National Comedy Center Pre-View, Vegan Finds, Fur Kids, Niece, Selfies, Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

More and More and MORE stuff to share!  Still posting pics in 6's!  

A while back on IG I posted something about a Vegan HAPPY MAIL Exchange.  I haven't done anything with it as of yet.  There was a bit of interest.  I'm still considering it but haven't figured out how to organize it yet.  Maybe in the New Year I will take that step.  If you are interested in MAYBE participating let me know in comments.

I found some BITCHIN' SAUCE at the Erie Whole Foods Co-Op.  I have to say it was pretty darn tasty!  I used it on basically everything until I ran out of it.  

When they are on sale I have been buying Veggie Rings and Veggie Tots!  I have been able to find at least one of them at Tops but they have a better selection on Wegmans.

I have to get more photos of my darling niece Trinity, too!  And I've been obsessed with David S. Pumpkins since the first year the sketch was featured on SNL a few years ago!  Each Halloween I repost the video!  You gotta LOVE Tom Hanks!

A while back Erie Whole Foods Co-Op had Blue Sky Soda on sale so I thought I would try it and I enjoyed it!

One of my stops at Wegman's I grabbed some vegan sushi.  It had been too long!  I think it was the same day my parents and I stopped at a local brewery and they had their Halloween decor out!  The pumpkin was drinking a beer!  

In our travels I have been seeing more and more Dandies Vegan Marshmallows!  This year I think I bought the regular ones once and the peppermint ones twice.  I wish I could find the peppermint ones all year 'round!  I also found the seasonal flavors of Clif Bar at Wegman's!  Yum!  

I have to squeeze in photos of the furkids whenever possible!  Hope you don't mind!

Our closest Walmart has been getting more vegan options, too!  I found this Garde'in dish and it was surprisingly good!  I'm not much for fake meat but this didn't seem to have the effect on me that most fake meats do!

Here are more photos of the furkids!

I had made a Tofu and Tomato Dish a while back that ended up being so simple and so tasty!

I found Miyoko's on sale at Wegman's and couldn't pass it up!  YUM!  LOVE these pub cheeses!  Also found a Halloween Mug for super cheap so I grabbed that, too!

And speaking of Halloween and Fall...here are some more photos from around that time!  

Our Japanese Maple was a vibrant red this year while almost everything else wasn't as colorful due to the crazy summer we had.  

I was able to go Trick or Treating with Trinity and my sister and her husband.  It was fun!  The weather was mild but rainy.  She was Bell from Beauty & The Beast!

Filter FUN on IG...me as a zombie!

And some Cauliflower Pretzels I found somewhere while we were on a day trip.

These photos are 3 selfies - 2 of which were while voting - and the other one is another IG Filter.  What do you think?  Should I go GOTH more often?

Since we had a local Ollie's open I always look for Vegan Cookbooks.  I can usually find at least one per trip!  I recently found this Plant Protein Recipe Book and bought it for $2.99.

I have also been getting into these Kitchen LOVE cups.  They are great for meals on the go and most of the ones I have seen are vegan.  I think there were a few that weren't, tho.

And then another random Fall Photo!

My Aunt Kathy visited my parents in November and I was able to spend some time with them.  It was fun!  We went to the NEW National Comedy Center in Jamestown.  It's quite the experience.  So much so that I think I will dedicate a full post to it soon!  In the meantime above are a few photos from when we went.  The first one on the top was from the cartoonist nook of the museum.  The one to the right of that is when you first go in.  You create your own comedy profile and they give you a wristband and customize your entire trip!  The one with the motorcycle and green background was also in the entrance area.  That is Dan Aykroyd's SNL Motorcycle and you can read more about when he donated it to the center and the center HERE.  It's so weird that this center is getting so much attention.  Don't get me wrong...it REALLY deserves it!  But for lil old Jamestown, it's not a normal occurrence!  I recognize a few people in the photo at the link - which was featured in Newsweek!  On the outside of the building they have Jumbo-Trons!  Pretty cool!

Here are more photos from voting, Dandies Vegan 'Mellows, Kitchen LOVE, and Clif Bar.  As for the bras you see above that was the pre-tally for the bras our local Zonta Club Members shipped to FTG (Free The Girls).  We ended up shipping 408 bras with our first shipment!!!!  We have over 200 in our current stash now so I am sure we will be shipping again after the new year!  

