Noms of the Week #2

I have great news. I’m officially graduated! Now I just need to work on my next task: Get my drivers license.

More good news? I have a newfound love in my life. Introducing.. Ryan!





 I know I failed and didn’t provide a NOTW last week. Again, life happened, I have been extremely busy with others. Which I don’t consider a bad thing at all. I’m finally getting my social life under control. So with that being said, I’m going to show off my meals from the last two weeks again. Also just like the last time these aren’t all of my meals. Just meals I enjoyed in the comfort of my home when I could actually snap a picture.

Meals:

• Leftovers from Irish Dinner. (Boiled Cabbage, Roasted Red Potatoes.)
• Whole Grain Spaghetti with Kroger* Traditional Sauce, 2 TSP Vegan Grated Parmesan Flavoring; 1 1/2 cup Organic Spinach, Avocado, 1 TBSP Toasted Slivered Almonds with Pomegranate.
• Organic Spinach, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Avocado, 2 Gardein* Chik’n Filets, Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, 1 TBSP Toasted Slivered Almonds with Pomegranate, 1 TBSP Cindy’s Kitchen* Fat free Balsamic
• Tofu Scramble(Organic Firm Tofu with Organic Red Bell Pepper, Onion, Mushrooms, 1 1/2 Daiya* Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Style Wedge, Ezekiel 4:9* Sprouted English Muffin.)

• Kashi* Toasted Berry Crumble Cereal with Silk* Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.
• I stayed with my boyfriend and his mom made me an amazing breakfast. Unfortunately I’m not used to eating as soon as I get up so it was challenging to even touch but I got through some of it. I ate 3/4 of the Fruit Bowl, and 1/2 of the All Natural Oatmeal with Brown Sugar. I didn’t touch the bread and butter.
•  Ezekiel 4:9* Sprouted English Muffin with 3/4 Avocado.
• Quaker* Old Fashioned Oats with TJ* Sweetened Coconut, Ola* Vanilla Almond Granola, TJ* Cookie Butter.

 

• BBQ Tofu on an Ezekiel 4:9* Sprouted English Muffin with Spinach, Onion, Pickle.
• Smart & Delicious* Large Whole Wheat Tortilla with Organic Spinach, Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, 1/8 Roma Tomato, Gardein* Chik’n Filets, Daiya* Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Style Wedge, 1 TBSP Sabra* Pine Nut Hummus
• Chiptole* Vegan Burrito(Brown Rice, Black Beans, Fiesta Vegetables, Pico De Gallo, Green Medium Salsa, Guacamole)
• Smart & Delicious* Large Whole Wheat Tortilla with Avocado, Organic Spinach, leftover Organic BBQ Tofu.

Snackage:

• Chai Spice Latte(Chai Spice Tea Bag, 2/3 cup Silk* Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, Stevia, TJ* Sugar, Chocolate, Coffee Bean Grinder.)
• A couple Peanut Honey Pretzel Luna Bars.
• Vanilla Almond Luna Bar.
• Orange Pineapple Collagen Drink.(Helps with skin/hair/nails. I love it!)

• All Natural Popcorn that I shared with the boyfriend.
• Watermelon, that I also shared with the boyfriend.
• Two Degree* Apple Pecan Bar that I got in this month's conscious box.
• Earnest Eats* Dark Choco Espresso Bar that I also got in this month's conscious box.

Noms of the Week#1

For awhile now I have been reading posts on two blogs I visit on a daily basis, The Lean Green Bean and Peas & Crayons. TLGB does a “Weekly Eats” post, whereas P&C does a What I Ate Wednesday post. Last month, I was going to start posting what I ate on a daily basis every week to give people more incite on what a typical vegan diet looks like. Sadly, life hit me hard, and I didn’t feel I was “ready” to start showing off what I ate since my diet was all over the place for the last couple months. Not enough, too much, nothing at all, binge/purge.. you get the idea.

This month though I’m going to start posting my meals that I’ve ate that week, every Sunday. I think it may actually help me with my struggling and encourage me to keep fighting through my eating issues. So I’m doing this for me, but also for you.

Before I get into what I ate this week I just want you to take in a couple things.

