There's Always Tomorrow

Just hanging out!

I snapped this picture of Chunk when it was still dark this morning. I just can't help it, he sleeps in some of the cutest positions! He is also very sweet with Dylan, who has his good and bad days. Chunk is a bit of a tornado, but when he's around Dylan he dials it back a million notches, and is very gentle and kind.
Last night I decided to make a veggie pizza with some odds and ends of veggies that I needed to use. I have a recipe for homemade pizza dough that is very easy to make, but it has a very long rest/rise time, and if you decide too late in the day that you want pizza, it's kind of hard. I've tried several recipes with less resting time, but I didn't like them as much. That's why I love Trader Joe's pizza dough. It's vegan, not full of weird ingredients, and super easy to deal with. I topped my pizza with red pizza sauce, sliced artichoke hearts, shallots, white beans, kale, mushrooms, garlic, and herbed Chao cheese. Also with a healthy sprinkle of nutritional yeast, and crushed red pepper. So tasty! I know that some people complain that Chao doesn't melt very well on pizza. What I find is you can't put it on top of your toppings. I layer my sauce, then I slice the the Chao slices into thin strips and add them. I pile my other toppings on top, and i get melt-y goodness every time! I hope this helps anyone who struggles with that issue.

I am missing banana peppers in my life. I really feel that they are essential to the pizza and sandwich experience. I love making pizzas like this, because it still feels like pizza, but you're getting lots of veg in there too. Balance is a wonderful thing! I used trader Joe's pizza sauce for the first time, and it's really delicious. It has a nice herb-y flavor, and it's of course vegan, and also fat free! I actually enjoy pizza much more as a vegan than I did when I ate it loaded with cheese. I enjoy tasting all of the toppings now. Pizza doesn't feel like a junk food anymore.
I forgot to mention yesterday that a few people have suggested I try Trader Joe's vegetarian chili. I believe it's Amy's brand? I looked for it yesterday, and couldn't find it so I asked someone, and he said they aren't carrying it! He doesn't know if it's permanent or not. He said they may be re-branding, or re-packaging, or maybe he said distribution? Sorry, I can't remember because it came up through the conversation that he is vegan. It was a ding ding you're in Seattle moment. I still get those from time to time. It's so nice to feel so free to let my vegan freak flag fly, and ask all the questions. There were more than a few times in Erie I felt very uncomfortable asking vegan related questions. But the point is, he told me to keep checking because he doesn't think it's permanent. The more you know!
Tomorrow is going to be a very special day, and I can't wait to write about it. Sorry to leave you hanging, but I'm the worst at hints and surprises, so just tune in tomorrow! Happy Friday!