Ode to Trader Joe's

I am totes excited because this month marks my 1 year Trader Joe's anniversary. No, I don't work for Trader Joe's but this time last year was the first time I ventured through the doors of this wonderful food mecca. *Enter Dream Sequence* It all started last December when I went to St Louis to surprise my cousin Christy for her dirty 30. Since it was the weekend of Christmas Eve and I still had a butt ton of shopping to do, my Aunt took me shopping. (she is my favorite Aunt by the way) I love going to St Louis mainly because you can buy WINE in the grocery and I even discovered that you could buy it in Target!!! Catch up Tennessee catch up. After the Target run she said "let's go to Trader Joe's" of course I had no clue what that was but I said ok. I was not a vegan at the time but I'm pretty sure when I walked through the doors I squealed a little bit. I was so excited. There were so many fresh fruits and veggies, the staff was super friendly and laid back plus the food is so affordable. The icing on the cake is they have a whole wine section. I was in love and love is a four letter word in my book. This was a magical place.

After that one magical trip I was hooked on Trader Joe's. Every month I try to get out of Memphis just to recharge and if there is a Trader Joe's in the city Cassi Is there! So just about every month, this year  I have been to TJ's. Yes, in the past 12 months I have grocery shopped at a TJ's and the isn't one in my city, don't judge me.  It has gotten to the point to where I plan my trips around them so I can do my grocery shopping. My staples are the Mock orange Chicken, a bag of Kale, TJ's mock meatballs and the TJ's vegan cheese shreds and I always attempt to pick up one TJ's exclusive item.

Sadly I have never met a TJ's brand item I didn't fall in love with. Charles Shaw wine melts my heart, I will buy the good stuff for parties and hoard my 2 buck Chuck, the TJ's vegan mozzarella cheese shreds are so close to the real thing that I get pissed when I run out and have to turn to Dayia and my brand new heart throb Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl. (Insert swoon here.) Bianca turned me on to it during our Vegfest Atlanta trip, where we went to not one but two TJ's. (we are gangster like that) I had no clue what to do with the madness and Bianca said you eat it with a spoon. My response I'm not eating it with a fucking spoon that's gross". (excuse my language) It looked like peanut butter with a chocolate swirl in it. Needless to say it stay in my pantry for 2 weeks before I cracked it open. Oh but when I did open it, I tried it on a spoon as suggested and I tell you what! I sent Bianca a text that said "I never need to have to have sex again" It was just that good! (Sorry Aunt Ann, I know you are reading this) Needless to say I wasn't going to continue to eat this with a spoon, its has 90 calories per serving. So I my next option is to cook with it. I attempted to sub it for chocolate chips in a cookie recipes but vegan baking is hard and my cookies came out more cakey that cookie but they still tasted awesome!!

Fast forward to December, my beloved cookie butter is running low and I had to find more. I called TJ's they don't ship, Amazon has it but its 8 bucks a jar. I was DOOMED no cookie butter until after the winter weather broke or my friend Josh came home for Christmas. Think Cassi Think! I called my Aunt in St. Louis. As I was leaving a voicemail  she picked up and I made my request. Her response to me you are lucky I love you. Success! My Aunt went to TJ's and nabbed 3 jars of cookie butter but not before sending me a text to make sure it wasn't butter. She supports me in my veganism. My Aunt is AWESOME and not because she ships me cookie butter. Two days later I cookie butter was on my door steps and I almost peed myself with excitement. Opening the box I was like a kid a Christmas, she even shipped it in a shoe box!! Sadly one of my little soldiers did not make the journey I was crushed but two full jars plus half jar in the pantry should hold me until Christmas. (Josh for Christmas I need Cookie butter and Vegan cheese please and thank you.)

I am trying to find a way to conclude this post but today I am drawing a blank plus I have to prep myself to bake 13 dozen cookies for my Cookie Club tomorrow. So if you haven't tried Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl PLEASE do and save me from eating it by the spoon and send me recipes. Please my waistline thanks you.

Veganize This!

  I love when I see non vegan recipes on Facebook, why you ask because it gives me the chance to veganize it and show my Facebook friends that I can eat the same things they do, with a few modifactions of course. A few weeks ago my friend Misti posted a recipe of Spahetti Squash Lasagna Boats on Facebook and my comment was "Now you know I have to veganize this!" Sunday I went to find the recipe on her wall and it was nowhere to be found but never fear she found it and posted it to my wall. A lot of recipes on facebook are Pinterest posts and what not but this recipe comes from Gina Homolka, the creater of the website Skinny Tastes. She takes recipes that she finds and makes them Weight Watcher's friendly. She even has a section of Meatless Monday dishes!!!

