Yesterday was a day, let me tell you. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions! It had happiness, sadness, fear, anger, stress, sadness, relief, and calm. First, I was very happy to be going to get a vegan roast from Trader Joe's. I was very happy to do some cooking, and some reviewing. So, as I'm walking out my door, there is a note on my door informing me that there is some sort of inspection happening tomorrow(today)! I have a few more cats than my lease dictates, so I was gagging to say the least. I decided to still go to trader Joe's, even though my mind was going in a million and one different directions. So, I go to Trader Joe's, only to find out they don't have the roast in yet. They did last week, but only a few. They will have some this weekend. That made me even more bummed! So, I got some Brussels sprouts, and found a box of vegan chocolate covered cherries that I didn't have the strength to say no to myself.
So, I leave Trader Joe's, very distraught and feeling a little low, and the crosswalk tells me to walk, and as I'm crossing the street, the traffic in the other direction obviously has the green light, and wants to turn left. I happened to be looking down, and I look up and there is a car literally in my face. Two more inches and I wouldn't be typing this right now. The guy kind of did that sheepish wave and I'm so sorry. I take full responsibility for my wrong in the matter, I learned a long time ago that you have to be a defensive pedestrian, especially in cities where the traffic is bad, and everyone is in a mad rush to get everywhere. I learned this years ago, before everyone was attached to their devices. It's a million times scarier now that people seem to not be able to go more than thirty seconds without checking their phone.
So, at this point I have experienced happiness, stress, fear, sadness, and anger. So, I get home, and I'm having a hard time keeping calm. I called the office to see what type of inspection we were having, and it's a fire safety inspection! No biggie at all. The fire person is just making sure all units have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors! No biggie, I will just put the felines and myself in my bedroom with the door closed. My smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in the little area by the front door. What a relief!
So, I decided that I wanted to still make stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts. I just didn't want the day to ruin all of my plans! I plan on calling Trader Joe's in the morning to make sure they do in fact have the roast, so I don't waste another bus trip. So, if everything goes according to plan, I will be doing the vegan roast battle on Saturday, and post about it on Sunday. Seriously, this is why I am not a planner.
Stuffing is hard to make look pretty!
I got the amazing stuffing recipe here. It is absolutely genius to put lentils in stuffing! I thought I had thought of everything when it came to lentils. This made the stuffing heartier, more substantial and filling. Perfect for those holiday meals where sides are kind of all you can eat. I will be using this recipe forever! The only thing I changed was that I didn't use a flax egg. I've never used an egg substitute in my stuffing, and I don't recall eggs being used in any family members non vegan stuffing. It was fine without the flax. I made a balsamic Dijon glaze for the Brussels sprouts that was just okay. The glaze was good, but for me with roasted Brussels I prefer the first way I ever made them. Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Simple, basic, delicious every time. It let's the delicious flavor of the roasted Brussels really stand out. After my meal the relief and calmness set in. Nothing is as bad as it seemed, and I feel very happy about that.
If your looking to jazz up your old stuffing routine, I really recommend that recipe! Have a happy Friday, and watch out for those pedestrians!
I just bottled up my kombucha and put it in refrigerator to chill and then it's ready to drink! I'm so excited to be back into brewing! There are so many different brands and flavors in Seattle, I'm sure I'll still buy a bottle every now and again, but I will save so much money by brewing my own!
I had some leftover lentil, tomato, potato soup so I heated that up and made a delicious grilled cheese with some Chao. It makes the best grilled cheese ever. I really think it's the coconut oil that gives it a similar fattiness of dairy cheese. You know how daiya melts, but gets a little runny? Trader Joe's vegan shreds get really liquid-y if it gets too hot. Chao really melts, but stays thick and robust. I'm sorry, I don't have the perfect food critic wording, but it stays intact, but melted is what I'm trying to say! It's been too long since I've had soup and grilled cheese. That combo really reminds me of my grandma. Anyway, it was a comforting meal on yet another grey rainy day!
What I love about soup is for the most part you can throw odds and ends of things together, and if you use the right spices come out with pretty good results. For this soup I had the tail end of a tube of tomato paste in the back of my fridge that needed using, two potatoes that needed attention ASAP, half an onion, and some lentils. I got four servings of this soup, and it was under two dollars to make. There is a reason why lentil soup has been my go to for years!