1). I’m not a certified dietitian, doctor, trainer, nutritionist, etc. I’m an 18 year old who so happens to be vegan and is interested in living life as healthy as I can. I don’t want to influence people to “skip breakfast” or just eat what I eat. Everyone has different dietary needs. Do your research or talk to your doctor about what yours are if you do not know. I don’t eat in the morning because my body doesn’t crave food when I first wake up. It’s not as a means of “starving” myself. I just give my body what it wants when it wants it.

2). I won’t accept criticism. This isn’t something I’m doing to give people an excuse to judge or bully me. My diet isn’t perfect by any means but I do try to do the golden rule of eating which is “eating when hungry, stopping when full.” I get those carby, sweet tooth cravings just like everyone else. I’m an imperfect human, but that’s how I feel it should be. Moderation is key in living a healthy lifestyle.

3). Like I stated previously I’m doing this for me, as I feel it will help me stay focused on recovery, and also for you. I hope to give you a better understanding of what vegans eat, if you are completely clueless on the lifestyle, plus maybe influence you to branch out and try new things.

4). I’m on a vegan diet but I wouldn’t call it your “typical diet.” It’s more as a lifestyle change that I’ve transitioned into because I truly believe that the vegan diet is the healthiest “diet” out there. Though, that’s my personal opinion. If you don’t agree, that is completely fine. We can agree to disagree. Be respectful of my diet and I’ll gladly return the favor. This is a preach free zone!

With all that being said.. let's get on with my first ever NOTW!

Breakfast:

Coffee is something I drink on a regular basis. I personally just drink it black with stevia. I don't typically "eat" a breakfast because my body is never hungry when I first get up in the mornings. I find just having my coffee gets me through until lunchtime. (Say.. 11-12pm)

Meals:

• Quaker* Old Fashioned Oats with Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter and a Chocolate Dipped Luna Bar. (If you've never added a Luna bar to your oatmeal before, your missing out.)
• Organic Flax Bread with Avocado. (I enjoyed this multiple times these two weeks. Quick, easy, healthy.)
• Tofu Scramble(Organic Firm Tofu, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Organic Broccoli, Onion, Mushrooms, Avocado.) Organic Flax Bread on side.
• Organic Spinach Salad with Organic Snap peas, Organic Broccoli, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Gardein* Seven Grain Meatless Tenders, Fat free Balsamic, Sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Flavoring.

 

• Organic Spinach Salad with Organic Snap peas, Organic Broccoli, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Avocado, Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, Sweet Roasted Slivered Almonds with Pomegranate, Fat free Balsamic.
• Smart & Delicious* Large Whole Wheat Tortilla with Organic Falafel, Organic Spinach, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Avocado, Oasis* Jalapeno Hommus.
• Smart & Delicious* Large Whole Wheat Tortilla with Organic Spinach, Grape Tomatoes, Avocado, and Oasis* Jalapeno Hommus.
• Organic Spinach Salad with Organic Red Bell Pepper, Organic Snap Peas, Mushrooms, Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, Fat free Balsamic. Organic Asparagus on the side.

• Organic Spinach Salad with Organic Red Bell Pepper, Olives, Avocado, Fat free Balsamic. Quinoa Polenta with Organic Garlic Mushroom Marinara Sauce, Sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Flavoring.
• Chipotle* Vegan Burrito. (Brown rice, black beans, roasted peppers, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce.) I had a lunch date with a special new somebody. I ate 1/2 the burrito with him, then the other half for dinner. Have you have had Chipotle burritos? They are huge!
• Quaker* Old Fashioned Oats with Vanilla Almond Granola, Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, Cookie Butter. (Thanks Dena!)
• Irish(ish) Dinner of Boiled Cabbage, Small Red Potatoes, Tofurky* Meatless Italian Sausage. (Since I have Irish in my blood, my grandmother made a special Sunday dinner.)

 Snackage:

• Kroger* 100% White Corn Tortilla Chips with Sabra* Supremely Spicy Hummus.
• Chai Spice Latte(Chai Spice tea bag, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, stevia, TJ* Sugar, Chocolate, Coffee Bean Grinder.) This cold weather has really reopened my love for hot tea.
• Blueberry Pomegrante Trail Mix Crunch. (Thanks again, Dena!)
• Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bar.

