls that happen to be vegan.  I found them at a discount store over the weekend and was so excited they were not only vegetarian but VEGAN!  I fan fried them (Saturday) with Wildtree Garlic Grapeseed Oil and wanted to do a Dipping Sauce.  I decided to do a Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce for them!  Here is what's in this sauce...
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1/4-1/2 C Water
2 T Bragg's Liquid Amino's
1 T Frank's Hot Sauce
1 T Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Brown Sugar
1 tea Minced Garlic

I really like the way this sauce turned out and the only addition I would make would be to maybe add a little lime juice next time but it was fine and dandy without it, too!

Here's another photo of the sauce incase you wanted a closer look!

Oh!  Also...did you notice something else in the photo above?  Yep!  New place mat!  I found this cute bamboo place mat at Dollar Tree for a buck!  I put it on top of the surface I used to take pics of my crafts and put new bulbs in my spot lights!  I am so excited I have a new set-up for taking photos!  Woooot!  I also found a purple place mat you may see me use in the near future, too!  I will be keeping an eye out for more inexpensive bowls and place mats for taking pictures here on my site!  Another thing I am super excited about is my new Ninja Bowls!  Many of you already know I'm a fan of my Ninja Blenders!  I have a high speed one that is around 1,000 watts and then I have the high speed Ninja Collection that has 5 different size containers with the blender top and the lids.  Over the weekend I found a set of 6 of these Ninja Bowls.  It came with a different blender top with different lids and another blade.  These aren't as powerful as my other Ninja's but still higher speed than your average blender, I suppose.  Another thing I like about these is they are microwaveable and stackable.  I have been having a hard time with leftover containers and don't always have the extra mason jars so this is perfect!  They are also great for steaming.  These will work so much better in my frig than what I have been using!  YAY!

I used my new Ninja while making this soup!  This is the 2nd Soup of my Mostly Liquid Personal Challenge that I start TODAY!  In my previous post I told you about my lunch soup...well...this is my soup for tonight...

West African Sweet Potato- Peanut Bisque. 
Here's what's in this Pureed Soup:

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Small Onion
1 Garlic Clove
About 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
8-ounces Vegetable Broth
1-2 C Water
4-ounces Green Chiles
1/2 tea Ginger Powder
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1 tea Cilantro
1/2 tea Wildtree Rancher Steak Rub (which is basically: Garlic, Sea Salt, Pepper, Herbs)

For some reason after pureeing and then heating this up on the stove top the flavor combo made my nose wrinkle.  I'm not real sure why as I do like all of these ingredients.  It must have been the ratio of each and it being blended together and heating that stuck me as 'odd' at the time, I guess...but the taste of the soup itself was yummy!  I sampled about 1/4 C afterwards. 

I'm really excited about the new Ninja's as well as my new place mats for taking better photos AND excited about this week's Mostly Liquids Challenge for myself!  I'm 2 for 2 on pureed soups so far!  YAY!  Tomorrow I will start doing smoothies and/or juices for breakfasts.  That in itself is a big deal for me as I'm horrible about breakfast items! 

What are you up to this week!?

Vegan Mofo ~ Spinach & Chickpeas, Turkish Red Lentil Soup, A Word About Lavender, and Mostly Liquids Week

Happy Monday!  Positive thought to all of you for a wonderful week!  I will have at least 2 posts today! 

Saturday I spent a little time visiting the Farmers Market as well as some of the discount stores in the area and found some really neat things.  (Which I will be blogging about a bit later).  I also spent time cleaning...I did quite a few dishes as well as our floors which needed vacuuming and shampooing MAJORLY.  I also made this dish.  It's Spinach and Chickpeas.  Here's what's in this dish...



1 C Chickpeas
1 Pound Spinach (Frozen)
1 C Vegan Bread Crumbs
3 Cloves Garlic
8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tea Cumin
Splash of Balsamic
1/2 tea Paprika

It ended up being pretty good!  It was a nice comfort food, really.  I was craving chickpeas and spinach so this work well.  Paco has been pretty active lately and I caught him in a rare moment this past weekend.  He was pretty drowsy in this photo.  We were watching 'scary' movies.  For some reason the dogs have really been digging them lately.  Not sure why.  Anyhow...this week I will start a new attempt with Paco's eyes.  You may remember me not liking the stuff I am using now and after taking some of Opal's advise I was able to find bulk Lavender.  I haven't gotten my hands on the essential oil yet but I figured the flowers would be a gentle way to see how he did with Lavender...I will soak the flowers in some water and use it as a compress and gently wash the stains using a cloth, I think.

