Last summer I discovered the Baggalini purse while on vacation in Grand Haven. Baggalini purses are amazing for organization and are amazingly vegan! I paid way more for the one I found in Grand Haven at a local gift shop, but then when we were visiting my step daughter in Florida, she had one and told me she got it at Marshalls for a fraction of what I paid last summer. So, with her encouragement, I checked out the Marshalls by her house and snagged this bargain for only $20!

Start by pressing the tofu between paper towel and then place something heavy on it to squeeze out the water. Cut the tofu into cubes and saute in about a Tbs or less of sesame seed oil making sure to brown all sides. While doing this, make a quick dip using:

1 Tbs chopped ginger
6 cloves chopped garlic
about 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
about 1/4 cup soy sauce plus 1 Tbs
1 Tbs sesame oil
2-3 Tbs sesame seeds
2 Tbs water
2.5 Tbs brown sugar
about 1 Tbs Bee Free Honee (or you can add 1.5 more Tbs of brown sugar)

Method:

Combine all of the above ingredients in a small bowl with a cover and shake up. When all of the tofu is browned, either use the above as a dip for the tofu or take some of the dip and drizzle it on the tofu and top with chopped green onions like I did in the picture above. Enjoy!

In this recipe, I had some leftover sesame ginger dressing from my asian salad and decided to saute it! Just press your tofu between paper towel and place a heavy item on the top for as little as 1/2 hour and cut into cubes. So easy! Just listen to how delicious it sound!

We were at the St. Petersburg Farmers Market on Saturday. Just as the market was ending, there were great deals on produce so I picked up a head of Cauliflower for $2.50 and figured I'd be able to make up something for it with the limited spices I have here in Florida. I really enjoyed the flavors I threw together and hope you do too!

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cauliflower cut up in small pieces
2 T olive oil
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cumin
2 large cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 cup of vegan parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of vegan mozzarella cheese
chopped green onions or parsley to top (not necessary but it looks nice)

Method:

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees. Place the cauliflower in an oven safe pan. Add the olive oil and garlic and mix well with the cauliflower. sprinkle the spices over the cauliflower and then top with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, mix with a spoon and add the the mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes. Plate and top with chopped green onions or parsley (optional). Enjoy all on it's own, or as a side dish!

​

So we don't just eat vegan, we live being compassionate towards animals in all aspects of our lives.. Many personal hygiene products are tested on animals. I decided to make my own deodorant to make sure all of the ingredients were safe also.

Ingredients:

12 T coconut oil
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/2 cup algo clay or bentonite clay
essential oils (optional)

Method:

Mix dry products using a wooden spoon - don't use metal or plastic per the instructions on the box of also clay in a ceramic bowl. Heat coconut oil so that it's soft. Add the coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add a few drops of essential oil if desired. Let set in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup vegan margerine
1 1/2 cup of flour
​1 cup brown sugar
1 vegan egg ( I used Vegg)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/4 cup oats
1 cup walnuts
2 T hemp seeds

Method

Heat oven to 375. Cream the vegan butter well and add brown sugar, vegan egg, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the baking powder into the flour and mix well and then add to the creamed butter, egg cinnamon and vanilla mix. Mix well. Add the hemp seeds, walnuts and oats and continue to mix well. To bake, take a teaspoon of the dough and roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in water (to avoid sticking). Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Prepping for a Super Bowl Party is easy even if you are following a plant based diet. Here are a few of our favorite easy suggestions! To create a delicious Ranch Dip for chips, vegan meatballs or whatever you like to dip into ranch dressing,  we love using Penzeys Buttermilk Ranch spice. We add a couple of Ts of the spice with a jar of any of your favorite vegan mayonnaise. I always add at least a couple of ts of freshly minced garlic but you can reduce or increase this option depending on your love for garlic.

Next we're going to offer our guests an easy peasy sweet offering. Chocolate Chip Muffins! We use the Vegetarian Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix which we found at our local grocery store (Kroger in Michigan or Win Dixie in Florida). We used plant based milk and an egg substitute to make it vegan. We used a product call Vegg for our egg substitute. We also added about 1/3 cup of vegan chocolate chips and mixed and baked per the instructions!

We're also going to provide an quick and easy pizza option for our guests. For this, we use:

1 Pillsbury Crescent Roll 
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T minced garlic (more or less if desired)
1 jar of Plant Based Pizza Sauce (any with our cheese should work)
1 8 oz pkg of Daiya Cheese or any other plant based cheese
Any chopped veggies you like

Method:

Pre Heat oven to 375. Roll out the crescent roll and stretch onto a rectangular baking pan. Mix the olive oil with the garlic and brush onto the stretched out crescent roll. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and top with pizza sauce, add plant based cheese and any chopped veggies you've prepared. Place back into the oven for another 6-8 minutes and serve.