Egg Trick Bagel & Tater Tot Casserole

Yesterday I was able to take a little time in the kitchen with food prep and such.  I've done Strong Hearts Cafe & The Vegan Zombie's Egg Trick Muffin before and have done my own variations.  This time around I used a bagel flat (basically a flat bagel round) instead of an English Muffin.  You may remember that I LOVE using a few tablespoons of salsa on my Egg Trick Muffins so I did that here as you can see it oozing out of the bagel hole.  Inside I just did the seasoned tofu round patty and Daiya Cheese.  It was tasty!  I have 2 more disks of tofu ready to go in my freezer so I'm sure I will be doing this again soon!  I will most likely be doing a side of Tofu Scramble with the edges of the tofu I didn't use.

For a closer look at the tofu egg part - I thought I would take another snap.  Since hubby has been really suffering with his ongoing sinus infections and pneumonia yesterday we had a quiet day at home.  We were able to watch Fantastic Beasts.  It was good!  On Saturday there was a vendor show at our local YMCA.  It ended up being a pretty good turn out.  We were there with our Wildtree stuff!

Now...on to my newest attempt a Tater Tot Casserole!  I told you I was going to do it!!!  And here is what I did!  This first photo is the casserole BEFORE it went into the oven!  Recipe...

Bottom Layer:
Chopped Broccoli & Cauliflower
Chickpeas
In the Middle:
Then I poured 1/2 box of Cashew Ginger Soup over it
Then I added a layer of Daiya Cheese
Top Layer:
Tater Tots - touching - edge to edge
Then the rest of the Cashew Ginger Soup
Then more Daiya Cheese

Sprinkled on top:
Hemp Seeds, Dried Onion, Fresh Minced Garlic, Turmeric, Smoked Paprika, Nutmeg

This next photo is the first piece I took out after baking it at about 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.  I think it turned out great!  As you can see the top vegan cheese layer didn't melt well and I'm sure it was because there wasn't any liquid on top to assist with the melting.

In this photo you can see that the middle layer vegan cheese melted nicely.  I think next time I will put more of the cheese in the middle and less on top OR make a vegan cheese sauce for the top instead of using the shreds and sprinkling them.  I have to say I was pretty tickled with myself on this one.  The only creamy vegan soup I could find at Tops yesterday was the Cashew Ginger one.  It worked pretty well.  I'm sure with a different creamy vegan soup it would change up the overall flavor and I'm looking forward to getting creative with it.  I know I will be able to get multiple meals out of this!  I'm considering making at least one sandwich out of it, too!  I will keep you posted on that if I attempt it!

Tater Tot Casseroles are so versatile and the possibilities are endless!  If I had more time to bake 1 each week I'm sure I could come up with many more ingredient and flavor combinations!

As for the rest of my weekend I had a bit of a hard time with my aches and pains - especially after standing for 7 hours at the vendor show.  My Sciatica kicked in - or what I was thinking was my Sciatica - now I'm wondering if it was Fibromyalgia all along.  Perhaps it's both!  Heck, I don't know!  But another thing I did find out in my research was Apple Cider Vinegar for the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia.  I'm pasting that info below.  It's pretty interesting stuff!  Makes a lot of sense, too!  One of my mini goals for the first part of this week is to create some of those ACV Drinks at home.  Not only will DH drink them - so will I!

While apple cider vinegar does not treat fibromyalgia per se, it has been reported to alleviate many of the symptoms experienced by those living with fibromyalgia.
These include:

Fatigue – Stress (both emotional and physical) causes lactic acid to build up in the body resulting in fatigue. The potassium in apple cider vinegar combats this.

Joint Pain and Headache – Apple cider vinegar keeps the body’s pH level slightly alkaline which helps eliminate joint pain as well as headaches.

Swelling and Inflammation – Apple cider vinegar may be rubbed onto visibly swollen areas. Consuming apple cider vinegar helps relieve inflammation in the body.

Gastrointestinal Issues – Apple cider vinegar contains pectin which helps sooth the colon lining. It assists with loose bowels by forming more “bulk” in the G.I. tract.

While rigorous scientific research cannot support any claims that apple cider vinegar fights or cures fibromyalgia, many anecdotal reports suggest relief and reduction from debilitating fibromyalgia symptoms. Source: https://www.wholesomeone.com/news-articles/apple-cider-vinegar-fibromyalgia

Almost Mex Tater Tot Casserole (Vegan) & Post Card Writing!

