Memorial Weekend Part 3

Little detour on our way to the Cleveland Westside Market... 

A lovely little winery in Akron, OH

So this was the first full day in Ohio. So much fun! After a 7 1/2 hour car ride, no sleep and scotch and wine for breakfast, we finally headed out to explore! First stop was a winery in Akron. And the best part... There were goats! It was on a small farm and the goats were right there with you. So awesome!

We didn't end up seeing Joan Jett but we did go to the cleveland market! I went a little crazy with the veggies. I got some beautiful figs, asparagus, pineapple, blackberries, olives, spices, corn and a few other lovelies. 

http://westsidemarket.org

After the market we got some vegan pizza at a place called Town Hall. It was perfect. Flat crust, nice and crispy. We got an order of truffle fries (sans Parmesan) and an order of yuka fries. Just about everything on the menu is already vegan or can easily be made vegan. I definitely recommend this place. We got the food to go but the place itself was super cool and had the greatest outdoor space with big huge doors they open to being the outside in.

www.townhallohiocity.com

The rest of Saturday consisted of boat rides, good people, good beer and a boat side restaurant and bar called Shooters. 

Sunday morning consisted of fresh figs from the market, coffee, mimosas. We woke up on the boat and immediately hit the water. Nothing like it! Side note, I can't stress sunscreen enough! I got pretty burned :-/

I've been using these amazing Lush products to help. 

But, Lake Erie is amazing! 

When lunch time rolled around we hit up a cute little place called Happy Dog. Vegan hot dogs with all the fixins! 

www.happydogcleveland.com

I highly recommend this place. We took food to go but the establishment itself is super spiffy. The staff was so nice too!!

Oh! Did I mention they had tater tots?!

The rest of Sunday was hanging out on the boat then a drive around the city. Such a cool place! Lots of great bars, restaurants and shops. The neighborhoods were beautiful and had a great, friendly vibe. There were a bunch if little mom and pop restaurants nestled in between the houses but in a classy, cool way. We stopped for dinner at Barrio an got a bunch of vegan tacos and guac. 

www.facebook.com/barrio.tremont

Our weekend was completed with the movie Casino at our friend Bryan's house. However, not one of us made it to the middle of the movie! 

Plans always change and originally we decided to have a cook out with the veggies but we ended up wanting to hang out on the boat more. Breakfast for us was always fruit. Bananas, berries, figs... It's a lot of fun exploring new vegan restaurants though! My favorite site: 

www.happycow.com

That was our Memorial Day vacation! Just a long weekend in Ohio packed with awesome people and great vegan food! Next month we're headed off to the  Thousand Islands in upstate NY and over to Canada for a few days! 

Memorial Weekend Part 2

Good afternoon all you beautiful people! We got to our friend's place at 5:30am and decided not to sleep. Instead we stayed up and had a liquid breakfast while we caught up. The sun was out and there was a nice breeze so we took to the deck and had Riesling and orange juice with blackberries. Well, I had that and the gentlemen had scoth. 

I know... Not a very healthy breakfast but it sure was delicious and fun. We did however find a cute little coffee shop where I got a coffee with almond milk and a vegan gluten free piece of banana walnut bread! We're heading to a market to pick up some fruits and veggies but before that we stopped at a couple of antique shops. 

So... It's the market then off to the docks where we'll be spending the rest of the day on a boat! Music, drinks, corn hole, Joan Jett... Yes, I said Joan Jett!! 

I'm super stoked! 

I'll keep you posted!

Happy Memorial Weekend!

Happy friday everyone! We're heading to Akron, OH tonight to spend the weekend with our friend Bryan. 

Road trips, or just vacations in general, can be hard when you're a vegan. So, this weekend I'm going to share with you how we eat and enjoy a vacation at the same time! It can be stressful if you're used to fast food or grabbing a bag of Doritos, but I'll show you just how easy it really is! Between finding vegan restaurants and grilling at our friend's place, being a vegan on the road can be easy!

To start, I've gathered a few snacks for the 7 hour car ride. It's almost 8:30pm and we haven't left yet so we'll be on the road for a while and what better way to start our trip with some better for you junk food. Junk food is junk  food no matter the label but you can pick the lesser of the evils, vegan or not. 

Spring vegetables

Maitaki mushroom! It's so beautiful and flavorful. Pulls apart nicely so you can use it in anything!

Very vanilla cupcakes

Everyone needs a cupcake! Especially if you have allergies! This was requested by  a lovely lady, Lauren, who knows someone with dairy allergies. Here's a dairy free version for ya!

Cupcake batter

1 T lemon juice

1 1/2 C almond milk (or milk of choice. hemp, sunflower and oat milks are good)

2 C all purpose flour

1 C sugar

1/2 t baking soda 

2 t baking powder 

1/2 t salt

1/4 C almond oil (or veggie/canola)

2 T vanilla

 Mix lemon juice and milk together and allow to curdle for about 5 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil and vanilla to lemon and milk and mix together.

Combine wet with dry ingredients. Mix together well. You'll end up with a nice, velvety texture.

Bake on 350' for about 15 to 20 minutes. 18 minutes worked well for me.

Cinnamon vanilla frosting 

5 T room temp Earth Bound

2 C powdered sugar

1 t cinnamon

2 t vanilla

Mix together with a hand blender until you have a thick consistency. You can add more sugar or butter as needed. This is very much a taste as you go frosting.

