HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event Giveaway!

This weekend, March 26-27, Bon Appétit is presenting a Spring
Cooking event on HSN. They've got all the big food network
names like Wolfgang Puck, Padma Lakshmi, Emeril, and more.

They've even got a Master pastry chef coming on to do a special on
sweets and maybe even some handmade chocolates. Looks like it
could be pretty cool! And you all know how much I love chocolate!



So if you dig cook shows and have the Home Shopping Network
than check it out this weekend.

You can find more information HERE for a program line up, featured
products, and to see who is showin' up.

The reason I am telling you this is that I have a $10 giftcard from
HSN to giveaway to one lucky viewer! I'll pick the winner on Friday.

If you want to enter to win this giftcard to put towards a sweet
new frying pan, some cookie cutters, or even some awesome blooming
tea than leave me a comment telling me what your specialty would
be if you had your own cooking show. Remember to keep things veg
folks and you must enter before Thursday at midnight, just to
keep things simple.

Spread the word and stay posted so if you are the winner I can
contact you! And checkout the HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event!

Vegan Garb

It is important to remember that veganism isn't just a diet or all about
food. It also incorporates everything we put on our bodies. I've never
worn leather, I don't think I've ever owned anything silk. Although I
did have some wool when I was a kid.

There were some changes when I became vegan and I did a good purge.
I had some jewelry with shell and even a pair of earrings with feathers...
Yeah, gross.

I must say that it is pretty hard to find a pair of shoes I like.
Usually I just go with a good pair of chuck taylors and I even own a
pair of crocs. Last winter I was desperately trying to find a decent
pair of boots. First I started trying to find some wellies and then
I just wanted any boots period.

My place gets super muddy when it rains and the streets flood.
I definitely needed something waterproof and now I'm super jazzed.

Check out these thick padded, water proof boots I found at goodwill!
I usually avoid faux fur like the plague, but this was so entirely
plastic I knew it was cool. If anything had to give its skin it was
probably a teddy bear. They are down-free too.




The second pair I found are so rad! They are like converse meets
Pocahontas! I just need to find some laces...

But quite a score if I do say so myself.

2 Days Til Christmas: Dandies roasting on an open fire

So we took a hop, skip and a jump up to the mountains to
visit with my Grandparents. Aside from making a vegan
'turkey' holiday casserole, sewing a stocking for my
sweetie, and sneaking truffles... we did what I haven't
for years, or at least since the last time I spent a fortune
on shipping to Hawaii. Yes, thats right. We toasted marshmallows.

Since shipping is not nearly what it was living in Hawaii,
I sent off for a couple bags of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows
from Pangea (awesome site by the by). My package came
with in only a couple days. Its a different brand than
what they used to carry, but they are so good.
I hate that expression "it tastes just like the real thing!"
Because really people, it is the real thing. Only Better.

We toasted them plain, stuck them on sugar cookies, stuck
chocolate chips inside of them and dropped them in our
hot chocolate! Great little treat for snuggling on the
night before Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow? I'm getting up early to make black bean and
sweet potato enchiladas to take to my Aunt's House.
Then back home to have a romantic Christmas with my Monkey
Man, our wee tree, and our own fire place.

Merry Two Days Before Christmas!
Sorry the picture quality couldn't be better, its weird lighting
and I was a bit distracted by the yumminess that was taking place.

Snuffling for Christmas Truffles: 9 Days til Christmas

My solution this year to getting presents for friends and family
that I'm generally unsure about, is cooking. I'm tired of getting
things that people don't really give a waddle about and spending
way too much money. So I'm bouncing back from being way way
sick and kicking the kitchen witchery into overdrive.

I bought cute little gift/boxes at the craft store to fill with different
goodies. I'm starting with truffles, then I'm gonna go on to jams,
cookies and candy. Seems at first like I'm spending a bundle on
supplies, but when you spread out the cost its a real break

So, with my first batch of truffles I hit Christmas on the mark.
You get cranberries, chocolate and of course peppermint.
I always seem to get stuck with a load of uneaten candy canes,
so this is a great way to use them up!

We were trying to think of a good names
for these little treats and the best thing
we could come up with were frosty balls...
or Frosty's Balls...

I will be posting some different variations
of these as Christmas nears and our cooking
hits high on the burner, so keep your mouse
poised and your eyes peeled!

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
"Frosty's Balls"

12 oz vegan chocolate chips
be sure to get a decent brand as the quality
of the chocolate will reflect directly in the
quality of your truffles
2/3 cup nondairy milk, preferably vanilla soy
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp flavoured extract (opt)
about 12 candy canes, pulverized

Over low-medium heat combine nondairy milk and chocolate
chips. Melt while stirring constantly to avoid burning. This
can be done in a double boiler to be safe, but its not entirely
necessary. Once chocolate is completely melted, add cranberries
and extract if using.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove and scoop
out by rounded tsp-tablespoons. Trying to keep your hands clean
of too much chocolate, roll in powdered candy canes.

Try to keep chilled until serving or gifting!

Best Wake Up Call Ever

Yesterday morning, just after 7:00AM, I got a lovely wake up

call from my CSA delivery guy looking for my place. Slipping

on my crocs, I booked my hippy ass out there. He was super

nice and apologized for waking me up, but I assured him that

I could never be mad at someone who bring me veggies.

It felt like Christmas morning, with a huge box of surprise

fruits and veggies. I will get to customize my order in the

future and am sure to start getting the more unusual items.

But everything is local and organic, which makes $20 a box

quite the deal. For regular GMO veg probably not, but a

little bit at a time is what I'm shooting for here.

So I got 6 Huge heirloom tomatoes, a box of rainbow cherry

tomatoes, a stock of celery, 3 sweet peppers, 3 onions, 2 lbs of

valencia oranges, and 6 gala apples! Next time I am getting rainbow

chard and berries. No grapefruit or avocados though, I've all ready

got buckets of them here at my house!

Definitely check out what is in your area!

Mine is http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com and they're pretty tasty~