WIAW # 27 and Wacky Weather!

Hi Friends!

Can you believe it's already Wednesday?  I feel like I say that almost every time I write a WIAW post, but seriously, after a holiday Monday I really can't believe it's already the middle of the week!  Trust me, I'm not complaining.  I love when my work week goes by quickly.  What I don't love?  This weather!  What is up with it?  It's sunny and mild out one minute, and snowing the next!  I wore a spring coat all weekend and then had to bundle up in my winter coat complete with hat, mitts, and warm boots.  I am so over winter!

  I'm not here to complain, though, I'm here to talk about food.  Tuesday's food to be exact.  Check it out...

My Morning...

As usual, I started my morning off with some room temp. water with lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  My Green Smoothie (spinach, mango, banana, oats, flax seed, almond milk) had to be bottled up and taken to-go because I ran out of time in the morning.  Don't worry, I slurped it up as soon as I got to work.  On my way to work I kept warm with some Chai tea.  I'm a little bit obsessed with this tea at the moment and can't seem to get enough of it.  Not too obsessed, though, that I don't secretly wish it were coffee!  I still have a week or so left of my liver detox, but as soon as I'm done I plan on guzzling a barrel of coffee.  On second thought that might just undo all the good I did with the detox... oh well.

Lunch...

For lunch I had a kale salad with tomatoes and avocado dressed with lemon juice and nutritional yeast.  I added a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick.  When I popped home quickly in the middle of the day, I made a Gingerbread tea (another obsession!), and snapped this picture to show just how wacky the weather has been.  Mother nature has a wicked sense of humor.  (I don't find her funny.)

Afternoon snack...

When I have a sweet tooth my favorite thing lately is to cut up apples and sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon and a touch of lemon juice.  Love it!  And since I eat them so often at work, the children have started asking for cinnamon on their apples.  Too cute.  Whatever makes them eat more fruit is fine by me!  I had the apples around 2:30 and then a green smoothie around 4:30.

Dinner...

I had a meeting after work and didn't get home until 9pm.  The thought of putting any kind of effort into dinner just did not appeal to me.  Instead, I toasted up a couple of slices of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread, added some nut butter and a side of sliced apples.  I was so exhausted I devoured this while relaxing in bed!  My little Patchie girl came by to inspect the goodies and seemed very interested in the almond milk.  Too bad I didn't share any with her.

So there you have it, my WIAW goodies from Tuesday.  Thanks as always to the lovely Jenn over at Peas and Crayons for hosting this fab link-up party.

Til next time...
Happy Middle of the Week Day!

Love,
Ves xx

April Fools and Reveal Day

Hi Friends!

   I'm not much of an April Fooler but I love to hear April Fool stories.  This morning the interwebs are flooded with them and so is my inbox.  I love starting my day with a good laugh.  Here is a great one from the VegNews website: Kim and Kanye go Vegan for Baby.  Prepare to laugh your face off.  In other news, it's reveal day for Foodie Pen Pals!

   This month I got paired up with Simone from Simone's Edible Adventures.  Simone asked me some fun questions and then sent me a very thoughtful package.  I must say, it never gets old receiving a package in the mail, and I've been participating for almost a year.  I still get super excited and tear the package open as soon as I get into my apartment.  I'm like a child at Christmas!  Here's what I got this month:

My Goodies!

Tea!  I love that Simone sent me tea.  I am currently doing a liver detox which means no coffee *sob* so I've been drinking tea like it's going out of style.  These were gone within a few days.  My favorite was the Gingerbread and the Almond Biscotti.  I still have the Eggnogg'n ones because for whatever reason, I am not feeling adventurous enough to try it.  I will.  Soon.

I love Lara Bar's but I don't ever buy them.  And I've never tried the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip one before so I was excited to dig in.  I brought it along with me during a walk with my sister and we both loved it.

Dried Mangoes!  I love dried mangoes.  I still haven't opened this bag because I know that once I do, they will be gone in 3 seconds!

Almond Butter.  Love it.  I've never had almond butter in a little packet before but I feel like they created these for me.  It's almond butter on the go!  No need to wash the spoon after.  Ha.

Japanese Delight Kombu Seaweed:  I'm excited to try this and I hope it's similar to kelp noodles and less like nori.  Translation: I hope it doesn't taste like seaweed!  Ha.  Even if it does, I'll still eat it.

Omega Mango Superfood Cereal:  This is another first for me as I've never tried this before.  I feel like I'm saving it for a special occasion but I don't know why?  I really want to open the package but then I'm scared that I will love it and it will be gone!  I can be such a nerd sometime.

   Thanks again, Simone, for sending me this amazing package and including things that I've never tried before.  I love it!

   If you want to check out the goodies that I sent to my pen pal, Deborah, you can find it over at her blog Gourmet Mom.

To find out more about Foodie Pen Pals check out Lindsay's blog The Lean Green Bean.

Til next time,

Happy April Fool's Day!

Love,

Ves xx

Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Eggs

Hi Firends!