I mentioned last week I am going to challenge myself and try and do MOSTLY LIQUIDS this week!  This could be flavored waters, teas and tonics, Juices and Smoothies, Pureed Soups, and as a cheat I will still stick with the pureed theme and do dips that are pureed (like hummus's and bean dips, for example) but only use celery to dip...things like this for my MOSTLY Liquids Week.   This is my first one of the week my lunch for later today.  This is Turkish Red Lentil Soup.  I sampled a bit of it after making it over the weekend and it was super tasty!  Here's what it has in it...



3/4 C Cooked Lentils
1-2 C Water
1 Onion
1 Carrot
3 Cloves Garlic
2 T Tomato Paste

I'm excited to try new-to-me pureed vegan soups this week!  I will be using my various Ninja Blenders for the pureeing process, too!  More on that in my next post!  What interesting foods did you eat this weekend!?

Vegan MoFo ~ Creamy Rice With Seitan Bacon & Baby Spinach, Featured Friday Site, & Mostly Liquids - Next Week

Happy Friday!  Last night - in preparation for today I made a rice dish inspired by left overs and made a Creamy Vegan Sauce for it as well!

Leftovers Included:

About 5 slices of Upton's Natural's Seitan Bacon
1/2 Tomato
Large Handful of Baby Spinach

I used White Rice for this but you could use any rice, really.

For the Sauce:

2 T Earth Balance
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Onion
3 T (Bob's Red Mill's) Flour
3 T (Foods Alive) Nutritional Yeast
2 T White Wine
2 C Almond Milk
Garlic Sea Salt to Taste

At the end I also threw in some Wildtree Heart Spaghetti which is basically a mix of dried herbs.  It turned out pretty good and I had a bunch of the sauce left so I am sure I will use that as left overs this weekend, too!

UPDATE: My adventures while using Upton Natural's Seitan Bacon improved last night as I did another BLT using it but this time NOT overcooking!  What a difference!  It was MUCH better.  I will probably pick this product up on a rare occasion when I do come across it.  I got this package in Mentor, Ohio about 2 months ago and that was about 2 and a half hours away.  I'm probably more apt to use Fakin Bacon which is Tempeh based instead of Seitan based.  I will say, tho, this is the best tasting SEITAN I have had to date, tho!  It's been years since I have had Seitan because I had a few bad experiences with it years ago...I just didn't like it.  BUT...this is a real WINNER when it comes to Seitan!  I will no longer be afraid of it thanks to this product!

In other News...Opal is on a Juice Feast/Fast!  She's doing really well!  Swing by her blog and check it out!  She was going to do it for a week but she's extended it for another week because other people wanted to try it as well.  Opal is a wonderful source of info!  I have been thinking about HOW I am going to participate next week.  I think what I will do this time around is do MOSTLY LIQUIDS all next week - Monday thru Friday.  This MIGHT include: Teas and Tonics, Juicing and Smoothies, Pureed Soups, Flavored Waters, etc.  This will be an adventure for me - a Journey - My Blissful Journey, if you will.  I will blog about this journey next week as much as I can.

Friday Feature - One of my favorite Pod Casts to watch for FREE on my AppleTV at the iTunes Store and online on YouTube as well as their website VeggieKitchen.org is The Veggie Kitchen with Ed. 

I really LOVE Ed's personality.  He always has a smile on his face.  He always seems so laid back and fun, too!  He's been a vegetarian for over 35 years.

Their website is very nicely done with colorful, high quality photography!  It's very easy to navigate and quiet informational. 

If you have a chance - swing by their social media!  Let me know your thoughts on their show and their recipes!  I know there will be many things you will enjoy!

Vegan MoFo ~ Moldovan Fasole făcăluită & A New Friend

Yesterday I was scrolling thru my Website Stats for 'who comes from where by country' and noticed I had a visitor from Moldova.  To my knowledge this is my first visitor from that country!  I was THRILLED!  Welcome!  It tempted me to learn more about the country and foods they call 'theirs'.

