Cheeseburger Potatoes and Fettuccine Alfredo

Hi everyone! I had some potatoes I needed to use up, as well as some Daiya, so I made a big dish of “cheeseburger potatoes” – I baked the diced potatoes with some canola oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary, then topped them off with Daiya cheddar shreds near the end, and finally served them over a Boca veggie burger with some ketchup and mustard…

I also got around to trying the chickenless strips from Aldi and the cauliflower alfredo I’d gotten at V Marks the Shop. The chickenless strips and sauce were both good, but I love the fettuccine alfredo from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food so much that nothing else quite compares!

Here are a couple pics from a recent walk I took along Valley Creek… 

And here is Rogue being her cutest and most innocent little self while she cuddles with me… 

Peace. :)

Freezer Food, Pretzels, and “Catifying” Updates

Hi everyone! This week I’ve been working on using up stuff that’s in the freezer; here’s the Daiya pumpkin spice cheesecake that I’d gotten back in fall and then forgotten about – I had it with some So Delicious coco whip, and it was really good! 

I also enjoyed some delicious mashed potato bowls with carrots and a chopped-up Boca turk’y burger, topped with gravy I’d frozen back in November… 

I tried the sweet & salty pretzels last week and really enjoyed them, and then I saw the gluten-free version this week when I was grocery shopping, so I’ll try these next! 

The “catification” is progressing nicely, and the kitties have seemed to enjoy testing out the changes. Here are the shelves I’d mentioned Zach had installed; I got some mats and double-sided tape at Lowe’s, so now the shelves are safer, and I moved the dog bed that Leela had sometimes slept on up to the top of Zach’s old desk that he doesn’t use anymore. (And yes, Zach added Tigger as a masthead to the longest shelf, haha!) 

I got this tablecloth at Goodwill and draped it over the shelves we use as a shoe rack, so now it’s nicer for the kitties when they want to hang out at the window. Here is Cringer modeling… 

We’ve had this cat tower for a while, but I experimented with turning it ninety degrees, and now Daisy is watching the birds more often! 

I got this new scratcher on sale at Pet Supplies Plus; the one we’d had there was a lot less sturdy and kept getting knocked over. Here’s Rogue with a nice big stretch! 

I moved this lidded plastic bin to a low window and added an old seat cushion and folded sheet for some padding… 

And last but not least, I moved this cat bed that had been Leela’s up to the top of the fridge. No one had shown any interest in it when it was on the ground, and they were ignoring it on the fridge as well, until Zach caught Cringer hanging out up there one night and managed to snap a pic for me! 

To end today’s post, here’s Daisy posing so perfectly… 

Peace. :)

Leela Update

We said goodbye to our dear sweet Leela on Wednesday.

Tuesday morning, we’d gotten confirmation from another vet that not only was the growth in her mouth almost definitely cancer, but that it had gotten significantly worse and started spreading. By Tuesday night, Leela had stopped eating and drinking again, even while on the pain medication that had helped last time.

We had one last night of cuddles in bed with Leela, and even though we knew it was the right thing to do, it was so heartbreakingly difficult to bring her to the vet to be put to sleep when morning rolled around.

My sister Alena came over Wednesday afternoon to keep me company when Zach had to get back to work. On Monday, I’d tried the pierogies I’d gotten from V Marks the Shop, so we had the leftovers for lunch, adding mustard to the kielbasa. 

my pic from Monday’s lunch; served with Tofurky kielbasa, sauerkraut, and homemade pickles

Later, I made mac & cheese for dinner; there were enough leftovers for lunch yesterday and today, so that was nice. 

elbow macaroni, soy milk, Daiya mozzarella shreds, nutritional yeast, turmeric, with frozen mixed veg and Boca chik’n added in

After dinner, Alena headed home and I left for D&D; Zach and I agreed that it would be good for us to get out of the house for a bit that night. Someone from the group brought a vegan banana bread with berries; she does a lot of baking but rarely vegan, so she’d made this with me in mind, which was super sweet of her. I had a slice during D&D and took another slice home for my snack on Thursday; it was really good. 

Here are the last pictures Leela posed for… 

As always, peace…

Elementary, My Dear Vegan: Risotto and Cheese Sticks

Hi everyone! Today’s “Elementary, My Dear Vegan” is from S2E7 (“The Marchioness”). Mycroft, the brother of Sherlock Holmes, requests that they take on a case for his ex-fiancee. Later, Holmes finds Mycroft cooking in the kitchen.

Mycroft: I thought I’d make myself useful. I know you and Joan rarely sit down for a meal.
Holmes: That’s by design. A lingering dinner, especially in the midst of a case, is an indulgence.
Mycroft: You think conversation is an indulgence?
Holmes: The meal itself is an indulgence. Conversation is an annoyance within an indulgence.

Holmes then opens the fridge, takes out some cheese sticks, and starts eating one as he leaves the room, having decided that it would be “harmless enough” for his brother to prepare dinner. In the next scene, Watson and Mycroft are enjoying dinner while Holmes continues working in the other room.

