While we were on vacation, I wanted to cook with my aunt and make a big meal for the whole family.  I know you're like, "Who wants to cook on vacation!?!".  Well, usually I don't, but I wanted to make a good impression on my family members that I had not seen in a while.  I got to go to the Navy Commissary, where I hadn't been in a while.  Decades, actually.  I decided to do a nice Italian Casserole, easy and cheap to feed a bunch of people.
Italian Casserole (Vacation Bum Slacker Style)
1. Sautee lots of vegetables...whatever you can find (squash, zucchini, muchrooms, peppers, etc.)
2. OPTIONAL: Heat up a bag of Gardein beefless tips, just sautee in a little oil and set aside.
2. Boil a box of pasta and drain.  Put in a LARGE bowl.
3. Add a jar of pasta sauce (check the label, make sure there is no cheese in it) and a large can of crushed tomatoes to the pasta.
4.  Add the sauteed veggies and beefless tips.  You can also add crumbled veggie burgers if you cannot find Gardein.  How many?  I don't know, like, 4 maybe?  Keep crushing and adding till it looks right.  Just make sure to COOK those veggie burgers first!
5. Add some fresh herbs like basil and oregano if you have them.  Crush two cloves of garlic into the bowl as well.
6. Stir well, put in a casserole dish.  Shred vegan cheese on top!  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  
7. Go relax and have a glass of vacation juice (translation: whatever you want, especially if it's nice and boozy) while you're waiting. This is the most important step.
8.  Let cool and serve with bread if you like bread.  Belissimo!
 

Time Flies!

I cannot believe it, but this month marks our FIVE year anniversary as vegans!  I guess five years in kid years is a long time...my two don't remember being omnivores.  My youngest was breast fed for a year, and when we went vegan he was only two, so this lifestyle is pretty embedded in him.  It's certainly not always easy, and we do miss out on what the "Joneses" are doing every once in a while (although we have never been too concerned with what the Joneses are doing...they don't look like they are having any fun and they are always a little grouchy), but it's just such a part of now that I cannot imagine living any other way!  Everyone benefits!  Let's put this into perspective with a handy-dandy statistic (from Vegan Heights):

Water saved in one year by being vegan - 1,400,000 gallons

Water saved by 4 people being vegan for 5 years - 280,000,000 gallons

Mediterranean in Virginia Beach

Vegan Moussaka

 We recently when on a vacation to Virginia Beach, VA.  Nothing complicated, but my aunt and uncle live there, so it was nice to visit them and have some fun, too!  We played disc golf at Munden Point Park, went to Croatan beach (where I got on a surf board for the first time in 10 years!), saw the state aquarium, and made/ate some great food!  One of the best things about going away for a vacation is eating food that you do not normally eat!  We are so busy that we quickly get into a rut with meals...spaghetti, enchiladas, mac and "cheese", stir-fry, vegan meatloaf...they are all pretty easy, and good for a typical week night.  When I am on vacation, though (as you know if you have been following this blog for a while!) I want to send my taste buds on vacation as well!  So one restaurant that we tried was Baladi Mediterranean Cafe.  It is pretty close to where all the action happend in VA Beach...the boardwalk, the beach, the carnival, etc.  I checked the website before hand (thanks again Happy Cow!) and was very pleased to see lots of green "V's" on the menu, indicating that a dish was vegan.  EVERYTHING (yes, I am serious!) on the starter menu was vegan, and they also had some nice entrees and wraps as well.  I tried the vegan moussaka...they brought me a huge plate of it and my first thought was that I would never be able to finish it all...well, it was gone in no time because it was THAT good.  I also had some really great baklava (vegans, when was the last time you had that!?!?), made with agave nectar instead of honey.  Oh, and some Turkish delight!  Overall, the atmosphere was great, the staff was so polite, and the chef personally came out to see how we liked our meal.  Do NOT go by Virginia Beach without going to Baladi!

Vegan Baklava with a Turkish Delight!