If you have been here before you know I LOVE learning about world foods and how to veganize them.  Here is a soup I made - inspired by Moldovan Fasole făcăluită...which...from what I understand can be both a dip and/or a spread.  Moldova is near Romania and they share many traditional flavors and foods between the two countries!

Here's what I put in this dish!

1 C White Beans (I actually used Lima Beans, here)

2 Carrots

1 VERY Large Onion (or you could use 2 to 3 small onions)

3 Cloves Garlic

2 Tomatoes

1 T Tomato Paste

Splash of Grapeseed Oil (I used Wildtree Roasted Garlic)

1/4 to 1/2 C Water (depending on the consistency you desire)

I've VERY VERY VERY pleased with this dish!  It tastes delicious and it's something I did in my Ninja so it's incredibly easy and awesome!  I will certainly do this again!  YUMMY!  Totally worth the attempt!

Yesterday at the office we found this Youth Pigeon on the 'middle' roof of our building.  He hung around all day and we were fairly concerned about him since it was so hot and muggy and it didn't appear to be any food or water anywhere in sight.  Near the end of the day I found an old Ice Cube Tray stashed away in a closet and decided to fill it up and take it out to him.  He acknowledged that it was there so that's a start.  I didn't want to get too close.  I didn't want to scare him.  But by the end of the day 3 of us were able to get really close to him so he might be starting to trust us.  He's still out there and looks to be ok and roaming around and trying to fly a bit more.  I hope it's just in the middle of his learning process and that there isn't anything wrong with him.  We'll keep an eye on him in the meantime.  I know exactly were a bunch of the Pigeons live back there but it's almost like they are ignoring him.  We've named him Bubba.  A few years ago there was a Red Tail Hawk back there that stood about 2 and a half feet to 3 feet tall and we named him Rudy.  But we haven't seen him in YEARS.

Participating Post: Vegan MoFo, What I Ate Wednesday, 

Vegan MoFo ~ Creamy & Sweet Avocado Dressing, Birthday Wishes, Hot & Sweet Stir Fry

Last Night was BUSY for a Monday Night!

I got out of work a bit late and Hubby wanted to try some food from our new local Sheetz.  I went over and got a LARGE salad with no dressing.  When I got home I made my own dressing in my Ninja!  It turned out WONDERFUL!  The Salad was very tasty!  The ingredients were surprisingly fresh and the people at the shop were really nice!  The Salad was a good sized one, too!  

 For the Dressing here is what I did...

1 Avocado

Splash of Wildtree Tuscan Dipping Oil

1 T Minced Garlic

1 T Agave Nectar

1/4 C Water

Splash of Lemon Juice

I REALLY REALLY LOVED This Dressing!  It was creamy!  It was Sweet!  It was Garlicky!  And a tad lemony!  I would definitely do this again!

After Dinner I went over to visit my Mom and Dad.  My Dad's Birthday was Sunday and I wanted to give him a card and a little gift I picked up over the weekend.  If you read my post yesterday - it was a handmade wooden single wine bottle holder I thought would look cute on their kitchen table.  He seemed to really like it.  He also liked the card.  I soaked the white lace in baby blue powdered chalk and water and dried.  On the inside I hand wrote "Birthday Wishes" and Love Dale, Jennifer, & The Fur Grand Kids!

I stayed for about an hour and a half and everyone started to get sleepy so I left.  I was going to try and stop at Walmart but decided to drive passed it and lost the urge to stop.  I didn't really have a reason to stop really and it was about 10pm.

When I got home I painted another layer on a picture frame I am 'tinkering around' with.and set it aside to dry.

I then played with the dogs for a bit and then went to the kitchen to do a quick stir fry which was supposed to be for lunch today but it will be for dinner instead.

Here's a photo of it.  And here is what is in this dish:

1/2 C Rice

1 C Red Pepper/Yellow Pepper/Onion (Frozen)

1/2 C Peas

Handful Almonds

1 tea Wildtree Everything Blend

2 T Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

1 tea Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tea Hot Sauce

1 tea Agave Nectar

I like the 'yin and yang' of the hot and sweet here.  The peas were also frozen and 'popped' in your mouth real nice!  The only bad part...is now I am officially out of Coconut Aminos...bummer!