A little over a week ago I co-organized a local Post Card PLUS Writing Campaign.  We set up a SAFE PLACE for any and all people in our community to gather and write post cards, letters, emails, or make phone calls to our elected officials.  ANYONE was encouraged to attend regardless of party affiliation.

The purpose was to COMMUNICATE with those we have voted for - no matter WHO that was.

It could be about ANYTHING.  Any issue ANY individual was concerned about.  We had people there who were passionate about education, healthcare, free speech/free press, the environment, Womens Rights, LGBT+ Rights, Immigration, Refugees, Non-Profits, Parks, Gerrymandering and redistricting, and MANY others!

In other news...MORE VEGAN FOOD and VEGAN RECIPES!

I've been getting some notes from readers and friends who are revisiting my blog after being away for a while who are asking what I have been up to lately with FOOD.  Well, the truth is, I have been VERY LAZY in the food department.  I need to get back into the swing of things for MANY reasons!  

Regardless I have another sloppy meal to share today!  It's a comfort food.  Then again -aren't MOST comfort foods - SLOPPY?

The photo you see above is a variation of a vegan Tater Tot Casserole.  It's nearly Mex-Inspired but I was out of corn.  If you read yesterday's post you will see that my kitchen is nearly bare of fresh, frozen, and canned items!  YIKES!  So I used what I had on hand!

1/2 Bag of Tater Tots

Pumpkin Oil as needed

up to 1 can of Black Beans

1 to 2 C Canned/Diced Tomatoes

1 T Wildtree Absolutely Onion

Turmeric and Smoked Paprika to taste

Black Sea Salt and Nutmeg to taste

About 1 C Vegan Cheese Shreds

I could of added Cumin and Cayenne Pepper to taste, too, but for some reason I didn't.

I actually did this as a Hot Pot...on the stove top!  

I really wasn't sure how this would work out...but it was TASTY!  I was pleasantly surprised.  The Tater Tots broke up into a mush because of all my stirring.  Another way to do it is to bake it which would be better for the crispier texture and I might try that at some point but this was the quicker and lazier version.  Regardless it was pretty YUMMY!

Tater Tots & Fiats!

Happy Friday!  Last night I literally threw this Tater Tot Casserole together!

I started with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Carrots.  I made a mild cheesy sauce with Almond/Coconut Milk, Earth Balance, and left over Egg Trick Seasoning (the recipe for that is from The Vegan Zombie Cookbook).  I then topped it with baked Tater Tots.  Next step - I covered it in leftover vegan cheese sauce I made with a combo of almond milk, Daiya Cheese, and spices.  Then I sprinkled Wildtree Taco Seasoning and Hemp Seeds over it!  This was pretty amazing if I do say so myself!  I think I just might have to make more of these!  Oh!  And I didn't bake this casserole either...stovetop!

Earlier this week I blogged about the Fiat Meet Up from last weekend but I nearly forgot to post these photos so here they are!

I really wanted to post these because you can see our new orange graphics and rims!

Yup!  That is our Abarth on the right!  I just LOVE the orange color!

We might adjust and/change the back a bit in the near future tho!

In case you missed the previous post - this was the Western NY - Southern Ontario Fiat Club and we went to the Grand Opening of the Erie, PA, Fiat and Alfa Romeo Dealership!

Here's another look at some of what we did with the graphics and rims!

We have the rims done first at a local tire store - they did a great job!

We had the graphics done locally, too, and I do like the sides the best out of everything!

We have a few things we hope to do in the near future with the club - one being European Car Day in Clarence, NY.  We may try to get to Pittsburgh for Fiat Freakout if we are able to for the weekend part of the meet up.

This weekend will be a Wildtree Weekend!  We will be at Chapman Dam State Park. 

Quiet Storm Vegetarian & Vegan Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA

 I've been to this place twice now and really liked it!  The one time I went with my husband and my brother in law who are both NOT vegetarian but both enjoyed it.  To this day my Brother-In-Law still talks about the awesome Spicy Tofu Peanut Wrap he had.

The most memorable thing I had at this place was a creative quesadilla!  They usually have many different ones on their menu but I haven't seen this specific one on there in a while.

It had a LOT going on!

If memory serves it had Tater Tots, Artichokes, Colorful Bell Peppers, Onion, Cheeses, and Sour Cream.  They had vegan options for the cheeses and sour cream.  I remember it being AMAZING!  The main reason I got it was because I couldn't believe they put tater tots on a quesadilla and HAD to try it!  Of course the Artichokes didn't hurt either.

I'm looking forward to visiting them again in the future but for now I just drool over their email newsletter and website!