Photos from you!

This ones from my little sissy! She's turning into an excellent cook. I love you Chrissy :) 

Photos from you!

My bestie, Nicole, made kale chips!! <3 They're lovely!

Keep 'em comin y'all! Show me what you've made vegan or email me what you want to make vegan at icanmakeitvegan@gmail.com!

Beet cake

I saw an instagram post a week or so ago and was inspired by that persons beet cake photo to create my own recipe. This has got to be one of my favorite cakes! It has a nice, light sweet beet flavor and is super moist. It doesn't even need frosting!

Beet cake

1 package pre cooked beets or 1 large beet, cooked and peeled

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 almond meal

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 salt

2/3 C brown sugar

1/2 C almond milk

1/3 C almond oil 

Purée the beets with a little water. Not too much though! It shouldn't be watered down. You want a nice purée.

Add that to bowl and combine the rest of the ingredients. I start with the flour first. Mix together well. 

Add batter to either a lightly greased cake pan or a parchment lined cake pan.

Bake on 375' for 20 minutes. 

I made chocolate pudding to go with it... Mostly because my husband is crazy about chocolate pudding. Odd mix, I know, but it did taste wonderful together. 

Weekend Adventure!

Happy Monday y'all! Nothing like starting the week after having an awesome weekend. Makes you feel a little bit better about going to work. You're happier, a little more energized and your mind is at ease. This weekend was so wonderful for me! My husband and I took a day trip to Warwick, NY to check out their farmer's market and annual Duck Derby. 

We started with the market where we bought a few goodies like mushrooms and apples. So delicious! From there we walked through town stopping in the antique stores and gift shops. 

By then it was time for the annual Duck Derby where you purchase a little rubber duck to enter a race to raise money for various non profit organizations. At 1:30 all the ducks are sent swimming down the canal and the winner gets a prize! It was an adorable event!

Finally we made our way across the abandoned train tracks which hugs the side of a beautiful little court yard, to a vegan cafe and market called Conscious Fork. We bought a banana blueberry smoothie and an awesome French style cashew cheese for dinner. 

On the way home we stopped to play a round of mini golf. We're a little obsessed with this game so yesterday was the first of many games to be played this summer!

We ended the day with a bread and "cheese" dinner. Olives, tomato and basil with balsamic, a crusty baguette and our awesome cashew cheese washed down with a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. 

    

I love Sunday adventures! <3

Cauliflower Alfredo

My bestie asked for this one! It took some time to perfect it, but it's finally ready to share. 

1 small head cauliflower

2 T cornstarch

2 T Earth Bound

1 C cashews, blended to paste

1/2 box low sodium veggie stock

3 t salt

1 t pepper

5 sage leaves, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 C soy creamer 

1 T sugar

1/3 nutritional yeast 

Start by roasting the head of cauliflower in the oven on 400 for about 20 minutes or until it gets soft and turns a nice golden brown.

Cut the cauliflower into pieces and put in a blender with about a cup of veggie stock. Blend until completely puréed. Set aside. 

You also need to purée the cashews to make a paste. Blend those with a little water until you have a thick consistency. You don't want it watery.

In an extra large skillet, start sautéing the garlic with a little butter. When the garlic is just slightly golden add the puréed cauliflower. Spread the purée evenly throughout the skillet. Add cashew paste, butter, the rest of the veggie stock (you already used half a cup), salt and pepper, soy creamer, sugar and nutritional yeast.

Mix together and let simmer. Add the cornstarch and let the sauce thicken. At this point, start tasteing it. You will stil taste cauliflower! Remember, this is cauliflower alfredo, it's not supposed to taste like a regular dairy alfredo. You can add more salt and pepper if needed.

I also sautéed some baby broccoli with some extra sage and olive oil. It was amazing thrown on top of the pasta.

Spring vegetables

Baby heirloom tomatoes! So lovely and they taste amazing!

Found these beauties at the health food store and wanted to share the beauty of nature with you :) 

I love vegetables!

Black bean and quinoa burgers

A friend of ours asked me how to make black bean burgers which is perfect timing because summer is right around the corner!

Black bean quinoa burgers 

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 C cooked quinoa

1/2 C almond meal ( can sub whole wheat flour, but I think a "meal" like bran or almond would be best)

1/2 t tumeric

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 t cumin

1/2 jalapeño, diced

1/2 red onion, sautéed 

Start by sautéing the onions until they're tender and get a nice light brown. Add quinoa and black beans to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash the beans up a bit. I like them still chunky. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix like you would a dough. Turn your oven to 375' and line a baking sheet with parchment. 

Take palm size balls of the mix and flatten  to a burger shape. Place on baking sheet and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on each side. They'll brown a bit and become more solid. 

Mango salsa

1 large, ripe mango

1/2 jalapeño, diced into tiny pieces 

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 lime 

Salt, to taste

1 C cherry tomatoes cut into halves or 1 large tomato diced

This ones easy. Just mix!

Guacamole

1 large avocado

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 lime

This guac isn't supposed to be too salty or crazy with ingredients. I just wanted a creamy topping. Just mash the avocado and mix with the onion and lime. You don't have to add the extra onion.