  This recipe is pretty easy to veganize. All I had to do was sub the sausage for Tofurky and the cheese with Dayia. When I made the dish I use my trusty Tofu as ricotta mixture but after having it on the dish I decided it was better without it. See also I've never had Spaghetti Squash before because I don't like regular Squash but Spaghetti Squash has won me over. I love it because it is crunchy instead of mushy. I can't wait to try this veggie in different recipes. This dish is a little time consuming so plan ahead before making it or just use the microwave like I did. I never use my microwave to cook things but today I gave it a go because I was pressed for time. I.E. Keithon was hungry. ( We only use the microwave to defrost things. I'm surpised the damn thing still works, its almost 8 years old and cover in rhinestones) I also included a link to the Omni Version just so you can see the orginal and check out her other recipes.

Spaghetti Squash Sausage Lasagna Boats

Ingredients:

2 medium spaghetti squash
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1 tbsp chopped parsley (or basil)
3/4 cup Dayia mozzarella cheese

For the sauce:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tofurky Italian sausage (chopped into small pieces)
14 oz (1/2 can) crushed tomatoes
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 Bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membrane. Season lightly with salt and black pepper; bake about 1 hour, or longer if needed on a baking sheet, cut side down. 
If you prefer the microwave, cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and fibers and place on a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave 8-9 minutes or until soft.

In a large deep sauté pan, heat oil and add onions and garlic; sauté on medium-low for about 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces until browned and cooked through. When cooked, add the crushed tomatoes and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf and cover, reducing heat to low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, then add in fresh basil at the very end.

When spaghetti squash is cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes keeping the oven on. If you microwaved this, preheat the oven to 400°F.When the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove flesh, which will come out in spaghetti looking strands reserving the shells. Drain the squash on a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid, then toss with half of the sauce. Place the spaghetti squash back into the 4 shells and place on a baking sheet.

Top each with remaining sauce and 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until everything is hot and the cheese is melted.

  Keithon and I loved this dish. We almost had a Royal Rumble over the last one. Yes, I will fight my 10 year old over the last serving of food. Its how we roll. The brawl was averted we split the last one in half and lives were spared. I paired the boat with Garlicy Kale from Whole Foods deli which is my second favorite version of Kale. I would have made it myself but my food processor is broken and I have yet to replace it. So if you have avoided Spaghetti Squash like I have PLEASE try it. It is so different from normal squash and soooo good.

Vegan Staple Stew for me and you

Qubo, a children's cartoon network  on antenna tv, sometimes after the cartoon is over they have a short called Vitaminix and it tells children what foods contain what vitamins. I love it mainly because children need to know these things and they include even include vegan options! Sunday morning while watching Jacob Two-Two (yes I still watch cartoons, on purpose might I add) Vitaminix (check out the shorts in the link) came on and today's vitamin was D. I watched the whole thing waiting for the vegan options and there weren't any! I was a little upset then I started to freak out. I haven't been taking my multivitamin like I should and nor has Keithon so I was starting to freak thinking  that I was depriving my growing child of the nutrients that he needed. So I took to the internet to see how we could get it. Here is what I found out about Vitamin D for vegans.

From the Vegatarian Resouce Group.
Is Vitamin D a Special Concern for Vegans
"A vegan diet can be planned to provide adequate amounts of vitamin D through use of fortified foods like fortified soymilk. Any person, whether vegan or not, who does not include good sources of vitamin D in his or her diet or take vitamin D supplements can be at risk for not getting adequate vitamin D, especially if sunlight exposure is limited. Some studies have found that vegans have lower vitamin D intakes than do lactoovo vegetarians or meat-eaters. This may be because cow's milk (a source of vitamin D) is a more common part of the daily menu for non-vegans than vitamin D fortified foods are for vegans.

What Happens If Someone Doesn't Get Enough Vitamin D?

A vitamin D deficiency leads to nutritional rickets, a condition that causes weak and deformed bones in babies and children. Symptoms can include a delay in learning to walk, low height-for-age, and bowing of the legs and arms. Rickets rarely occurs in the U.S., but a recent outbreak of cases has raised concerns that children are not getting enough vitamin D.

In adults, not getting enough vitamin D can increase risk of osteoporosis and other diseases"

So I took to the web to find sources of Vegan Vitamin D because normally it comes from Dairy and we can't have that. I stumbled upon a Raw Vegan Blog and it gave his Top 4 sources. These are his top ways to get Vitman D as a vegan.
1. The Sun
2. Mushrooms
3. Full Spectrum Broad Spectrum or Blue Light Therapy
4. Supplements

Now the top way to naturally get in vitiman D is being
exposed to the sun on your arms for 5-15 minutes a day but in the winter that is hard to do and with it being so cold outside lately, I decided to make what I call a Vegan Staple Stew consisting of all the foods that are "type cast" as vegan foods. I think everyone should include these in there diet vegan or not. Since I may have some omni readers I've included a summary of what these foods are as well at the awesomeness that they include, health wise that is. So much better for you than something that had a mama.