Participating Blog Post: Vegan MoFo, 

Vegan MoFo ~ Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes & Sauce, Sweet & Spicy Vegg Fried Rice, Chai Spices, & Furkids

Happy Monday!  I will have multiple posts today as it was a VERY busy weekend but quite fun as well!  Here is the first of a few posts! 

Friday Night after work I decided to go get some Avocados at Aldi's (the best place to buy Avocado where I live - the freshest and the best price!)  My sister wanted me to make Avocado Hummus for our Wildtree Event on Saturday.  So I did just that.  I also bought some white rice.  I didn't have any at home.  I usually use other rices - other than white rice - but once and a while I will use it - but didn't have any in my stash!  So...now I do!

After buying just those three items I decided to go to The Hatch Patch - a local produce stand here in town.  I ended up buying 2 nice sized Green Tomatoes!  I have to admit I didn't grow up on Green Tomatoes!  My parents were into various Red Tomatoes but not green.  My husband LOVES Green Tomatoes.  He grew up with them.  The funniest part is - Hubby wasn't home most of this weekend and I ended up making these for myself!  I think I have only ever had Fried Green Tomatoes maybe 2 or 3 times in my life.  I guess I was feeling adventurous!

Anyhow...I made these Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes!  Here is what I used to make them!

2 Green Tomatoes
Vegg - the equiv of 4 to 6 'eggs'
Vegan Bread Crumbs
About 4 T Wildtree Tzatziki Seasoning/Blend
Wildtree "Tuscan" Grapeseed Dipping Oil for pan frying

Many of you know I am a 'sauce' person so I wanted something to drizzle over top and/or use for dipping so I made this for them and it turned out pretty good - however - it made WAY too much - so I won't put the measurements here but will put the ingredients incase you would like to tinker with it a bit.

I used...
Vegan Mayo (like Veganese)
Frank's Hot Suace (or any other Hot Sauce)
Parsley

 Since I used slices of Green Tomatoes for the Fried Green Tomatoes I had some 'tops' left and didn't want them to go to waste so I decided to do a "leftovers" type of Vegg Fried Rice again. 

I did try and use the left over "Vegg" mixture and try and 'fluff it up' to mock 'scrambled eggs' but it didn't work so hot. 

So what I did was throw in the rest of the Green Tomatoes - diced - in with a half of green pepper, a half of a Scallion, some white Rice, and 2 Table spoons of Tomatoes soaked in Green Chilies. 

I then pan-fried until gently brown.  It turned out really good and I liked the sweet of the tomatoes and the spicy of the tomato/chili combo.

Speaking of SPICY...I received some Chico Chai Products I will be sampling and reviewing over at Sororitea Sisters at some point.  Here is a bit of their Original Chai.  I just really liked how it looked in the picture so I thought I would share it with you!

I've grown to LOVE Chai!  The spices are quite good for you and have healing and in some cause detoxifying properties.  But I will get into that another time.

I drink various types of tea thru-out the day! 

It's been a while since I posted a Furkid Photo.  Friday Night the 'kids' were sacked-out.  Paco and Suzie snuggled up with each other on my lap on the sofa.

Prior to taking this photo I cleaned Paco's eyes with Tear Wipes.  I'm trying to use the rest of the wipes I have and will NOT be buying them again.  I don't care for them.  Yes, they are gentle, and Paco doesn't seem to mind them but I think there is a better way and a better product out there.  I don't think the ones I am using are working very well.  There is a product I have had my eye on over at my local herb store - I am not sure on the name but I am thinking I might try that next time.  I believe it has a bit of Neem Oil in it.

I have lots more to share today so please visit back later as I will probably have another post or two up by then with more happenings from the weekend!  In the meantime...let me know how your weekend was!

Vegan MoFo ~ Vegan Persillesauce (Parsley Sauce) ~ Denmark ~ This One's For You!

A special HELLO to my readers in Denmark today!  I saw a few of you lurking yesterday and I appreciate it!  So this veganized attempt is for you guys!