Watson: This is the best risotto I’ve ever had. Why are you hiring a chef? You should do it.
Mycroft: Owning restaurants is a lot more fun.
Holmes: (from the other room) He means less work.
Mycroft: (to Holmes) Yes, I suppose you could say that. (to Watson) I don’t quite believe I’m gonna say this to a grown man. (to Holmes) Your food’s getting cold.
(Holmes comes to stand at his place at the table and eats a single forkful of risotto.)

Last night I made the saffron-scented risotto alla Milanese from The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, and it was amazing! I’m definitely going to have to make this again soon! I also tried the Daiya mozzarella cheese sticks (I found them at Wegmans), and they were pretty good! 

P.S. Phoenixville VegFest is today!

Here’s a silly spinny Daisy… 

Peace. :)

Nacho Mac

Hi everyone! This week I have a new recipe that came about – as delicious ones tend to do – because there were some ingredients that needed using up… 

Nacho Mac

Ingredients:
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 of a 15.5 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed (~2/3 cup)
1/3 block Jalapeno Havarti Daiya (~3/4 cup shredded)
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon salsa
1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
handful crushed tortilla chips

Directions: 
Cook & drain the macaroni, then return it to the pot. Stir in the beans, cheese, soy milk, salsa, nutritional yeast, and turmeric; continue stirring, on low heat, until the cheese is melted. Serve with crushed tortilla chips on top. 

(The next time I make this, I’m thinking of adding some avocado!)

Here’s a sleepy (and then quickly alert) Rogue… 

Peace. :)

Spinach and Feta Pinwheels (Long Island Vegan)

Hi everyone! This week I tried the spinach feta pinwheels, veganized by Long Island Vegan. They were fun to make, though a little melty/messy after baking, but still delicious! I’ll definitely make these again; they were a really fun treat, and the leftovers were great, too! 

Here’s Rogue being a cutie, hanging out at the top of the tall cat tower. She often will skip the lower levels and just climb straight up the “trunk” of the tower like a baby bear would climb a tree, haha! 

Peace. :)

Squash Casserole, Tofu Scramble, Bagels, and More

Hi everyone! I tried two new recipes this week and lots of other good food as well. First up was the squash casserole from Vegan Crunk; I made it on the stovetop and mixed in crushed Ritz crackers instead of topping with breadcrumbs and baking it. It turned out really well – I used two big yellow crookneck squashes from my garden – and the leftovers were awesome, too. I had it with a vegan chickenless patty from Aldi, which was really good. 

On Tuesday, my sister Alena visited and we did a lot of cooking together, including the second new recipe, which was the herbivore’s tofu scramble from Eat Like You Give a Damn. It was super simple and quite tasty, paired with a hashbrown (also from Aldi). 

We also made nachos with Tostitos scoops and Daiya pepperjack shreds for a snack (not pictured), and then we dug out my bread machine to make bagels, which turned out quite nicely due to Alena’s bagel-forming skills! 

Dinner was a bagel with pasta.

Yesterday I threw together a random lunch because I’d harvested more corn and wanted to have some; it was great! 

Hashbrown, black bean burger, corn, and carrot sticks with Daiya ranch.

And I also tried these blackberry sorbet bars that Zach picked out; he said he had to get them because of the name…

Yum!

Here are a couple fruit sketches I did this week…

gooseberries (original photo)

ground cherry (original photo)

And here’s Leela with her toy mice in the background…

P.S. The themes & prompts have been announced for this year's Vegan Month of Food (Vegan MoFo), which will be taking place in September, and sign-ups are open until August 24. I haven't decided what specifically I'm going to do (I'm debating the idea of creating my own theme this year), but I know I'll be participating -- will you?

Peace. :)

Field Roast Mini Corn Dogs

Hi everyone! I haven’t done much exciting cooking this week; I was feeling kinda blah from what I’d thought were allergies after we got the furnace replaced (but more likely was a cold), so I mostly just did quick and easy meals like potato bowls, noodle bowls, canned soups, etc. Lunch today was another easy meal but something new: I finally saw the Field Roast mini corn dogs while grocery shopping, and they were on sale, so I had to grab a bag to try. I’m glad I did because they were really good! I had them with some Daiya cheezy mac (with sriracha) and added mustard for dipping.

Yesterday was an adventure; we lost power around 3 p.m. because of the storm (thankfully, it was restored by 9:30 p.m.). After braving the roads to get a warm dinner at Wegmans, Zach and I spent the rest of the power outage hunkered down in bed, but we had plenty of flashlights for reading (I started Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas). Leela was so excited to find us in bed already (she thought we’d decided to go to bed early) and snuggled in between us! Cringer cuddled with us briefly, but Daisy was too freaked out by the power being out to even think of joining us. After all of that, everyone’s especially happy for the sunshine today…

Peace. :)

Poppy's Corn & Mac Bake

Hello everyone! Today's prompt is: How to make friends – What’s your go-to “impress me” meal? My grandfather's corn & mac bake was an impressive & yummy holiday dish when I was younger, so for dinner tonight, I decided to make my veganized version, which Zach enjoys as well. Prior to tonight, the last time I made this was for a potluck with Zach's soccer friends, several of whom have children. It was a hit with everyone, but especially the little kids, who upon seeing all the food laid out, immediately zeroed in on my contribution, yelling "MAC AND CHEESE!" 