Treat:

My grandmother made vegan friendly apple pie. So I enjoyed a couple slices this week with some So Delicious* No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

So there you have it. My first NOTW!

Also be aware that this food is from the past two weeks. I have been extremely busy, so I've been eating at other people's houses, restaurants, etc. So in all honestly I've been eating more than what is pictured this time around.

Foodie Penpals: Living Made Healthy

It’s hard to believe this is my 6th month participating in this swap created by Lindsey at The Lean Green Bean. Unfortunately, this will be my last month I’ll be able to swap for awhile, due to moving next month. (Though, I'm still in debate if I want to participate just one last time. My only concern is not having enough time to get to eat all the goodies that next month would bring if I do participate. I guess, I'll just have to figure it out by the 5th of March.)

This month my package came from Erin Alexander at Living Made Healthy. This was her first time swapping, and even though she was nervous about what she sent me.. I think she did a fabulous job!

First things first.. I have to show off what I saw when I first opened my box up.

(Gorgeous wrapping job, and oh so shiny. Sydney like.)

In the card, Erin told me that everything was locally made in Washington, but one thing. You guys should know by now.. I love local! So let’s get to it.

First off, the local treats. Kukuruza Gourmet Popcorn that Erin picked up while visiting Seattle. I visited the Kukuruza website to found out that the popcorn Erin sent me is called “Rainbow Fruit." Fruit flavored popcorn? Intriguing and surprisingly delicious! I'm actually munching on the rest of it as I type this out. It's almost to pretty to eat.

 I have no words for the Pomegranate/Vanilla Glazed Cashews. Let’s just say.. they were gone in two days. Hell to the yum. The Cinnamon Apple Chips are made with Washington State Apples and made a nice add in to some homemade trail mix I made earlier this week.

The non local item was this giant vegan peanut butter cookie! Uh, yum! It’s sadly gone now, but will forever be remembered.

But that’s not all..

Erin was also kind enough to send me a special item. This adorable two-year planner! Which, truth be told, I’ve been in need of. So it was much appreciated.

Huge shout-out thank you to Erin for the package!

I sent a package over to Sara Wiles, who is also a newbie, so go show her some love on her blog, Fit.Fun.Femme and see what I sent her!

Interested in becoming a Foodie Penpal yourself? Here’s the details:

• On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
• You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
• The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
• You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
• Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
• Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

If you’re interested in participating for March, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by March 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!

A Not So Great Start To The New Year

I got dumped on New Year’s. Great start to the new year right? (I’m using sarcasm, I hope you know.) Honestly, I was pretty content with the fact that someone I cared deeply about had lost feelings for me. Reason being, I’m in a better place. I had given up a lot to be with this person. I had to give up my old friends, my Facebook, my life outside of him just so he would be happy. Turns out-he couldn’t let go of my past mistakes and for the I feel sorry for him. I gave him all the reassurance in the world that I was sorry, that I care, that I loved him and I proved that to him by giving up more than what I should have. I don’t regret what I have done because I believe that the mistakes people make they learn from and they grow. Whether they see it or not.

Another reason being, I knew it was coming. The continuous.. “I’m sick” excuses. Those get sketchy after a while. When your sick more than 10 times a month, I’m going to suspect something. It’s just part of my nature. Nobody gets sick 10 different times in a month’s period. Excuse my language, but I call bullshit.

 The fact that he could take his friends anywhere they wanted in town or out of town, but then when I suggest to go somewhere he would complain about gas money, or make another excuse.. “I’m too tired”. I had to pay for gas money-twice. Those two times being the only times we have gone out of town together since I had been back. (I’ve been in Indiana since March of last year) Hiding me from the world- not taking me out on my 18th birthday, not wanting to spend time with me more than once a week. Then expecting me to not do anything, other than school. You have no idea how butt hurt this guy would get if I were to go out with friends. Eventually, the arguments weren’t worth it and I just started isolating myself more and more. Hence- I had given up too much. I look back now and I was basically trapped into this whole thing. A poor bird in a birdcage looking outward and seeing the blue sky and wanting to fly so desperately. I was that bird. I should have ended it a long time ago. Shoulda, coulda, woulda but I didn’t because I didn’t want to let it go. I put so much time and energy into this person. I didn’t want to just give up. That’s not me. I fight for things I want. Thomas was no exception.