Another thing I do each November - for work - is 8th Grade Career Day!  I go from 9 to almost 2 and spend it with a bunch of the 8th Grades in our county.  I set up a table for the radio stations and other businesses do displays as well.  The past several years I have done a 'Radio thru the Decades' sort of set up and they really seem to like it.  They love seeing the different microphones from the 1940's up to current...as well as the Records, Reel to Reels, Carts, CDs, etc.

Here is Cricket and Riley again!

Also more EATS...at Wegman's I found some Chana Masala on sale and Refried Black Beans from Goya that are VEGAN!  They were great.  Around that time I was doing a lot of LAZY meals so I took one of the cans of beans and made a Black Bean Soup out of it.  It turned out TASTY!  That's all that matters, right?

Then I found these Swapples!  I'm TOTALLY LOVING these things!  They are made from whole Yuca Root!  No Flour!  No Grain!  No Dairy!  No Eggs!  No Soy!  No Gluten!  YUP!  They are vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo, etc!  I have tried the Spinach Garlic one and the Tomato one and LOVED both of them!!!

I made Bianca's Recipe for Thanksgiving with the corn, peppers, etc in a nice vinegar!  It was YUMMY!  

Some other soup I made, another Kitchen LOVE cup, more furkid pics, and then there was a stop to The Dollar Tree!  I found these breaded veggies that were accidently vegan and they were pretty good.  I also found a 'tot' by the same company and those were NOT very good.

And I think I will make my last photo blast of the day be from this past Thanksgiving!  YES!  I'm still THAT backlogged!  SORRY!  Anyhow...the one photo is a Zonta Club informational sheet that we had on display while selling raffle tickets for a fundraiser we were doing the day after Thanksgiving.

The other photos are all from Thanksgiving!  Trinity got all dressed up with a new coat and matching dress underneath.  With the help of my mother, Trinity made us all hand turkeys.  She calls me AUNT JAJA!

Then you will see some of the Vegan Thanksgiving Foods I did this year!  From left - that is my whole plate!  I did Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing (from Vegan Zombie), Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole (from Bianca).  We also had yams and rolls.  Everything on my plate is vegan, of course!

My Vegan Thanksgiving Plate 2017

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and for those who don't I hope you are having a nice Thursday!

As I have done in previous years I am sharing my Thanksgiving plate with you.  Mine being vegan, of course!

Starting with the Mashed Potatoes and moving clockwise to the Green Bean Casserole, then Carrots, then Yams, and finally Vegan Stuffing!  Everything was YUMMY!

Here's another look at the plate!  DH and I went over to my parents for dinner.  I helped my mother with some things.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of the vegan options I made this year.  This year my sister, her husband, and Trinity (my niece) didn't spend Thanksgiving with us.  But they stopped in the evening when we were getting ready to leave.  At least I got to see my niece for about a half hour.  Then again I took one of my remaining vacation days yesterday and spent a good portion of the day with her.  

Vegan Green Bean Casserole Ingredients:

Green Beans (of course)

1/2 C Cashews

2 T Vegan Margarine

1 Small Onion

10 Ounces Mushrooms

2 t Thyme

1/2 C Dry White Wine

1 1/2 T Nutritional Yeast

2 C Almond Milk

2 t Lemon Juice

1 t Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1/4 C Flour

Nutmeg, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Old Bay Seasoning all to taste

I put everything (except green beans and flour) into a high speed blender until smooth.  I heated the mixture on stove top and whisked in flour.  Just for good measure I did throw it back into the blender one last time. I then coated the cooked green beans with the mixture and baked for about 15 minutes at 350.  I also topped with store bought fried onions that just so happened to be vegan!

This was VERY rich!  I didn't use all of the mushroom cream but I have a plan for the leftovers already!

Vegan Stuffing Ingredients:

2 C Bread, chopped

2 T Grapeseed Oil (I used Garlic flavored Grapeseed Oil)

1/2 t each of Dried Minced Garlic, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Old Bay Seasoning

I took these ingredients and worked them together and put the seasoned bread on to a baking sheet at 350 for 10 minutes until slightly crispy.

