6 Things I Love So Far For Winter 2010

1) This dress....which I will wear without shame, in public, with uggs. I bought my sister one, too, so we can be utterly obnoxious and ridiculously holiday-obsessed with our matching outfits, including our "Get Out Of My Way, I'm Going Christmas Shopping" bags! This was my first purchase from ModCloth.

2) Scarflettes like this one. I found 2 amazing bow tie scarlettes at Cost Plus, of all places. They were $16.99 each in a marbled knit (one in a citron blend and one is a mocha blend). I am in love with these little scarves! Scarves are my necklaces for the winter.

 


3) My new 1960s equestrian blazer purchased for $38 from seller AdrianCompanyVintage on Etsy (I LOVE Etsy).

After seeing a lovely version of a herringbone blazer on EmersonMade for $238, I was just casually searching for a vintage version and came across one on Etsy in my size. It just arrived today and it is lovely!
How cute is this EmersonMade jacket? I think my vintage one is pretty similar, with the exception of the buttons.

4) Leatherette boots in camel $31.95....and they look fab. They have a zipper in the back, but I really like that they are super comfy and actually a a little big in the calf area.

5) Green Mountain Apple Cider for Keurig. Single serve awesomeness....I am in love. Served in a double-walled insulated glass=perfection.

6) Choc Choc dark chocolate mint thins from Fresh And Easy. I have kinda given up on chocolate because most of it contains milk. Well, well, well....pretty packaging caught my eye, ingredients are vegan (70% dark chocolate and no milk) and they are rich and oh-so-coooooool.

More winter, please!!!!!!

Pop It Like It's Hot!

I don't know many people who have commercial popcorn machines in their homes, but let me just tell you how awesome they are! I found a used one from a local restaurant on Craigslist about 3 years ago for about $100. I have been making large batches of homemade popcorn ever since. I've tried a bunch of seasoning salts and found a way to use very little oil. Our current method is to start by heating up a little oil (about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil), then we measure 1 cup or organic popcorn and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Flavocol seasoned salt on top of the popcorn. When the oil is hot, we dump the seasoned corn into the kettle and start poppin'!

This is the popcorn machine I have

My popcorn essentials

My mission in life currently is to make AZ state fair kettle corn. I didn't go this year, as the vegan options at the fair seemed incredibly limited. I must find a way to make kettle corn in my popcorn machine!

I love sandwiches

I used to love the turkey cranberry sandwiches from Paradise Bakery. The sandwich reminded me of thanksgiving. I have created a vegan version that tastes pretty awesome:
Whole wheat sandwich thins
Tofurky cranberry and stuffing deli slices (works well with vegan gardenburgers, too)
Romaine lettuce
Cucumber (I like cucumber instead of tomato)
Vegenaise
Fresh and Easy cranberry orange relish

I like to pair the sandwich with a dill pickle and a sliced honey crisp apple.

Modfire outdoor fireplaces

With even a slight chill in the air, I find myself wanting to sit by a fire (I think 70 degrees is freezing). I see bundling in blankets, leg warmers, marshmallows, hot chocolate, apple cider and good company, when I think of a backyard fire. If you are like me, you want an attractive alternative to the standard old metal outdoor firepit; something that looks pretty, even when you aren't using it. You dream of something retro, modern and just plain cool to look at. My good friend, Brandon Williams, has created the best fireplace/ firepod ever. It's called ModFire . He is the coolest metal artist around. He built my back gate and pool equipment screen.

It doesn't get any cooler than this!

It is available in 6 colors:
Bright Blue

Deep Red

Avocado

Yellow

Orange

Natural

The price for these pieces is $599, which is a steal if you consider they will literally last a lifetime!

Ratatouille

I just discovered ratatouille about a month ago at La Piccola Cucina in Phoenix and I wonder how I lived without it til now. I expected to find a ton of ratatouille recipes involving mass amounts of oil, but surprisingly, most of them are sans oil.
Making ratatouille is almost like making a soup on the stove, but the end result is more of a side dish. I have grown to love vegetables since I became vegan over 8.5 months ago. This recipe is full of color, so you know it is good for you; lots of red and green. Did I mention that I love eggplant? I think I am going to try to grow some eggplant in my patio planters. I found a great recipe from one of my favorite food blogs www.skinnytaste.com . For those on weight watchers, this recipe is a 0 point food. I used my kitchen oil spritzer to add a bit of olive oil, so mine is probably a 1 point side dish. The recipe pairs well with gardein crispy tenders drizzled with marinara sauce. Yum!

Skinny Taste Ratatouille
Ratatouille (Vegan)This is a great 0 point dish made famous by the Pixar movie.
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 servings • Time: 35 minutes • Points: 0 ww points

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 red pepper, chopped
• 3-4 small zucchini squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs (I omitted the bread crumbs, as the recipe is perfect without them)

In a 4-quart dutch oven or saucepan, spray a pan with cooking spray. Cook the onion and the garlic until soft, 6-7 minutes, do not let garlic burn. Add eggplant, peppers and tomatoes, bring to simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add zucchini, simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are soft. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and cook another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Silk pumpkin milk with Green Mountain golden french toast coffee

When I find seasonal vegan stuff, I am all over it. I love the pumpkin and this time last year, I was making pumpkin spice lattes at home, with an espresso machine. This year, I am using a Keurig and loving all my seasonal flavored coffees. My favorite right now is Green Mountain's golden french toast. I am still drinking my coffee on ice because it still seems hot outside to me.
I suggest trying the golden french toast with the pumpkin silk....it's divine.

World Vegan Day: Trying out gardein mandarin orange crispy chick'n

Today is world vegan day. If you want to try out a family-friendly vegan meal, head to your local Whole Foods or Sunflower and check out the Gardein products. You won't even notice you didn't have meat on your dinner plate!

Tonight we made a meal in 10 minutes using Gardein mandarin orange crispy chick'n with Fresh And Easy's organic brown rice and stir fry vegetable blend.

Super tasty, low in fat, high in protein....great combo. I love Gardein.