This guy saved me. He loved me when I couldn’t love myself and when I was just starting recovery with my eating disorder. I give him props for that. It’s hard to deal with someone who is so negative and down on their changing appearance. I remember ranting and crying to him over how I felt about the way I looked. How I just wanted to starve and how I would rage about how "fat" I’ve gotten. I remember him telling me that I’m the most beautiful person in the whole world to him and that he wishes I could see it. How he was there for me through it all and he knew that I could beat this thing. I fought it. I fought and fought and I gained a good amount of weight. His accepting, caring, loving personality made me fall for him. I knew this guy was for me. Looking back at it all.. it brings tears to my eyes because I lost someone who truthfully saved me. It’s hard to not put the blame all on myself.

Things just changed and there is nothing I can do about that. Like I had told you previously I was fine with the news. Until, that is, Thomas started texting me and asking me a load of questions regarding what I did on such and such day. He started causing me stress, and upping my anxiety. I was now the bird in the birdcage with the door wide open, but not flying out. That’s when I started feeling the emotions that I didn’t feel before because I let my negative mindset get the better of me. I felt hurt and angry and it was all directed straight to Thomas. This all started happening in the middle of the month, the 15, the be exact. I was staying with a friend the weekend prior to that day. I completely ignored my phone, the whole time. I just wanted to have a carefree, wonderful weekend. Then I checked my messages the day I left. Thomas had texted me. A lot. He was saying things such as.. “I miss you, I love you, I don’t understand why you’re ignoring me.” I felt physically sick. I have a big heart and I do have emotions. We exchanged texts and then Thomas said he wanted to see me on the 15th. I had mixed emotions about that but I let it happen. He came over around 2 in the morning and we just sat in my driveway in his car. We talked, hugged, and we may have kissed. Afterward, I asked him.. “What are we?” He sat in silence for a few seconds before responding with.. “People.” That’s when my true emotion hit me all at once. I didn’t appreciate the smart ass comment and I didn’t know whether to just sit in silence, leave, yell, or cry. I wanted to do all at the same time. I choice to just stay and try to not say something I’d regret. Before leaving we exchanged one last hug and I told him something that came straight from my heart. “Remember when I told you I’d always love you no matter what?” Head nod. “I haven’t backed out on that.” As he was giving me a hug, the words “I love you” spill out of my mouth. He said it back and that’s when I just start crying on his shoulder. I hate it when people see me cry so after a few seconds I just let him go, got out of the car, and walked back into the house. Tears falling down my face. At that moment I gave up fighting.

For the rest of the month I have been dealing with crying off and on at random moments, increased stress and anxiety, feeling rundown, and acting upon my eating disorder. I gave in, twice, I binged and purged. I’ve been having to stop myself from doing it many other times before and after that slip up. It’s not easy. When I’m vulnerable.. that’s when the voice comes to my mind and pokes at me. The once barely there voice, now booming in my head. I hate this conflict that I have with myself and I hate the fact that it’s back. That slip up wasn’t the only thing I’ve done though.. I’ve been dealing with laxative abuse. Nothing extreme but the fact of the matter is I’ve been doing it out of pure relinquish for myself. I’m just not in a good mindset whatsoever and I just need time to get back on track. I’m still fighting. I gave up for a few days but I know I need to keep fighting in order to not fall completely back into it. I’ve been eating fine. Right now I’m just trying to make sure I don’t get out of control. I know how much I need to eat. I just need to re-accept the fact that if I go over I don’t need to turn to extreme measures. I’m not restricting. I know how many calories my body needs in order to function. It’s the guilty feelings of eating that I’m dealing with. Which in my experience is the start of the bigger problem. I know and see that. Which is why I’m fighting and will continue to fight. 

A pro to this month, though, is that I passed my math exit exam. Remember when I was talking about eating "brain food" to boost up my memory? Well, my experiment did it's job and I passed with flying colors! So if you have  big exam coming up, I'm telling you.. eat "brain food!" It does wonders.