I then took 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 chopped carrots, 1 small onion and cooked them down on the stove top.  I then add it to 1 C Vegetable Broth, 1 T Vegan Margarine for another 5 minutes on stove top.  I then combined everything and mixed well.  I put in the oven for another 20 minutes at 350.

This may have been my favorite stuffing EVER if I do say so myself.

It was not too moist but not dry either.  Plus there were a few little crispy ones on the top!  YUM!  So YUM I thought I would do a close up!

With the carrots we just added some Earth Balance (Vegan Margarine) and BAM there's a side!  For the Yams we added a little Earth Balance and a handful of brown sugar.  For the mashed potatoes I used - you guessed it - Earth Balance, Almond Milk, and a few tablespoons of Vegan Sour Cream!

If you blogged about Vegan Thanksgiving dishes and recipes feel free to slap the direct URL in comments!!!  CHEERS!

Flashback Spicy Peanut Sauce, Sweet Potato Mash with Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce, and Chia Chai Latte

Someone recently mentioned to me that they were looking for more peanut sauces to try so I went back thru my photos and recipes and came across this one.  It's a Spicy Peanut Sauce that just so happens to be vegan.

1/2 C Peanut Butter 

1/4 C Coconut Aminos

3 Cloves Garlic

1 T Sesame Oil

Juice of 2 Lemons 

1 T Sriracha (or other hot sauce)

1/2 t Cayenne

If needed: Water to thin & Sprinkle of Coconut Sugar to sweeten

This might look like a colorful slop but it was actually quite good. I need to make it again soon! It's a Sweet Potato and Spinach Mash with Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce.

(For The Mash)

About 1 Pound of Cubed Sweet Potato

About 4 C Spinach

(For The Sauce)

1 C Cashews

Up to 1 C Water

1 Clove Garlic

1 T Grapeseed Oil

Nutmeg & Black Himalayan Sea Salt To Taste

Directions:

Cook Sweet Potatoes until soft.

Add Spinach and stir or gently mash leaving lumps.

Set Aside.

For the sauce add all those ingredients into a high speed blender until smooth.

Drizzle sauce over the Sweet Potato and Spinach Mash.

Serve warm.

It's been too long since I have attempted a Chia Pudding but the last time I did enjoy one I was pretty hot on a Chia Chai Latte for a while.

Ingredients:

3 T Chia Seeds, dry

1 C Almond Milk

2 T Agave Nectar

Pinch Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Soak Chia Seeds in Nut Milk, stir often.

Add spices, stir often.

Over the next few days I hope to share with you more Vegan Finds but also some things I will be attempting for Thanksgiving!  What will you be up to?

Vegan Thanksgiving Foods, Furkids, and Vegan Ranch Dressing

I took a few days off from the 'net' and now I'm back!  Kicking things off with some of the Vegan Thanksgiving Foods I gobbled up last week...from top the clockwise...Garde'in Holiday Roast, Acorn Squash, Wildtree Stuffing, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole, and in the center are Sweet Potatoes!

My attempted at the Tater Tot Casserole was a last minute discussion but turned out pretty good.

Wildtree makes a boxed blend of Stuffing Mix and my mom made it for me.  It's heavy on the rosemary but it totally works in the blend for the stuffing!

I have to say this year has been the first year I have ever had Leftover Vegan Turkey Sandwiches.  With Just Mayo on top - it was YUMMERS!

One thing I did this past weekend was re-do my cookbook sections.  I have a slew of old vegetarian cookbooks in another section that I don't really use much but didn't want to throw away.  These are my newer ones, my all-time favorites, and such.  I'm so glad I did this!  Now I have to jump in and try something I haven't tried yet from them!  There are many of my favorites missing from these shelves...ones that I have borrowed time and time again and SHOULD probably add to my collection.

Cricket has been pretty high strung lately perhaps it's the change of season (not sure).  Regardless I can't stay mad at her long...I mean...LOOK at this...could you?

She's still only 4 or 5 pounds and doubt she will get any bigger than she is now because she IS 2 years old.  We and other vets and shelter people thought that we was a chihuahua and rat terrier mix but I think because of her size she's probably more like a toy rat terrier and chihuahua mix.  Regardless we adore her!

The cuteness doesn't stop there...

Look at the brothers!

Paco and Riley were bonding more than usual this past weekend, too!  Paco continues to do well and we are VERY thankful for that.  Riley is in the middle of another ear infection but we are used to that happening and always have medication on stand by.