It's fuzzy wuzzy as most of my pictures,(sigh) but still, look at that melt! It looks so much like dairy cheese, and tastes so good I just can't imagine why people still feel the need for dairy cheese! Maybe it's my inner child, but I am a fan of meals where dunking is involved!
I had a few of these for dessert. I found these at The Grocery Outlet and was pleasantly surprised to see they were vegan! They're those little crunchy oatmeal cookies with icing! They're super cinnamon-y which I think is a must for oatmeal cookies.
I have a tofurky in my fridge that I got a few weeks ago, and I'm going to get a Trader Joe's vegan holiday roast which is the gardein holiday roast repackaged, and today I am going to do a battle of the vegan holiday roasts. I don't have an arsenal of holiday recipes to share, but I want to help anyone who is dealing with the very non vegan friendly holidays coming up. Family dynamics can be enough of a nightmare, and add in being a vegan and it can be overwhelming. Tofurky gets a bad rap, but I've always enjoyed the roast. Fun fact, Dylan loves the tofurky slices, like loves them hard, but he won't go near a little piece of the roast. Cats.
For some reason last winter living in the snow belt made me really crave stuffing. I made stuffing usually one day a week for dinner. Please don't judge! I don't know what it is, but it made me feel better while dealing with the worst winter ever. So, I will be making stuffing, and roasted Brussels sprouts to go with my roast battle. I'm excited for my own taste buds of course, but I'm also excited to maybe help someone out. I feel like we can introduce delicious vegan food to some non vegans, and it could change some people's perceptions. We can talk about animal rights till the sun comes up, and we can judge, and show graphic footage, on and on, but I'm convinced that for a huge majority of people if we hit them in the taste buds, we just might be able to save some animals.
I also plan on coming up with some fun stuff to do with the leftovers. I have a puff pastry in my freezer, so I'm already thinking vegan turkey pot pie! But I'm getting so ahead of myself here. Right now I'm going to go visit my boyfriend for a vegan holiday roast, and some Brussels sprouts! Check me out tomorrow for the results of the cook-off!
I am so close to drinking my own home brew kombucha! I added some juice yesterday and now just waiting for the second ferment! So, tomorrow or Friday it should be ready to drank! I mixed it with some concord grape juice. I totally forgot that I wanted to take a stab at flavoring it with ginger. Next batch I will make a ginger brew! Grape and ginger are probably my two favorite flavors of kombucha.
Look at that! Brewing your own is so easy, I promise. I wanted to try for several years, and I was just too scared and intimidated. This is where sometimes the interwebz is bad. Too much information is not always good. I was so scared I would somehow let my booch get unsanitized, and then it would go from good to bad bacteria, and I would die, or at least get real sick. But seriously, it couldn't be easier.
I gotta have those bubbles!
When you see that fizz, you know you have a good, sparkle-y batch! The standard recipe I learned is one cup of sugar per batch, I prefer a really carbonated booch, so I add about one and a half cups of sugar. Turns out perfect every time! Sometimes I do a combo of green tea and yerba mate, sometimes i just stick to green. I do always use green tea. I much prefer it over black tea. If anyone has been wanting to try brewing kombucha, you should go for it! I promise it is so easy. The kit comes with tea, scoby, sugar, and directions! All you need is a jar, and some water. I can make an entire batch(1 gallon) for less than one 16oz. bottle of kombucha! The truth is I do feel better when I drink some every day, but I can't always afford that habit. So, now I can!
I kind of wanted something on the fresher side for dinner, so I made a burrito bowl. I was missing avocado and cilantro, but it was still pretty dang tasty!
I thought I arranged everything prettily for a picture, but I see I have ALOT to learn! It was pretty in my mind, and it tasted amazing! This bowl had brown rice, refried beans, jalapeno, lettuce, roasted corn, and red onion. Topped with salsa and of course hot sauce, and served with some chips. I haven't had a burrito bowl in so long, and I forgot how delicious they are! I love all the different temperatures and textures. I usually just buy regular old frozen corn, and after having this roasted corn, I don't know if I can ever go back. The roasting makes it so much tastier, and it reminds me of summer.
I felt like I wanted some vegan sour cream, and not only was there none in my fridge, I also had no cashews soaked for homemade. So, I added a dollop of the tahini garlic sauce from Trader joe's, and it might sound weird but it totally worked! It is creamy, and it added a little tang which is what you want from sour cream! The more you know!