Vegan Foodie Pen Pals: Vegan Princess in an Omni Kingdom

 The Vegan Food Swap that’s hosted by Cat @ The Verdant Life is back on, this month, as well!

I actually sent a package over to Lindsey Reedy, whom, I've previously sent to back in September. So I got to reconnect with her, which was cool. I sent her a package filled with some of my favorite vegan sweets, including.. raw chocoagave syrup. Oooh yeah.

This month I was fortunate enough to have Molly Caple, Vegan Princess in a Omni Kingdom, send me some awesome vegan treats from Seattle, WA! I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest so I could not wait to dig into the great package that Molly hand-picked just for me. I was even more excited when I read her note saying that she got most of the goodies from Vegan Haven, which is an all-vegan grocery store in Seattle. An added bonus is that all proceeds from the store go to Pig’s Peace Sanctuary, to help the pigs that live there. Which I love.

Molly included some info about the Sanctuary, along with a button with their mascot on it. I collect buttons! So this now has a new home on my tote bag where my collection subsides. Isn’t it adorable?!

I lucked out big time! Molly included Butler Soy Curls-which I’ve been dying to try out but my natural grocery stores unfortunately don’t carry them. Along with a few recipes that use the Butler Soy Curls in them. I like Molly’s friend’s suggestion in using them to make “chicken tacos”, but the “Sweet & Sour” recipe is calling my name. If your not familiar with Soy Curls, they are a product that’s made from whole soybean, and are 100% natural..with no additives or preservatives. Just the whole bean goodness.

I have plans for The Vita Crisp chips. They are Nacho Chez flavor, are made with organic ingredients, are sprouted(love), and gluten-free. I'm thinking these chips will be fantastic with some avocado, roasted vegetables, black beans, and salsa.

Caramel Sauce from a small bakery in Seattle called Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery. So yes, I now have homemade and bakery made vegan caramel sauce. I’m pretty much set for life! Question is.. what I’m going to do with it all? I love the fact that it’s local, though, since I’m a huge fan on receiving local items! So regardless of having received homemade caramel sauce in the other swap. I’m still pretty stoked about this sauce!

Lastly, we have a Go Max Go* Thumbs up vegan candy bar. In her note, Molly said that the Go Max Go candy bars are a favorite. Thumbs Up candy bars are just simply.. vegan Butterfinger. I used to tear up butterfingers when I wasn’t vegan. Easily an old favorite. Thanks to Molly, I got to indulge in a vegan version that old favorite! I'm definitely looking into getting more of these candy bars. I think Vegan Essentials has them. (;

Thank you so much Molly! I loved the candy bar! It was a real delicacy. I can't wait to dig in to the rest of the items! 

Does swapping vegan food goodies interest you? You should consider joining in on the swapping fun by clicking here.

Foodie Penpals: We're Back!

I’m excited to be able to finally get back into the swing of things, such as foodie pen pals, that’s hosted by Lindsey at The Lean Green Bean.

Though, that’s not all. Needless to say, this new year already, has hit me pretty hard and I’ve fallen back on a lot. A lot. Though, this post isn’t about that.

This is a happy post! Filled with the yummy food that Antoinette sent me from California!

Antoinette went beyond what I was expecting. She put so much thought and effort into my package.
From the exterior..

(Truth be told.. I adore hello kitty!)

..clear to the interior.

(Just look at that beautiful wrapping job and my favorite color ironically enough!)

Believe it or not.. it gets better.

Antoinette included both local and homemade goodies for me. All vegan approved!

The two local items she sent me were: Kinder’s* BBQ Mustard Sauce and Perfect Pom Juice. The BBQ sauce is found locally from neighboring cities around where Antoinette lives. I've been using it as a marinade for tofu and a couple soy products, such as Gardein, that I like to add into my salad. This sauce is made with all natural ingredients(which I love) and is gluten free! I'm not gluten-free myself, but nevertheless, pretty cool. The Perfect Pom Juice is from Wine Country in Napa so the juice is mixed with Merlot grapes. This juice was fantastic! I rarely drink juice at all, but when I do I like it to be 100% natural with nothing added. This is only made with pomegranate juice and California Merlot grapes. No added sugar, and it's pasteurized. They got the name right- it's perfect!