Charlie has been pretty good with the exception of him biting me the other day.  This isn't out of the ordinary for him...he's moody because he was a feral cat.  Again...we LOVE him regardless!

I know this isn't a great photo nor does it look overly appetizing but I had to share it with you and will definitely be doing it again and again so hopefully at some point I can get a better pic!

What you see here is Vegan Ranch Dressing that I made and it's my BEST attempt to date!

1/2 C Just Mayo
1/2 C Coconut Almond Milk
1 tea Onion Powder*
1 pinch Garlic Powder**
1 tea Dill***
2 T Nutritional Yeast
Black Sea Salt to taste

*I used Wildtree Absolutely Onion which is now Organic and Vegan (the old version contained Whey Powder this version doesn't)

** I used Wildtree Garlic Galore

*** I used Wildtree Dill Dip Blend

Thanksgiving Plate - a Little Late...

I know I am a little late posting this years Thanksgiving Plate but here it is. 

From top - clockwise - my sister's roasted squash that she did with grapeseed oil and cinnamon - Wildtree Stuffing veganized - some Thai Curry Rice I made with the help of Wildtree's Thai Green Curry Sauce (also vegan) - mashed potatoes I made with Almond Milk - and my mom's first attempt at homemade Cranberry Sauce.  It was VERY flavorful!  Then there is the dinner roll in the center!  Woot!

Everything was tasty!  Usually I prepare more dishes for myself but with everything going on this year I didn't think ahead like I usually do but I certainly wasn't lacking for food!

My Vegan Thanksgiving Plate

Thursday my husband and I went to my parents for Thanksgiving as we normally do to meet with them as well as my sister and her husband.  I've been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and veg*n for almost a year and a half.  Believe it or not - I've never had a vegan turkey alternative until this year.  I decided to FINALLY try one.  I chose the Gardein's Holiday Roast.  It was pretty decent!  I cooked from frozen and it took about an hour or so in the oven.  I really liked the center of it where they had the stuff that was mostly grains, cranberry, and celery.  It came with 2 packets of gravy.  I haven't had gravy in YEARS.  It's not that I don't like it - it's just that I haven't made it in forever...I do like Mushroom Gravies and just might have to start making them again.

Anyhow...here is a photo of my plate.  As you can see I had LOTS to choose from!  All vegan!  You can see the slices of the Holiday Roast at about the 11 o'clock section of the plate.  At the top we did roasted Brussell Sprouts using a little bit of Wildtree's Grapeseed Oil and gently seasoned with California Garlic Pepper.  Next I had a little bit of the Sweet Potatoes.  Then I made a HUGE batch of Tabouli and my sister and I both had large helpings of that.  I was SHOCKED to see my husband tried some and Gold Stars to my Mother for having a spoonful eventho I know she wasn't a fan of it.  I think it's the texture for her as well as the Parsley and Mint...but I just LOVE it!  My sister and I split up the leftovers and took them home.  Then I had a few different flavors of hummus.  Not pictured are the bread/rolls we had.  Everything was yummy!

Earlier last week I posted about the Thanksgiving at my husband's family's gathering.  Between the two families I had completely different plates of food!  I ate real well last week!  That's for sure :)

Hubby's Family's Thanksgiving & What I Brought

My Husband's Family has their Thanksgiving the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  Those in attendance are:  He and I as well as his brother, his brother's girlfriend, his mom and step father, his Aunt and Uncle and their 3 kids and their significant others and their kids...at least 4 of them this year, his Aunt's Mom, his Grandmother (who is the host of it all) and his Grandmother's Best Friend.  Everyone bring a dish or two to pass.  When I was a vegetarian I ate 'everything but the meat dishes' but since dropping dairy I noticed last year just how much his family loved not only their meat but their dairy!  So I brought 2 dishes last year and this year I brought 3 PLUS for the first time in my life decided to buy a vegan turkey roast from Gardein.  It wasn't bad...more on that later.  For the other dishes I bought - I brought baked beans - which where almost gone when we left and these two dishes that I have pictured here in this post!  This first one is a Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole of sorts.  It was a BIG hit!  I've never made anything like this before.  I was originally inspired by OhSheGlows.  I tweaked it a bit, tho!  Here's what's in this one...