Parsley Sauce or Persillesauce is something I recently saw online that many people of Denmark use for MANY things.  I wanted to try it but minus the dairy!  Here you will see that I added it to Zucchini, Onion, Corn, Peas, and Carrots as a side dish. 

Here is what this sauce has in it...


1 T Earth Balance
2 T Soy Flour
Pinch Pink Himalayan Sea Salt & Black Peppercorns freshly ground
1 C Soy Milk

Just for kicks - I did half the batch of this as-is and tried the other half with a BRAND NEW Wildtree Product.  The Everything Spice Blend.  I'm just starting to use it but I already like it! 

I just sprinkled a little bit on and mixed it in!

Inspired by the ubiquitous “everything” bagel, this blend can now be applied to, well, everything! Use as a coating for fish, flavor pretzels, or mix it into butter to make a unique everything spice garlic bread!

It has Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Onion, Caraway Seeds, Garlic, and Salt in it and it's ORGANIC!

Vegan MoFo ~ Vegg Fried Rice

For today's Vegan MoFo Post I have to give a little shout-out to Suituapui!  This is my very first attempt at Vegg Fried Rice (or a Vegan Egg Fried Rice).

Yes, it's true I tried using Vegg for this.  It worked pretty good but I will be tweaking it a bit.  I used the equiv of 2 to 3 'eggs' and next time I might use double that.  I also might whisk by hand (eventho it suggests NOT to do it that way on the package) to see about getting more of that 'yellow yolk color'.  Another way to go would be to use Tofu...maybe in addition or soak it in the "Vegg" even.

Regardless the aroma was 'right on' and the taste was just about there, too!



Here's what I put in this dish:

About 2 C of Cooked Brown Basmati Rice
1 T Wildtree Chili Grapeseed Oil (a now discontinued product) - OR use a bit of oil & Red Pepper Flakes
1 C Mixed Veggies (I used Carrots and Peas)
1/2 Scallion (or onion or green onions)
1 tea Vegg PLUS 1/4 C Water (next time I will use double this)

In the second photo you can see the "before" picture with the Vegg prior to stirring.  I'm still a beginner with the "Vegg" but I am enjoying the learning process!

Vegan MoFo ~ Polish Creamed Mushrooms, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Fettuccine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

 I'm kind of going backwards on this post but oh well!  Check this out!  It was one of my creations from last night!  The Finished Product!  It's Fettuccine with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce!

It all started with an idea and turned into this!  The idea originally came from me wanting to try more Vegan Polish Foods.  Plus with all of the visitors from Poland I have had over the last few weeks/month(s) I wanted to do a Shout-Out to my friends from Poland!

After doing some research I found that Creamed Mushrooms are a Polish Favorite!  I have to admit I haven't had anything "creamed" since going vegan last year!

Oh!  By the way - it's been a whole year as of this week!  Woot!  Prior to that I was Lacto/Lacto-Ovo Veg for 18 years!  Anyways...sorry for the side rant there...In this post I will show you some variations for these 3 dishes!  Basically from the same idea. 

As I started in with the sauce I did the following...
 1/4 C Earth Balance
2 Cloves Garlic
10-ounces Mushrooms (I used Organic Frozen from Whole Foods I believe there were 9 varieties in there)
1 C Soy Milk
1/4 C Tofutti Sour Cream
1 T Soy Flour (Bob's Red Mills)

Honestly...at this point I tried a spoonful of it and it reminded me of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (but even better!) and it was very rich!  I'm going to try and make more of this at some point as a soup for my lunches!  It was AMAZING!

Now...for the Polish Creamed Mushrooms...I added some Onion...1 Onion, actually.  And some Dill.  Again, this is something I am going to try again and soon!  Next time I will add more mushrooms and a bit more Sour Cream for the Vegan Polish Creamed Mushrooms.

And FINALLY...for the Fettuccine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce you can use it as-is and/or you could add a little more soy/almond milk and some pepper and herbs if you wish.  I personally, LOVE Parsley on just about anything so I added a bit of that to the end as you can see from the first photo!

Yesterday when I told you about my Garam Masala Attempt and told you I would probably use the leftovers in a wrap - well - I did.  Here you can see my Dinner from last night.  In addition to the leftovers I did Organic Cauliflower (Frozen) and did a cheese sauce with some Daiya Cheese I needed to use!  I just added Almond Milk and Earth Balance.