I can't believe it's Wednesday! When will I ever do a MidWeek Munchie post on Wednesday? Oh well, I do always have to be a little different.
Happy hump day, whatever that means to you!
Good morning from a very cuddle-y , sleepy Dylan! This is a rare moment when he doesn't have someone else curling up with him! As he's gotten older, he has to be in the mood for cuddles. And he only tolerates cuddles from certain cats. Others he just has no patience for! He's given me a few scares, but he's been really hanging in there.The hardest thing is that he's gotten really picky about food. As soon as he decides he likes one kind, he doesn't like it anymore. So I'm constantly worried about that. Even with daiya, one day he likes it, the next he doesn't. But, for awhile he was not really into eating, and now if I find the right thing that he wants, he will chow down. My best friend!
I had success with my horseradish macaroni and cheese too! It was super easy, and turned out rich and creamy with that nice horseradish zip. I decided to make a baked mac and cheese, and I wanted it to be on the creamier side, like Amy's. Side note, I wish Amy's vegan mac and cheese weren't so hard to find, and also so dang expensive! I think this would make a great side for all of the upcoming festivities! I am so proud of myself, because I wrote everything down! It's so hard for me to be good about measuring and writing down, because I am much more of a pinch of this, a bit of that type of cook! Vegan Horseradish Macaroni and Cheese
2 T Earth Balance
2 T Flour
2 1/2 C. Unsweetened plant milk( I used cashew)
S&P to taste
1/2 C. Nutritional yeast
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 1/2 T. Horseradish
3-4 slices Chao creamy original
8 oz. pasta of choice( I used whole wheat Fusilli)
Start the water boiling for your pasta. While that's happening, melt your earth balance in a saucepan, and add your flour. Whisk around for about a minute, and slowly start whisking in your milk. Add the milk in shifts or it will get lumpy. Keep whisking and adding until all of the milk is added, and you have no lumps. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, and turn heat down to low. Add salt and pepper to your liking, and start adding your Chao. I just break it up into small pieces and add it piece by piece. Allow the Chao to mostly melt, and turn off heat. Add the Dijon and horseradish and mix it all up. I also added the smallest pinch of turmeric to bump up the color. When your pasta is done cooking, drain and add to a casserole dish, and then add your delicious cheese sauce. Mix it all up, top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, cover with lid or foil, and bake at 350 for twenty to twenty five minutes.
Next time I make this I will probably go three full tablespoons of horseradish. Other than that it was perfect. The Chao is richer and thicker when it melts, and it makes a very nice mac and cheese. I feel like a horseradish cheese sauce needs that richness to balance to zip of the horseradish. I really loved this and will be making it often this dreary winter.
My full plate yum!
I was going to make a vegan thousand island dressing for a salad, but I decided to have some cabbage with a vinegar-y dressing would go well with the creaminess. I had to have some pickles with the meal because PICKLES! The perfect bite was a little of all three on the fork.
Happy Tuesday!
Well, the good news is I got my hot little hands on the original Chao slices that I need for my horseradish mac and cheese, the bad news is by the time I got it yesterday, I just wasn't up for all the cooking. I usually go to any stores very early on the weekends to avoid the crowds, but that didn't happen yesterday, so I was a little overwhelmed when I got home. I'm going to have a tiny rant here, and I truly mean no offense to any parents out there, but for the love of all the car carts at groceries drive me INSANE! And some people who push their kids in the car carts actually act like they are on the road in a tank, and have all of the rights. I sound like a curmudgeon here, but remember when as a kid just sitting in the front of the cart was awesome enough, and your parent didn't have to be the king of the aisle?
I plan on working on that recipe today. I'm excited, it's been awhile since I've actually made a recipe, lately I either follow someone else's recipe, or I just kind of throw this and that together. I'm just going to try to be really organized and kind of have everything out and ready. I really think organization is the key to cooking in a tiny kitchen. I am not a very organized person, so you see the struggle! Anyway, I am super excited to put my creative juices to work! I think I'm going to make a vegan thousand island dressing to go on a little side salad. Doesn't that sound like a good match?
I stopped at Grocery Outlet to get another package of the tomato cayenne Chao at the super deal, and I happened to look in their health and beauty aisle, which is something I rarely do. I was pleasantly surprised!
This is their price for Andalou shower gel! They also had various serums, eye cream, and night creams from this company. Look at that price! I smelled their mandarin vanilla shower gel, and had to get it. I do like some bubbles in my detox bath, and non toxic bubbles are hard to find. This smells like an orange dream or cream cicle, I forget what they are called!