The homemade goodies wow'ed me. Antoinette send me a inventory sheet along with my goodies, that told me what all was used in the making of the homemade treats. I appreciate that a lot because I'm very strict with knowing what a certain food item contains. Being vegan, that's just normal. I've read all about vegans falling off the wagon and their body rejecting the food due to it having meat, dairy, etc. Trust me, it sounds unpleasant. At first I was hesitant toward the Lemon Poppy Seed Granola. I'm not a real big lemon fan. I like lemon in water, but other than that I've found lemon flavored items are a bit too overwhelming for me. First thing I do when I pull this out? Smell it. (Yes, I smell food I'm unsure of. I can't be the only one, right?) After that I bite the bullet, so to speak, and tasted it. Surprisingly enough, I liked it. Which I'm thrilled about because Antoinette sent me a ton of it! This granola plus some soy vanilla yogurt equals pure awesomeness.

For the Grenadine and Lemongrass-Ginger Syrup I added them both, individually, to La Croix* Pure Sparkling Water. I poured a generous amount of the syrup over ice. Then poured the sparkling water over it. Refreshing and a nice way to treat myself since I don’t really drink anything other than water, tea, and coffee.

The Caramel Sauce got me really excited. I've never seen vegan caramel sauce in the stores. (Though, caramel sauce has never been on my grocery list, so that may be why?) Nevertheless, I can't wait to use this sauce! I have a few ideas-over coconut ice cream with some nuts, in a vegan caramel milkshake, caramel apples.. mmm. I can't wait to go grocery shopping so I can start experimenting! I also love that this sauce is made with only simple ingredients-sugar, hemp milk, water, vanilla, and salt. That's it, people.




Antoinette deserves a big THANK YOU! I absolutely adored my package this month! Making homemade, vegan goodies can be intimidating to some, but Antoinette did a fantastic job! Thanks a million, Antoinette!

 

 Interested in becoming a Foodie Penpal yourself? Here’s the details:

• On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
• You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
• The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
• You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
• Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
• Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

If you’re interested in participating for February, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by February 4th as pairings will be emailed on February 5th!

Cheezy Semi-Mexican Quinoa Cassorole

I got this recipe idea from a lady that you all have head about if you read my blog. Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean.

I rarely follow a recipe full force, 100%. I usually just take in a recipe and do 3/4 of what the person who originally made it did, then the other 1/4 I play with. You can find Lindsay's original recipe for this casserole here. 

My recipe is basically hers just I didn't add in the corn, extra green bell pepper, some of the spices, or well, the dairy! Reason being.. I didn't have all the spices on hand like I thought I did, I didn't want to use a whole other pepper since I'm on a budget and I need that pepper for other things, and I don't like corn. Why? Because of all the crap you hear about corn being genetically modified. You can read about that here if you were not aware of that. That's a newer study that just came out a few weeks ago. I've known for years about it, though. Ever since finding that out I've extremely limited my consumption of any corn products. I do eat corn tortilla chips on occasion, but other than that.. nothing with the word "corn" goes into this body.

Ingredients.

• 1/2c onion, diced.
• 1 red bell pepper.
• 2c black beans, cooked.
• 1 clove of garlic, minced.
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika.
• 1/4 teaspoon of parsley.
• 2c quinoa, cooked.
• 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast seasoning. (I used Bragg)
• 1c unsweetened original almond milk. (I used Silk)
• 1 tablespoon of earth balance* soy free vegan margarine.
• 1 tablespoon of flour.
• Toppings: diced tomato, avocado.

Directions.

1.  Cook quinoa, as package instructs. Preheat oven to 400.
2. While quinoa is cooking, saute onion, red bell pepper, garlic and spices in a pan, until softened.
3. After quinoa is done cooking, remove from heat, then add in the black beans and quinoa, mix well.
4. Transfer mixture into a bowl, set aside.
5. In the same pan, melt the vegan margarine then add in the flour.
6. Slowly add the almond milk and stir to remove lumps.
7. Add in the nutritional yeast, stir well.
8. Add in the quinoa mixture and stir until evenly mixed.
9. Transfer mixture to a sprayed or greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.
10. Top with tomato and avocado!