This weekend went by in a bit of a whirl and a blur but it was jam packed with slumber-partying, movie watching, revenge marathoning, recipe tasting FUN.  Speaking of recipe testing, I'm trying out a couple of chocolate recipes for Easter and I wanted to share the one that I made yesterday.  I'm a little bit ahead of myself as Easter falls in May for us (for the majority of people celebrating it falls at the end of this month).  But, it's never too early to start making chocolate!  Right?  Especially when it's combined with peanut butter...

I finally bought a jar of Peanut Butter & Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl on Friday when I was out shopping with my sis.  I mean, who doesn't want a jar of peanut butter at a sleepover?  Okay, I've had my eye on this jar of PB forever but have never bought it.  Now I know why.  It's ridiculously good and even more addictive than regular PB.  I'm kind of a nut butter recovering addict (I don't discriminate, I love them all) and try not to keep any in the house unless it's absolutely necessary.  It was totally NOT necessary to have this in my house!  But, fear not.  Whenever I have indulgent goodies (such as that jar of PB) lying around that I want need to get rid of, I throw it into a recipe and then give it away to my friends and family.

 
This time around, I decided to make Chocolate Covered Katie's Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.  Oh. My. Goodness.  These were amazing!  I followed the recipe almost exactly except that I used my Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB and I used Carob Powder for the chocolate coating because that's what I had on hand.  I actually had to make the chocolate coating 3 times before it came out the way that I wanted.  For whatever reason the carob powder and the agave nectar did not want to be friends!  So, I omitted the agave altogether and just left the coating as carob powder and coconut oil.  In the end, it did not need the sweetness from the agave, the PB 'dough' is sweet enough.  By the way, I doubled the 'dough' part of the recipe and the chocolate coating is enough for both batches. 

Here is a link to the recipe: Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs

I will definitely be making these again for Easter!  And, if you are wondering who got these delicious chocolates, I gave most of them to my sister (who happened to be here taste testing) and the rest to my coworker.  I had to return her tupperware and my mom raised me to never return empty tupperware, so what's a girl to do?  Ha.  I'm sure that my coworker won't mind the little surprise.

Have a Happy Monday... I hope you didn't indulge in the green beer too much for St. Paddy's Day!

My sis and I opted to have green cocktails instead of beer.

Love,

Ves xx

Did You Watch This?

Hi Friends!

I don't know how many of you happened to watch SNL when Justin Timberlake was on but he did a hilarious vegan sketch.  I didn't catch it on Saturday but my coworker played it for me the other day and I had to share it with you guys. 
You have to watch it now!  I was in tears laughing.


Justin Timberlake - Bring It On Down 2... by IdolxMuzic


Love,
Ves xx

It's a Guest Post Kinda Day

Hi Friends!

We are changing things up a bit for today's post.  Cindy, my lovely Foodie Pen Pal from last month has written a guest post about the package that I sent her.  As she doesn't have a blog, I offered her an outlet to share her thoughts on the goodies that I sent.

Here's what she has to say:

I’m nowhere near vegan- I love food of all kinds far too much to be restrictive in this sense-  BUT I’m very adventurous and receptive to trying new culinary delights. I was thrilled to be paired with Vesna- when I saw the name of her blog it was love at first glance: Lipstick is my favorite cosmetic, and Lemon Drops are my absolute to die for alcoholic treat. When I read through the blog I realized I could be in for a pleasant surprise, considering our vastly different nutritional choices, and I WAS SO RIGHT!

I don’t judge a treat by its name nor its package. KALE CHIPS from Rhythm Superfoods most assuredly would not have been my choice given options in the natural foods dept. But WOW! They’re awesome! I’ve eaten them as a snack on their own, and because they’re very delicate most of the package was pretty much crumbled but that’s ok because in tomato soup, they need to be crumbled anyway. Have had tomato soup four lunches in a row now. Just because these chips are so fab in an otherwise boring bowl! Will be buying these for the sole purpose of crumbling up in tomato soup. Buh Bye Crackers…

 The Good Bean All Natural Roasted chickpea snack Sweet Cinnamon flavor didn’t last long. I love cinnamon and I love chickpeas however usually they’re found in a rice bean pea and cheese casserole I make when I’m wanting something lighter than regular animal- based protein. Never thought of them as a sweet snack but do now!

Manitoba Harvets Hemp Hearts are an interesting seed- have sprinkled on salad, mixed in my oatmeal, and added to yogurt and fruit. Very versatile with a mild but interesting flavor that goes from sweet to savory very happily. And apparently they’re very healthy! I’m in for a bag of these too soon as they’re gone.

