Vegan pizza...?

I have been doing a really good job at eating a plant-based diet... And I had the great idea to reward myself with some vegan pizza! I found what looked like a great vegan cheese recipe... It looked similar to the vegan ricotta I have made which is soo tasty.

So I soaked my cashews and was all ready to go. I was looking really good.. But then it just wouldn't thicken. I waited and waited to let it cool.. But nothing. I left it in the fridge for about 45 mins and still nothing. So I said okay.. I'll just have my pizza without cheese. 

I put my pizza together.. Looks pretty good. Then I watched Carter make his.. So much cheese... Ughhhh neeedddd cheese. So I "cheated" and sprinked a bit of cheese on top of mine. Oh well right? But hey.. I am not considering myself vegan yet. And don't know if I ever will. Maybe if I live in a city where every corner has a vegan marker or cafe lol. 

Here are our tasty pizzas. I bought some tofurky sausage I have never tried before it was pretty good! Except it tasted a but too much like meat for me. 

After dinner we watched a really great movie. It was a romantic comedy from the 70s written, directed and staring Woody Allen. We both really enjoyed it and it was cool to see a lot of still popular actors and actresses a lot younger. I highly recommend Annie Hall to anyone who hasn't seen it. 

 Anyways.. I have to go to work now! So have a great Tuesday! I just have to get through this week and they I will be off to visit family! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter VEGAN baked donuts

When we were in Portland I got a vegan doughnut at Voodoo, and let me tell you.. that thing was the bomb.

Voodoo is kind of a strange experience.. lets just say the guy who gave us our donuts was only wearing underwear. But it is a really cool place and if you ever happen to be in Portland you should definitely go get a vegan chocolate glazed doughnut.. or 5.
 In my transition to becoming vegan I have realized that was missing donuts! These donuts aren't amazing for you, but they do have a bit of protein and they are baked sooooo... I'll take 2!

Now lets get to cookin'.. for these donuts you will need a doughnut pan. I picked one up at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10. This recipe only makes about 8 donuts so you might want to double it! Actually you probably will want to double it!

Don't they look so good?!

Ingredients:
Doughnut:
1 cup white-wheat flour
1/2 white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 unsweetened soy or almond milk
 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)

Icing:
1/2 dark chocolate chips (or milk chocolate if not vegan)
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 soy or almond milk
sprinkles (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350F 
• In a medium bowl mix the flour, sugar,cocoa and baking powdered, mix and set aside 
• In small saucepan heat the remaining ingredients over low heat until the butter is melted. This mixture should not be hot only warm
• Pour the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk. Do not over mix, you want the batter to be airy and very sticky
•  The doughnut pan does not need to be sprayed the donuts should come out easily. Fill each mold about 3/4 of the way full and then smooth out the batter as well as possible 
• Bake for 13 mins

• While the donuts are cooking heat all of the ingredients except the sprinkles in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly or the chocolate will burn. 
• Once all of the ingredients are melted together remove from heat
• I dipped the donuts directly into the saucepan, but you can pour it into a shallow Tupperware or bowl if that makes dipping the donuts easier

• Once the donuts are done, they should still be about the same color and still squishy, let them cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and flip the donuts onto the paper. Mine came out really easily, 
• Dip one side of the donuts into the chocolate mixture and place it back on the paper. Add sprinkles if desired. Repeat for all the donuts. 
• They are ready to eat! These are stored best in the refrigerator and they tasted even better the next day! 
• Enjoy :)  

  

Vegetarian Lasagna Roll Ups (with vegan instructions!)

The other day, one of my co-workers, a new vegetarian (yay!) was telling me about an eggplant parmesan she made. She said it was so good and it didn't leave her craving meat. So, I am going to share one of my all time favorite recipes that vegetarians and non vegetarians will love! I love Italian food, but making lasagna can be a pretty big tasks. And, most lasagnas feed a ton of people. When you are cooking for only yourself or one other person lasagna can seem out of the picture. That why this recipe is one of my favorites it makes about 4 servings at 3 roll ups per person. Perfect for dinner for 2 and leftovers the next day for lunch, I've always thought lasagna taste better the second day.

Another this about this dish is of course the vegetarian factor, most lasagnas are packed with meat. This one is full of sauteed veggies and creamy ricotta cheese. YUMMMMMM! I have made this lasagna a ton of times, and I recently learned how to make it vegan! It is pretty simple and you can kind of built it according to what vegetables you have at home already. I love using what vegetables are in season because it makes this dish taste even better. I am also obsessed with colorful food. So, for my lasagna I used zucchini, multi colored bell peppers, and spinach. But, if you love broccoli or yellow squash.. go for it! Cooking is about making what you love to eat!

