BBQ Bliss

Another favorite  at our house as far as convenience foods go are the Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets.  They are fast, easy to cook, and can be eaten by themselves or on a bun.  This is another item that is good if you are in a hurry all the time!  Now I can say that most of Morningstar Farms' products are not vegan, but the riblets are.  You make that decision.  I like these because we can fins them almost anywhere.  Speaking of grocery stpres...I am very, very proud of my grocery!  While I was shopping yesterday, I say a VEGAN COOKBOOK on the shelves with the rest of the books they were selling!  This, I say, is progress!

Amy's Tamale Pie

 

This is seriously my favorite lunch!  It is perfect when you have a short lunch break.  I am a teacher, and sometimes I have so little time that I have to eat it at my desk with students walking in.  It always fills me up. 

VegNews Magazine

Predictably, one of my favorite magazines is VegNews.  There is so much useful information, and the recipes are outstanding.  They actually make the stuff and try it before they write an article about it.  I like the sections about where to eat when you are traveling across the world.  You would not believe all of the options that are out there for vegetarians and vegans alike.  The "I Can't Believe It's Vegan" articles are so cool because a lot of the things that the author writes about are things that I used even before I was vegan.  Another great reason to read is the commentaries by Dan Piraro, the creator of the Bizarro cartoons.  He is incredibly funny and his column is the first one that I turn too when I see VegNews sticking up out of the mailbox!  There is, additionally, all the latest news on animal rights activism, new products, and even the ads are interesting.  You can get it online, but I prefer to get the magazine because it is great bathroom and beach reading.  Two thumbs up!

Dining Alone?

I was late for dinner the other night and ended up eating by myself.  This never happens, so I decided to make the most of it.  Angel hair pasta is great with a good red sauce and lots of mushrooms and black olives.  Splash some more olive oil on top of that and top with fresh-ground black pepper.  Not complete unless you have poured yourself a glass of your favorite wine.  Turn on some nice music.  Enjoy until someone bothers you.  Then tell them to wait half an hour and savor each bite!

Eggless Egg Salad

 

This is a great sandwich filler!  It tastes great and is really versatile.  It can also be served on crackers, in wraps, whatever.   I got this recipe from Dale at the New Leaf Vegan Society.  Be sure to check out that blog, too!  We served it at the Valley Earth Fest last year and everyone (vegan or not) loved it.  Super-packed with protein, too!  Anyhow, I love it so much that I am including the recipe.  

Tofu Eggless Salad

1 carton of firm-extra firm tofu

1/4 cup each of onion, celery, sweet peppers (flexible...if you don't like it, DUH, don't put it in there!)

2 Tbsp dried or fresh parley, cilantro, etc.  (again, flexible...but adding herbs makes it interesting!)

1/2 Vegan Mayo (I like Spectrum)

1 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp vinegar

1/4 tsp Turmeric (no substitutions for this, it is a necessity)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 or so of salt

Drain the tofu and try to squeeze out a good amount of the water.  I probably don't get out as much as I could, but straight out of the fridge the tofu is COLD and I am wimpy.  Hey, it still turns out great, so don't worry about getting every drop of moisture out.  Crumble the tofu into a medium bowl.  Stir in everything else.  You can eat it right away or let it sit for a while in the fridge.  It gets better the longer it sits.  If you have a lot of people eating, it won't last very long, so make a double batch!

Snow Cream

Got several feet of snow?  Make snow cream.  I am constantly trying to tell my son to stop eating the snow, but all of a sudden we have so much snow that the stuff on top looks pretty clean.  So...I caved.  BUT it was on my terms.  Blueberry syrup and Rainbow Nerds made quite a tasty treat!!