Poppy's Corn & Mac Bake, veganized
 
Ingredients:

• 1 can corn kernels (don't drain)
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 stick melted vegan butter/margarine (I use Earth Balance)
• 1 cup vegan cheddar, shredded (I use Daiya)
• 1 cup elbow macaroni (cooked)

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a baking dish and bake at 350°F until bubbly and set, stirring a few times in between.

So, to sum up, Poppy's corn & mac bake is an impressive meal because:

• it's a crowd-pleaser at holidays and potlucks, even with kids and nonvegans 
• it's super simple to make 
• it can stand alone or be part of a bigger meal 
• the leftovers are delicious 

Today's cute kitty is Leela, soaking up the sunshine.

Peace. :)

New Foods in June, July, and August

Hello everyone, and happy September! It feels so weird to not have Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food) going on now, but have no fear, it's scheduled for November this year! Of course, that means it's the same month as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but my first time doing both events was back in November 2010; I survived that trial by fire during my junior year of college, so I know I can definitely manage it now!

Onto the main event: I tried lots of new foods in June, July, and August, and first up are the Field Roast frankfurters; they were good chopped up & mixed in with Daiya's mac & cheese.

I tried Amy's Indian Vegetable Korma when it was on sale; I liked the dal & rice the best.

Next up are some goodies from Vegan Treats: the cinnamon sugar pretzel donut and the double chocolate chip brownie. The donut is one of my favorites from Vegan Treats, and the brownie was good, but so, so chocolate-y, I couldn't eat it all at once!

The Tofurky slow roasted chick'n (sesame garlic) was another one I got on sale; I had it over brown rice, carrots, & broccoli. It was good, not my favorite by Tofurky, but still good!

Next up are the muffin pan mini omelets from Isa Does It; they were so cute and tasty! I had them with toast buttered with Earth Balance, as well as shiitake bacon, hash browns, Lightlife bacon, and Field Roast's appple maple breakfast sausage (another new item I tried; they were OK).

I had coupons for Ben & Jerry's vegan ice creams, so I tried the chunky monkey first. I really liked it, though the walnut chunks were gigantic; I would have preferred them to be chopped up more.

Next, I made the fresh fruit (strawberry) lemonade pops. Way too sweet for me, so I will have to cut down on the sugar next time, but these popsicles were great because there was no blending required!

Then I made a cheesy BLT, toasted in the pan with Field Roast Chao cheese (creamy original), Lightlife bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

Now we're on to the food at Ocean City, not really new but still fun! My sister Alena & I cooked while we were there, making Gardein chick'n fingers, Daiya mac & cheese, and corn one night, and spaghetti, Gardein meatballs, and oven-roasted snow peas from my garden the next night!

I tried the So Delicious ice cream sandwiches because Zach's coconut milk had a coupon on it for another So Delicious product. These were good, but the Tofutti ones are still my favorite. Plus, it was kinda awkward -- one of them was missing the top sandwich layer, haha!

I've made the veganized orange chick'n from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food before, but this time I had it with steamed snow peas from my garden and sliced garden cucumber as well, so it was extra delicious!

I found some vegan yogurts on sale; the Daiya strawberry was good, but I really loved the So Delicious strawberry!

I made another recipe from VegNews: the mint chocolate chip sundae, using some of my own fresh mint! (I left out the spirulina.)

This sandwich was a fun & super simple one: a cheese & pepperoni panini, served with chips & sliced garden cucumber!

I've been trying several of these fruit spreads, and I think the apricot one is my new favorite for peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

I tried another new recipe, this time for pizza dough, and it turned out great, so much so that I've already made it again! Topped with spaghetti sauce, shredded Follow Your Heart mozzarella, and Tofurky pepperoni.

Here's another of the vegan Ben & Jerry's, the chocolate fudge brownie. Pretty good, very chocolate-y. I liked the chunky monkey better, though, but I think that's just because I tend to prefer a vanilla base to a chocolate base.

And last but not least, another VegNews recipe, this time for fudge popsicles. I misread it as 3 bananas instead of 3 cups bananas, but it worked out well regardless!

Overall, my favorite summertime treat has probably been popsicles since they're so fun to make & it's definitely something I'm going to miss as the weather gets cooler!

Time to check in with the kitties! First up, we have Cringer and Daisy on the stairs. They have this really bad habit of sprawling out on the stairs (it started with Cringer, and then of course Daisy had to copy her). In this picture, they only just got settled in and haven't sprawled out yet, but the two of them seriously turn the stairs into an obstacle course.

Next we have Leela, hanging out in the bookcase in the cat room...

And finally we have Buttons, who apparently loves this fan with all her heart...

Peace. :)