Enough talk.. Enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 15 lasagna noodles (you will only use about 12 but I make some extras just in case some break)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese or vegan ricotta cheese (this is the recipe I use and it is really gooooddddd http://www.veganinsanity.com/how-to/vegan-ricotta-cheese/#.VaQWnPlViko)
• 1 24oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/8 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red or orange bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach 
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese or substitution cheese for vegan 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, and onions over medium-high heat, saute until onion and garlic turn golden brown and add the zucchini and bell peppers 
• In a large pot boil 4 cups of water with a sprinkle of salt and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add lasagna noodles. 
• While the noodles are cooking coat a medium baking dish with 1/2 of the sauce (I usually use a cake pan)
• Cook the veggies until they are soft and add the Italian seasoning, pepper and chili powder, mix in thoroughly 
• Add the spinach and saute until lightly wilted, remove veggies from heat
• When the pasta is done strain it and immediately run cold water on the noodles you want the noodles to be cool enough to handle and also prevent them from breaking. I lay the noodles out on a clean kitchen towel to let them cool a bit more
• Now time to roll them up. Take one noodle and spread a little more than 1 tablespoon of the ricotta/ vegan ricotta evenly on the noodle. Then do the same with the veggies. Sprinkle a little mozzarella over the vegetables and carefully roll the noodle up. You want the noodle to be pretty tight it should stick together pretty well. The move the roll up to the pan with the sauce.
• Repeat for all 12 noodles, Then poor the remaining sauce over the roll ups. Add the rest of the mozzarella (or more) to the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Wait 5 minutes to cool. 
• Serve with a side salad and bread! Enjoy! 

Pictures to come!

Traveling on a Tight Budget (U.S. West Coast edition)

Traveling is a wonderful, magical experience that I long for daily, but as a broke college student travel seems out of reach. There are however ways to take trips on a tight budget!

This summer my boyfriend and I took a 20 day trip to 9 states on the west side of the United States. It was a fantastic experience and we saw some amazing places and had some amazing adventures. The best part was we paid for everything in cash and didn't have to rack up any money on credit cards.

Tip 1:
Can I say... Roadtripppppp?!

Yes, one of the most basic, but vital, ways to save money on a long trip is to drive. Flying is crazy expensive, especially when you consider having to rent a car when you get to your destination. Having a car that gets good gas mileage is also very important (my little Honda worked just fine). Driving a long distance can be tiring, and sometimes stressful (we drove through a blizzard) so make sure you are traveling with someone who
 1. you trust their driving ability
 2. you won't want to murder after nine hours in the car.. three days in a row.


Tip 2:
I hope you all love the great outdoors as much as I do,
Nothing says "Great American Road trip" like camping does.

Seriously, camping is probably the biggest money saver when it comes to travel. The great thing about traveling in the States is our abundance of National Parks and Forests. The camp sites in them are usually well kept and beautiful. Prices of tent sites range from $5-$25 dollars a night and most sites allow up to 8 people. If you aren't one for camping, you can do a little more research and stay in cabins or rent a pop-up camper. Camping is really a great experience when traveling, and it really makes you learn to love the simple things in the world... like showers... and soap.

*** Tip: Make sure you check to see if sites are open in the area during your trip. Most sites open Mid-May, but some (in colder areas) do not open until June. We had this problem and ended up having to stay in a Motel one night in the middle of Oregon.


Tip 3:
 I cannot stress this next one enough.

Do NOT get stuck on an agenda.
Things come up.. especially when traveling to multiple states. You can check the weather all you want, but the weather man isn't God. Our original plan was to stay in Yellow Stone for 3 nights (pretty stupid plan in May to began with, its usually still in the 30s at that time). Yes, our plans were shattered by a snow storm leaving a foot of snow in 3 states. So, after a wonderful night of camping in Colorado we drove our smelly selves to Starbucks and looked up an alternative route. We ended up staying in the beautiful Wallowa- Whitman National Forest in Oregon. It ended up being one of my favorite times of the trip. I am hoping to go back and white water raft in the next few years. 



Tip 4:
While road-tripping you will be temped by one thing more than anything else.. drive thrus.
Not only are these nasty little boogers everywhere, they are also bad for you , and not as cheap as they seem. You will be driving along and there it is a 'next exit sign' with those temping words 'Taco Bell, Subway. Starbucks' your mind will say no, but your body will say yes. I beg of you RESIST!
The best way to not fall into this temptation is to plan ahead. Pack tons of healthy, crunchy snacks that will leave you feeling way less temped to spend your hard-earned vacation money on a old bean burrito. If you are needing to stop, take a  break at a gas station or rest stop, or at one of the states road side attractions!

And, if you are really that tired of peanut butter sandwiches (which I will never grow tired of) stop for lunch somewhere local. The food is more likely to be fresh and it might be the only chance you have to try it. Much more satisfying than day old Subway bread and veggies.

The last tip I have for you is a simple one. Do it. Some chances only come once in a lifetime, and if you want to drive 20 hours to the beach, Do it! You won't regret doing something, you will only regret not doing something.
Happy Travels my Loves.