I don't know why, but a bath feels so much more luxurious and spa like with bubbles. Most of the organic gels don't really provide a ton of bubbles.and they go away fast, but even for that first couple of minutes, it makes a difference.
So, I had the bachelor of bachelor meals last night. A cold ham and cheese sandwich, vegan style OF COURSE!
Lightlife smart deli slices (yum), Chao tomato cayene slices (YUM) yellow mustard, and dave's killer bread! This was white done right, which I have never had. This was good, and it is sturdy, not flimsy like the white done wrong breads. Under five dollars a loaf at ye ole outlet! Kind of a bland picture of kind of a bland but tasty meal. This is real life, sometimes all you can muster is a clod sandwich.
This awesome look on Etta's face totally describes how I feel when surrounded by car carts on a bust Sunday!
Happy Monday, and tune in tomorrow for some creamy, horsey mac and cheese!
After living in the snow belt for several winters, I know more than anyone that rain is better than snow, but it has been raining non-stop for over two days! Like never ending. You think it stopped, only to discover that it's still misting. I am so much happier in Seattle than I was in Erie obviously, but my perfect climate is definitely a more sunny year round scene. Rain rain go away!
I was going to run to the store to get some Chao original slices for my horseradish mac and cheese, but I just couldn't get myself to the bus stop! I didn't even walk up my hill yesterday. I'm back on it today, even though it's raining harder than it was yesterday! Grrr. Anyway, I think Chao original is the best vegan cheese for my recipe, because it really kind of reminds me of baby Swiss, and I think baby Swiss and horseradish are a tasty combo! So hopefully today my desire to create this recipe can win over my desire to stay out of the rain.
I decided to make a nice big salad for dinner, because I needed an excuse to eat some more FYH vegan blue cheese dressing. I also had some BBQ gardein wings in my freezer, so it all worked out deliciously!
I loved these! I loved the texture, and let's just talk about the sauce. Gardein has the sauce thang down! Their crispy mandarin chicken is to die for, and they have several other varieties that come with sauce, and they are all TO LIVE FOR in my humble opinion! These were super easy to prepare, you just thaw the sauce in some warm water, and then get it all mixed in with the pieces, and bake for like ten minutes. These are really satisfying, and I would serve these to non vegans in a heartbeat. The texture is firm and meaty, without being too meaty, and the sauce takes it over the top. I mixed a few dashes of Cajun garlic hot sauce in with the BBQ because I always need spice!
I piled my bowl with a head of Romaine, some iceberg for extra crunch, red pepper, avocado and sunflower seeds! Yum and yum. It was really satisfying, and everything went together perfectly.
I haven't had a single gardein product that I haven't loved. These would be great on a game day for sports fans. Serve these with the FYH blue cheese, and/or ranch, and I can't imagine any non vegan having a problem.
So, Friday i was tinkering around trying to learn stuff, and i downloaded and started an Instagram account, but so far I have ALOT to learn! My phone also doesn't really take Instagram worthy pictures, and I don't know what I'm doing yet, but i jumped in headfirst with this blog, and learned later, so I guess it's round two with Instagram. It's another lesson in patience for me. If I just breathe, and don't get all pissed, I can actually figure stuff out! The main problem I'm having right now is I can't log in from my computer, only my phone. And I downloaded from my computer. I need to do stuff with my profile, and I want to do it on my computer because to be honest I can't stand typing on my phone. I am in the minority I know, but I prefer buttons over touchscreen. I'm such a relic! But it feels good to challenge myself.
I hope everyone has a cozy Sunday!