Normally I don't use this much Earth Balance in 2 or 3 days time (altho it only added up to about 1/4 C plus 1 T) but I was running low on Onions and Grapeseed Oil.  I often use Onions as my "oil" or "moisture" while cooking.  Plus both of these dishes made HUGE batches so I have multiple meals out of each of them.  Not only am I using this post for Vegan MoFo - I'm also participating in the following today...
What I Ate Wednesday

Vegan MoFo ~ Powerful Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

 I have several posts today so be sure to scroll down!  I was going to post this tomorrow but thought 'why not today'.  Last week I made a POWERFUL Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder that I am fairly proud of!  This has more ingredients in it than most of my dishes but it sure was tasty!

Here's what this has in it...

1 Tomato
1 C Frozen Corn - Blended
2 C Frozen Corn - Whole
3 Cloves Garlic
Handful of Walnuts
1 Avocado
1 tea Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 C Water
1 tea Dill
2 T Agave
1 T Cilantro
1 C Chopped Carrots
1 T Hemp Seeds

This made a LOT of soup!  It was very creamy and VERY flavorful!  It was quite hardy as well!

Vegan MoFo ~ Quinoa Lentil Garam Masala

Vegan MoFo 2013 has begun!  The last few years I have signed up late and altho wasn't listed on the Blog Roll of participants decided to do it any way!  This year I made sure I signed up a month or so a head of time!  I just stopped by and didn't see my link listed but left a note in comments.  It's OK tho, because, I'm really just doing it for FUN and for my own reasons and will still participate regardless if my blog is on that list or not.  I give them TWO thumbs up for organizing all of it because I understand how hard it is to do something like that!  What great people they have behind the annual event!  A great way to spread the word!

You might be wondering what I have for my first Vegan MoFo 2013 Post above!  Well, it's a twist on Garam Masala.  You might usually find Garam Masala with Lentils and/or Rice.  Instead of Rice I used Quinoa AND Lentils!  I loved it...if I do say so myself!  The flavor was tasty and it was FUN to make!  I also used Wildtree's NEW Garam Masala Blend!  So here's the recipe I used for this dish...

1 C Sweet Onion
1 1/2 tea Wildtree Garam Masala Blend
2 Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Eggplant (About A Pound)
2 to 3 C Cooked Quinoa
1 C Red Lentils, Cooked
2 C Zucchini (1 Medium)
Water, Salt as needed

Next time I think I will do it with less Quinoa and more Lentils.  Of course - you could use various rices, too!  Either way I do really like it!  And the BEST part...this is SO VERY Nutritious!

With the Quinoa you have: a Complete Protein, Fiber, Potassium, Calcium, B-6, Magnesium, Iron, etc.  By adding the Red Lentils in this dish you are getting: Potassium, Fiber, Protein, B-6, Iron, Magnesium, "Good" Carbs, Vitamin A, Folate, etc.  You know how I LOVE Garlic and eat it nearly everyday, well, it's good for: Vitamin C and is a great anti-inflammatory among other things!  Now is the perfect time for Zucchini where I live and those are high in...Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.  Eggplant is known for the following nutrition...Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber.  And, of course, Tomatoes...Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.

Every once and a while I like to list these things as a spot check for myself but also to inform others of the nutritional values of whole foods - fruits and veggies - and that it IS possible to get the nutrients you need from them!  Sure often people ask about protein - that's EASY to explain, really - but now more and more people are asking about calcium, potassium, and B Vitamins, it seems.  Well, if you take the time, you can see it's just as easy!  I know prior to my Sciatica Discovery I was assuming I needed to step-up my potassium intake but I really think I am getting a good deal of it - eventho I don't regularly consume Bananas, for example.  Opal and I have discussed this a great deal as well!  Sometimes I (temporarily) forget which natural foods are high in some things - such as potassium. I'm going to try and mention this more often here on my blog.

This dish was POWER PACKED full of GOODNESS!  I had some stand-alone but am thinking about doing some pita pockets, wraps, and such with it this week, too! 

CORRECTION:  I am listed on Vegan MoFo 2013 HERE under the 2013 The United States Of Blogging!  YAY!  Thanks guys!