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

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

First up...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOH!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

This And That Tuesday

 I don't have nearly as much to chatter about as I did yesterday but here goes!  Here is what I have been up to since my last post!  I'm really trying to get back into crafting again!  If some of you have wandered over from my "few and far between" Crafting Blog - THANK YOU - I MISS YOU!  If you are a reader of this blog only you may or may not know I enjoy paper crafting and had been getting into Mixed Media the last year or two, too!  I was on several Design Teams and am now on TWO Design Teams that have been VERY patient with me over the last year.  So I figured I would do a little cross promoting here and include a quick project into this blog for today.  For MORE Crafting Stuff visit my other blog which is BlissfulCraftingPlace.com  As for the above photo - it's a small Gift Box I did!  It's made from a punch-out template which I folded, taped, and then added decorative/patterned tape on top and bottom and a fanned Embellishment with a Gem in the center smack-dab in the middle.  It was quick and easy and fun!

 I had mentioned last week that Paco hasn't been slowing down much...well...last night I tried something!  I put one of his sweaters on him and he calmed down right away!  I'll be testing this again SOON!
    

Here's a look at my dinner last night - YUP!  That's right I already BLEW my Meal Plan! LOL - That's why I like to call them my Meal HOPES.

Whole Grain Bread

Fakin' Bakin' Strips

Sauerkraut

Tomatoes

Russian/Thousand Island Type Dressing (I used Veganese with Ketchup and a bit of Hot Sauce)

Kind of like a Reuben, I guess!

How was your Monday, btw?

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