Today is my 500th post! I can hardly believe it. It's a really big deal to me, because when I first started this blog, I had no idea what I was doing, I didn't even know how to add pictures, or links! I felt sure that no one would want to read my blog, especially without beautiful pictures! I mean, let's be honest, even now that I do add pictures, they aren't that beautiful! But, we live in a selfie/instagram world. But I made a commitment to myself that I was going to start this blog, and stick with it. At the time, I was living in Erie,PA. and I was feeling so alone and lonely and isolated, and trapped, and claustrophobic, and well you get the point. I was feeling low. So, I figured this blog would be a way for me to express myself, and that was what was important. I knew that I needed an outlet for my feelings. The fact that I have stuck with it is what really surprises me. I am one to stop doing things when I feel embarrassed, or intimidated. I remember I E-mailed Earth Balance at one point praising one of their products, and I mentioned that I wrote a review on my blog.They E-mailed me back asking for a link to my blog to read the review. I didn't know how to do that,and I was soooo embarrassed that I didn't know how to do that! It's embarrassing to even be repeating this. Anyway, I didn't stop, I kept going and I've learned along the way, and will continue to learn and improve. I was in a very dark place in Erie, and this blog gave me some kind of hope and connection to other vegans. And, as people started reading, I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe people were interested in my words! Every single person I talked to in Erie would get that glazed over look in their eye the minute I would speak of anything vegan, health, or animal rights related. Not to mention I have never met more bigoted people in my life. I was never not caught off guard by the everyday use of hate speak openly in public. It was socially accepted to use various words that we all know are not okay. And if you had a problem with it, well you were the problem. It was terrible, and I was so desperately lonely and miserable. This makes me look like the punchline for a million jokes, but I think this blog, and my cats are the only things that kept me sane.
Now, 500 posts later, I'm back in Seattle, and I have two blogs! And I love to post pictures(even if they aren't Instagram worthy) and lots of links!
I have spent so much of my life running away from, and hating myself, and who I am, that I never knew what I wanted to do, or what I might be good at. As a child, I didn't dream of being a doctor, or architect, or anything like that. So, through this blog I discovered that I love to write! I sincerely enjoy and look forward to writing every day, and in addition to the two blogs, I have a gazzillion notebooks floating around full of thoughts, and a journal! Pent up feelings anyone? And I have taken several classes on writing at the library, which is a huge deal in it's own right as I have an intense fear of the classroom type environment, and any type of public speaking. But I enjoy these classes so much, I wish I could find more!
I want to thank everyone who reads, and who comments. I can never express how much it means to me, and how much it matters to me. And the one thing I have always known about myself is I want to make the world a safe place for animals. I want to save animals from humans. So, to feel like I am part of the community, and part of the solution has brought me a feeling I can't really describe. No matter what is going on in my life, I will never not defend animals.
So, finally to the video above. This is a YouTube channel that I somewhat recently discovered. She has fun hauls, and meal prep, weekly meals and such. She and her husband are both vegan, and they also have a channel where they taste test vegan foods. I enjoy their channel, because they aren't food or body shaming anyone, and I feel like they show the good side of vegans, and also their hauls and diet are similar to the way I've been eating. When I saw this spaghetti casserole, I just knew that I needed to make it.
This is for garlic lovers!!
I had been wanting to try this sauce that has been begging me to use it. It is seriously garlic-y! It is maybe the best jarred sauce I've ever had. Really good stuff.
I added the sauce to my sauteed mushroom, onion, and white beans. So, so good!
All assembled and ready to be baked!
Spaghetti casserole perfection!
Whenever I do any kind of pasta bake, I always use short noodles, unless it's lasagna. The whole wheat noodles were perfect for this, because they really hold up well, even after being cooked twice. Sometimes white or gluten free noodles get a little too soft after being in the oven. I also added crushed red pepper on top because spice! This was delicious warm, and I just took a few bites of the cold leftovers, and it's amazing cold too! Or am I alone in my love of cold spaghetti?
I'm going to be experimenting with my vegan horseradish macaroni and cheese this weekend, so hopefully I will have a recipe to share. I feel like if I owned a vegan diner, I would serve horseradish mac and cheese as a side to a vegan Reuben sandwich. Doesn't that sound like an awesome diner meal? Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who reads this blog, I could never properly express how much it means. I'm a blogger! So crazy. Me five years ago is GAGGING!!
Happy Saturday!
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!
I was going to make an awesome recipe last night, and write everything down even! But alas, I just lost the inspiration midday. I am still struggling with cooking. When I do get in the kitchen, the small space drives me so crazy that I'm turned off for awhile. I've had small kitchens before and somehow made it work, I guess my desire for cooking overruled my limited space, but for whatever reason I feel very claustrophobic in my kitchen. So I just had a quick tofu wonton soup, and by wonton I mean the veggie gyoza from Trader Joe's. I simmered some shallot, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in some veggie stock, and added some baked tofu and the gyoza. It's super hard to find wonton soup with no meat, so this was fun.
I also added kale to the broth. This was delicious and very soothing. When you don't have anyone to give you a hug, make some soup! Too bad the picture is not as lovely. Soup is a toughie for sure. Soup reminds us that it's what is on the inside that matters!