4 Sweet Potatoes
2+ T Earth Balance
1 t Vanilla Extract
4 T Maple Syrup
1 t Nutmeg
1 t Cinnamon

And for the top layer I melted about 1/4 C Earth Balance and sprinkled the following on top:

1/3 C Wholesome Sweeteners Coconut Sugar
1/3 C Spelt Flour
1 C Pecans

It turned out WONDERFUL if I do say so myself!  It was SO SO SO Sweet!  I had a bit of it with my meal and then when everyone was eating pie I had a bit more as my dessert!

Then there was this...Creative Potatoes!  Again I saw a recipe similar online and tweaked it a bit.  Here's what's in this dish...

1 Pound of Red Potatoes (peeled)
1 Pound Cauliflower
(I cooked and mashed both)
Splash of Hemp Milk

1 Large Onion
1 Large Sweet Orange Bell Pepper
(I cooked in skillet on stove top using "Butter" flavored Grapseed Oil)

I mixed everything together.  I then added 3 T of Daiya Onion & Chive Cream Cheese as well as 1 T of Parsley and 1 T Chives.  This ended up being thinner than I hoped so I added a bit of Spelt Flour and it seemed to help.  I REALLY liked these.  I know that a few family members are Mashed Potato Traditionalists and wouldn't even consider trying them and that's totally fine.  What I really got a kick out of was one of the kids who is about 11 LOVED them...he made a mention of it TWICE.  That is what made it all worth it.  All-in-All I would say a SUCCESS!

Participating Post:
Live It Up At The Healthy, Happy, Green

Get Your Greens On - Kale Chips & Spinach Butternut Salad

 Yes...I swiped that phrase from Dara Dubinet!

See!  I DO make my own Kale Chips!  Here is one of my attempts!  It wasn't one of my better attempts but they were still yummy!  There is a Cashew Type of Concoction on them, here.  I also added some of Wildtree's Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic Blend to this!

And this is the Spinach & Butternut Salad we did for Thanksgiving, too!  So...we have Baby Spinach, Red Onions & Butternut Squash, Grapeseed Oil, Wildtree's Lemon Rosemary to taste, and Craisins.  It was DARN TASTY!

Outrageous Orange Carrots

One of the side dishes I had for Thanksgiving was super quick and easy!

Cooked Baby Carrots with Wildtree's Outrageous Orange Sauce.

It was Carrot and Orange and that little bit of kick!

Super tasty!

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

3 Posts today!  Be sure to scroll down!
Here is the 3rd dish I made for my Husband's Family's Thanksgiving this past weekend.  It's simple and with few ingredients but is super flavorful and YUMMY!

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts - I roasted them - and added a little onion this time around, too!

Of course I used Wildtree Balsamic Dipping Oil and added a bit of Wildtree California Garlic Pepper to it!  They only took about 25 minutes in the oven!

Marinated Chickpea Salad

The older I get the more I do with Chickpeas!  They are so versatile!

This past weekend (continue reading I blog more about this) I also made this Marinated Chickpea Salad!  It's a flavor combo I would have NEVER thought of myself - it started with a recipe on line and morphed from there!

Here's what I did...

1 Can of Chickpeas

1 Cup of Corn (I Used Frozen)

1/4 C Celery

1/4 teaspoon Paprika

2 T Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T White Vinegar

1 Clove Garlic

1 Squirt of Yellow Mustard

Wildtree Grapeseed Oil

Wildtree California Garlic Pepper to Taste

I would FOR SURE make this again!

 

My Succotash Wish (Dish)

I have TONS of stuff to blog about but have been way WAY behind!  SO sorry! 

My husband's family does Thanksgiving the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgiving Thursday and I made THREE dishes this year!  I started with a recipe I found online and tweaked it a bit.  I think I will call it MY SUCCOTASH WISH.  It reminds me of Deee-Lite!  (Video to follow!)

Anyhow...here is what this dish had in it...

Wildtree Grapeseed Oil

1/4 Large Red Onion

Clove of Garlic

3 Tomatoes

1 1/2 C Corn (I Used Frozen)

2 C of Lima Beans (I Used Canned)

Wildtree California Garlic Pepper to taste

Parsley to taste

It was DARNED good...if I do say so myself!