VEGAN Smoked Gouda Beer Cheese, Recent Finds, & Power Bowl!

I'm going to hop around in this post but for good reason and that reason is this Vegan Smoked Gouda Beer Cheese I made literally just minutes ago!

But before I get to the recipe I have some 'explaining to do'.

For a week now I have been talking about our last trip over to Ohio and our visit to Mustard Seed Market, well, I have some new-to-me items to blog about along with some additional finds from my travels today!

First up...I FINALLY got my hands on Daiya's Smoked Gouda!  I have been searching for this stuff for about 8 months and I was able to find it at Mustard Seed Market in Solon, Ohio!  That's about 3 hours from my home so this will be a treat until I find it closer.  I have to say I'm a HUGE fan already!  It might be a good thing that I don't have access to this vegan cheese often or I would probably have to eat it daily.  I ate about half of it in small chunks as a side to my meals but I wanted to try to make something with it, too, so I ended up making a Gouda Beer Cheese - VEGAN!

Another item I found at Mustard Seed Market that I had not tried before was the So Delicious Coconut Milk Unsweetened Yogurt Alternative.  I know I am probably one of the last of our blogging buddies to try this but I'm still glad I was able to!  My first go-around with this wasn't a great one but that was totally operators error!  This time around it was a GREAT SUCCESS!  I also used this in my Vegan Smoked Gouda Beer Cheese!

So...here's the recipe...

10 T Light Beer
1 T Flour
1/2 Block Daiya Smoked Gouda, Shredded
2 T Plain, Unsweetened Vegan Yogurt
Yellow Mustard (Very Small Squirt)*
Smoked Paprika*

* = or to taste

If you would like this thicker just add a little bit more flour.

This was OUT OF THIS WORLD if I do say so myself!

Today we took another day trip - this time to the outskirts of Buffalo - more specifically West Seneca.  We went to a few music stores, a HUGE Wegmans, Feel Rite - which is a natural foods and vitamin type store, and a Halal Grocery Store.  We also went to Taste of India.  I asked them about their vegan options and after a long list I chose to go with their Chana Masala.  I brought the leftovers home for dinner.

While we were at Feel Rite I grabbed a Meyer Lemon Kevita.  I haven't seen this one where I live so I wanted to grab it.  I think I have a new favorite!  Then again, I'm partial to Meyer Lemons.

The other night I threw a bowl together for dinner.  This isn't the greatest photo but it was a tasty bowl.

I found at my local Shurfine Market a Wild Rice and Veggie Blend in the frozen foods section.  I found some flatbread that I toasted, and a half of avocado.  I also threw in the rest of the Pizza Hummus from the night before.

I still have LOTS to share over the last couple of weeks but I think I will stop there for today.

3 Vegan Store Bought Nice Cream Finds!

I'm still trying to catch up on blog posts so I decided to do a post highlighting 3 Vegan Ice Cream Alternative I have found over the last 3 months. 

I'm starting with my most recent find first but it's totally worth it!  When I did eat dairy one of my favorites was B&J's, Cherry Garcia.  So when I recently found the vegan version I was thrilled!

I was able to find this one at my local Tops Market.

I can't remember if I found this next one at my local tops a couple of months ago or if it was somewhere else but I totally forgot to blog about it. 

B&J's P.B. & Cookies!  The Peanut Butter was stellar!  The cookies were a nice added treat, too!  I remember not being able to overeat either one of these which might be a good thing in more ways than one.  They were both VERY filling!

Not all of the vegan ice cream alternatives are Ben & Jerry's on this list...I also had an amazing one from So Delicious!  This normally isn't one I would reach for first because I'm not much of a salt person but I'm glad I grabbed in 3 (or more) months ago when I saw it at Wegman's in Lakewood.  It was wonderfully tasty!  The sweet and salty - yin and yang - were perfectly done. 

All 3 of these I would buy again!  I know they aren't really new offerings but they were new finds for me.

3 New-To-Me Products I've Enjoyed Lately

I still have LOTS to catch up on but wanted to hurry up and post about 3 products that I have enjoyed lately.

The first being this Organic Cranberry Spiced Apple Kombucha from Trader Joe's in Rochester.

It was pretty strong for a nice kick in the pants! BAM!

Next up...

So Delicious Cheddar Shreds!  Yes!  So Delicious!  I found them at the Whole Foods Market in Buffalo!  And OMG I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  It smells more cheddary than anything else I have ever smelled vegan-cheese-wise.  There is more of a TANG to it than other vegan cheeses, too!  I do LOVE Daiya Shreds - but - dare I say I enjoy THESE shreds more?  Possibly.  I'm upset that I only bought 1 bag because I know I won't be able to find any anywhere near me.  I've been Googling this and any online announcements only date back to mid-August and Mid September so this HAS to be a NEW product!

And speaking of Daiya...OMG...I'm in LOVE with their new Alfredo Sauce!  This is so creamy and so rich and so YUM!  I found it at Wegman's in Lakewood a few months ago and just got rid of the box last week because I was going thru my kitchen and pitching it.  It's not unusual for me to keep a label or box of something I enjoy to remind myself to pick it up again the next time I see it but I will NOT be forgetting about this little gem anytime soon so I figured it was safe to part ways with the box!

QUESTION OF THE DAY...what are the last 3 new-to-you-productions that have been memorable for you?

MidWeek Munchies & $5 Lunch

Sorry this is so late in the week!  MidWeek Munchies is BELOW and I would LOVE for you to join!  Remember you can link up ANYTHING Vegan!

For this first photo - I went to our newly transformed grocery store this past week and found these few items that I was thrilled with!  This is the ONLY place in our region that carries Sour Supreme and it was on sale 2 for $5.  I grabbed an Amy's Kitchen convenience meal the other night because I needed something quick!  I got some organic carrots as you can see and then there is this new-to-me bread which I LOVE LOVE LOVE!  All Vegan, YES!  These 5 items I was able to purchase for about $11 and because I spent over $10 in organic items (on the 3 items other than the Tofutti) I received a $2 off coupon!  WOOT!

I went back there today for my lunch.  I didn't want to spend a lot but my lunches haven't been very balanced as of late.  I am working on it.  Today I spent $5 on the photo above.  Seems like a lot but you can't buy a meal here for $5...it's usually closer to $10...so with that in mind I was happy about this purchase.  It's the first time I have tried the Blueberry Yogurt and I have to say I am a fan!  I think it was $1.29 on its own so it was certainly a treat I will only do once in a blue moon!

TWO MORE THINGS I WANTED TO MENTION...that I don't have photos for...a while back I found 6 quarts of Almond Milk at Sam's Club for $10 and some change and that will last me a while.  Another thing I bought locally by the case was JUST MAYO.  My local herb store was able to order 6 of them for me direct.  I think I paid $33 for 6 of them.  This was about 40 cents per bottle cheap than anywhere else I could find them...since my local Walmart hasn't been carrying them consistently as of late.  So YES I was pretty thrilled with my purchases this week!

What did you find?

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