I went to Trader Joe's today and picked up some stuff, just in time for MidWeek Munchies! I went very early when they had just opened, and it was so lovely and calm. Sometimes when Trader Joe's is packed, I have anxiety and find it very difficult to shop.
I cannot get enough of their vanilla cinnamon black tea. I also love their tahini sauce. I want to eat it with a spoon!
Beans beans the magical fruit.......
Their salsa autentica (in the back in the jar) is a really great deal. Under two dollars and it is super tasty.
I love their pizza dough. It's really easy to work with, and all three flavors are vegan. It's a great deal too. And I love their flour tortillas. I don't know if I can ever eat a different brand. Some of the brands readily available have some super weird ingredients that feel toxic and unnecessary to the product.
I also got a bag of holistic care cat food, and a couple of cans of wet food. Also, a not pictured green pepper, and a can of black pepper. All of this stuff was under fifty dollars. And a lot of what I bought was organic. I actually buy almost all organic at Trader Joe's because they don't seem to want to blindly rip people off for organic. In many cases the cost is the same, or only ten to twenty cents more. Anyway, as always I just can't say enough about Trader Joe's!! I really appreciate stores like them, and the Grocery outlet. It's nice that some of us lower on the food chain can still afford organic, and fun vegan treats every now and again.
I don't know when I'm going to make this, but somewhat soon I'm going to play around with a vegan horseradish mac and cheese! In my veg days, I loved loved LOVED horseradish cheddar cheese, and I saw a non vegan recipe for white cheddar mac and cheese and i just knew I had to VEGANIZE IT!!
I put this picture up on my other blog, so if you read both, excuse the redundancy, but I mean how can you get bored of sweet kitty action??
They just really love cramming two into a space made for one!!
I was going to go to Trader Joe's yesterday, but something kept telling me to go to Grocery Outlet. I went back and forth with myself, and after realizing that I needed litter(story of my LIFE) I decided on Grocery Outlet, because there is a Safeway right next door. Man, I have never been so thankful that I needed litter! You are going to gag when you read this. I found Chao slices for $1.99 a package!!!!
They had the tomato cayenne, and the coconut herb. I am normally leery of taking pictures in public, and I know a lot of stores frown on it, but I totally stepped way out of my comfort zone and asked an employee permission because this price was just too amazing! If you've never been to one, and there is one near where you live, it really is worth checking out. I took a few other pictures in the store just to show the deals. I would have taken more, but I accidentally put my phone on selfie mode instead of camera, and it took me awhile to solve that problem. I don't do selfies.
Yes, this is a bag of quinoa for $1.99!!!!!! It also has all the bells and whistles, organic, non gmo, superfood, and such. They have a whole section with tons of super food-y type things. In their freezer section they had those acai freezer packs that are beyond expensive! Sorry, I didn't check the price, because it was this section that I got stuck in selfie hell.
Yes that is Coconut milk Greek yogurt for fifty cents each! I mean, it almost seems like a joke!
Now, onto my haul!
I got the tea, which is an organic hibiscus (high in vitamin c!!!) for under two dollars, as well as the organic frozen strawberries.
The Asian pear flavor kombucha is my all time favorite, and for some reason I've only ever seen it in these red bull like cans.
So much more tea! The Tazo green ginger tea is so delicious!! And I really scored with the Kevita kombucha!!
I do still need to go to Trader Joe's as I am in desperate need of some fresh produce. That's the one thing you can't really rely on Grocery Outlet for. At least the one I go to, I can't speak for them all. They do have produce, and they are expanding the organics, but other than a few things, I don't notice much of a price difference.
Before I bore you with yet another adorable kitty picture, I have to say that if anyone is reading this in or near the Seattle area, go to the Grocery Outlet in Ballard, the guy who I spoke to about the Chao and the pictures said he has like three or more cases of the Chao, but go soon because I know from experience that news travels fast, and that is an unbelievable deal!
Now we must bring on the cats!
This is why I can't leave the cupboards open for longer than thirty seconds. And they did NOT want to come down. It took lots and lots of coaxing.
This is my new favorite picture! Look at Chunk, just totally kicked out, not a care in the world! I had just taken these towels out of the dryer, and was getting ready to fold them when Chunk and Afro decided they were nice and warm for a nap! Just too cute for me to handle sometimes! Happy Wednesday!