Barkleys Chocolate Truffle Bar- Mint and Dark Chocolate. Vesna. How did you know? No, REALLY, how could you have included without having met me something nobody else I know likes but is my first choice for ooey gooey chocolatey goodness. Mint and chocolate. Dark Chocolate. The only kinda chocolate I eat. Ooooooh it was beautiful melt in my mouth don’t-talk-to-me-I’ve-got-something-going-on mint and chocolate orgasm. I tried to make it last till the end of the day. Didn’t happen…

 Ok, here’s the kicker, the ONE THING I really wasn’t thrilled about when I unpacked my treats. I’m not a seaweed eater. Tried, failed, don’t even like noori in my sushi, keep it out of my sight. Tried it toasted. Tried it toasted with lots of garlic. Tried it in salad, with rice, have really tried to find a way to like it since its so common in Japanese cuisine and I’m big on sushi and sashimi and all things Japanese. Except seaweed. This was the last package I opened, and only opened it yesterday because I knew I had to in order to write something for Vesna’s blog. Totally expected to simply make mention “And thank you for the Sea Sprinkles Seaweed Snack Clusters (made with Agave).” Uh oh. The package is now EMPTY. I cut the bag open TO LICK ALL THE LITTLE TINY BITS OFF THE INSIDE. Whoever thought to combine seaweed with olive oil, agave syrup, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sea salt is a genius of epic proportions. I’m not going to just buy a bag of these, I’m buying a case. Seriously. Whenever I’m tempted to reach for a less than healthy snack, I’ll have these around. Wonder if they make them in big family size bags?

This was my first and most definitely NOT my last venture into Foodie Pen Pals. Its exciting to know there’s a whole network of other like minded people who want to experience what others love! And, the vehicle with which to share them is so well organized!

Cheers

Cindy

WIAW #26: The Dinner Edition

Hi Friends!

I can't believe that we're already 6 days into March and that next week is March Break.  Where does the time go?  I know where my time hasn't been lately... *ahem*... here.  But, I can explain.  I've been working really hard to launch my new website and it's sort of taken top priority.  Don't worry, you'll be the first to know when it's up and running.  On top of that and regular work, I've been having Revenge marathons with my sister (what is it with me and TV show marathons?).  Like I'm not busy enough!  Ha.  But, I'm definitely not too busy too eat.  Check it out...

This weeks WIAW is all about my dinners.  I've divided them into two cattegories and then at the end I show you what my plate actually looks like when the cameras are off.  Don't judge me, I secretly love eating everything in one bowl!

The Quickie Dinners:

These nights I had dinner ready in record time or just heated up some leftovers.  Regardless, they were all really delicious.
Clockwise from the top:  Veggie Burger with homemade hummus on a bed of steamed and fresh greens; leftover lasagna and steamed greens while working; leftover frozen pizza, steamed greens and avocados; veggie platter with dip (not pictured); arugula salad with tomatoes and avocados.

The Dinners that took a little bit more time...

When I have a little bit more time I like to put some effort into what I'm cooking. 
Clockwise from the top:  Black Bean Chili;  Pasta with sauteed greens and tomatoes (my sis actually made that one); homemade pizza with caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and daiya mozarella; quinoa and vegetable medley with arugula and avocado.

And sometimes when I show you a picutre of this:

I actually ate it like this:

No Joke.

So there you have it: my quick and not so quick dinners.  Hop on over to Peas and Crayons and check out more scrumptious food pics from other bloggers.
Til next time...
Eat your veggies!

Love,
Ves xx

Foodie Pen Pals - Reveal Day!

Hi Friends!

It feels like forever since I've written a Foodie Pen Pal post.  I didn't participate in January because it's a busy month for me, and in December we donated to a Sandy Relief fund in lieu of a pen pal.  I didn't realize how much I missed it!
This month I was paired with Dorine, who I think is secretly a mind reader or extremely intuitive because she sent the best.package.ever!

Here's what I got:

 

Clockwise from top left:  

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer- I LOVE that she sent me a make-up product!  Does she know me, or what? And yes, it's vegan!

Organic Cinnamon- When I saw this I actually laughed out loud.  I had literally just used the last of my cinnamon that morning in my smoothie.  She is definitely a mind reader.

Panda Black Licorice- Love the panda brand licorice but I've never been a fan of black licorice.. even the panda couldn't make me like this one.  Oh well, at least I gave it a try!

Bana Krisp Pistachio and Anise - these are really yummy snacks.  They hit the spot when I was catching up on my shows and wanted something to munch on.

David's Tea:  Cold 911 - I've heard so much about David's Tea but have never seen it around here.  I'm saving this for when I'm feeling under the weather.  Dorine swears by it when she is sick so I'd love to see if it actually has magical properties.  (To be fair, she never said that it did, but it sounds like it might).

Vega Vanilla Almondilla Smoothie- I added this to my morning green smoothie and it gave it a nice almond flavor.

Homemade Chocolate Hearts - These were so freaking delicious!  I make homemade chocolate and I can honestly say that these were better than mine.  Thankfully she gave me the recipe!

The Simply Bar, Coconut Lemon- I was really excited to see this bar because it was my savior when I was doing that crazy bootcamp a couple of summers ago.  I haven't bought it since then, and this was my favorite flavor.  It turns out that it's Dorine's favorite flavor too!

Thanks again Dorine for sending this awesome package!  And thanks as always, to Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean for hosting this amazing Foodie exchange.  Check out her page to see what Foodie Pen Pals is all about and sign up for next month!

Til next time...

Love,
Ves xx