Quinoa's protein content per 100 calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet, but is less than wild rice and oats. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

Chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle EastChickpeas are an excellent source of the essential nutrients, iron, folate, phosphorus, protein and dietary fiber (USDA nutrient table). Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contain 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fiber and 8.9 grams of protein. Chickpeas also provide several essential nutrients in moderate amounts of 10-19% of the Daily Value

Kale is a vegetable with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium. Kale is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming, microwaving, or stir frying do not result in significant loss. Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.

Nutritional yeast  or Nooch as we vegans call it, is a deactivated yeast, often a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is sold commercially as a food product. It is sold in the form of flakes or as a yellow powder and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores. It is popular with vegans and vegetarians and may be used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment.
It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. Sometimes nutritional yeast is fortified with vitamin B12.

Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of cheese.

Since it was still cold as sin outside, Keithon and I needed something hot, filing and full of Vitamin D to eat after his swim practice. So I whipped up what I call Vegan Staple Stew. I only came up with the name as I was chopping veggies and he asked what I was making. He said ok and walked away.

Vegan Staple Stew
Ingredients:
•7-8 cups of vegetable broth
•1 cup carrots
•3 cups mushrooms chopped
•1 cup squash chopped
•1 small can of tomato paste
•1 cup zucchini chopped
•3 cups chopped mushrooms
•3/4 cup quinoa, drained and rinsed
•1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•2 bay leaves
•Sea salt, to taste

Directions: In a large soup pot, add vegetable bouillon and water. Bring to a boil and stir until dissolved. Add in all ingredients and seasonings and stir well. Bring to a boil again and then simmer on low, stirring occasionally. Cook vegetables until tender for approx. 30 minutes. Add sea salt to taste. Serves 6-7.

Thankfully my vegan freak out was averted because in almost every meal I include mushrooms because of the meaty texture. It is good to know I was unknowingly getting in much needed Vitamin D! 

Imagine Vegan Cafe

People think that living in Memphis and being vegan means you have to cook all the time and there aren't any proper sit down restaurants.  Memphis may not be one of the most advanced vegan cities but we do have a few good vegan restaurants to choose from that are in different parts of the city so you don't have to travel far for good vegan fare. Since I live in the midtown/crosstown area I try not to leave the area to dine and why should I have to when there is Imagine Vegan Cafe in the Cooper Young district.
 
  Imagine was the FIRST full service vegan restaurant in Memphis and in keeping with Southern tradition they offer classic VEGAN southern staples. Everything from mashed potatoes and gravy to fried "chicken". They also have specialty desserts by my "sugar pusher" Stephanie Roy of Swell Baked Goods. The 1st time I dined at Imagine I was not vegan and went because my friend Heather suggested it. I still remember my 1st meal it was a side salad and chilli. Of course Keithon went with me and I THINK he ordered the chilli cheese dog. I didn't tell him it was vegan or even what vegan meant until after the first bite because I wanted him to have an open mind and just enjoy the food. Well it worked and that was almost 3 years ago and things at Imagine have changed......for the better! By better I mean the changed locations, they are still in Cooper Young just down the street in a cute little house that has been converted into a restaurant plus they are now open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner! Before they were closed on Monday and Tues because the owners, Adam and Kristie where the only ones working the restaurant but now thanks to the move they were able to hire help and take some well deserved time off to spend with their family.

The other reason I adore Imagine aside from it being vegan is it is a family owned business and when I say family owned at anytime you will find Kristie and Adam's three girls running around or even helping deliver food. Savannah (the oldest) is now starting to take order while Serria and Maddie may join you at your table just to tell you about their day and ask about yours. They are the most adorable little people, after Keithon of course. Once you walk into Imagine you are family.

  Friday was suppose to be this epic ice storm, schools were closed and businesses were closing early, if they even opened. (It didn't get that bad in my area but it was still cold as sin) I was required to go to work but we shut down at 2:30 so on the careful drive home, because of the sleet, I informed Keithon we can stop and get something to eat and after that we are not leaving the house. He decided on Imagine so off we went. 

  Lately Keithon has ordered the same thing the hot wings, that is the one omni food he misses most and because he loves the house made Ranch dressing. ( Kristie gave me recipe but I'm not telling!) Normally the Hot Wing appetizer comes with 5 "chicken" nuggets dipped in hot wing sauce and served with a side of veggies and ranch dressing but today Kristie gave Keithon two sides of black beans and rice. Score! Extra protein! My meal is not on the menu. Yeah I'm that type of person. My favorite non menu dish is the Taco Rita minus the Rita add tortilla chips. Normally the Taco Rita is a burrito with a "meat sauce" refried beans, tomatoes and "cheese" sauce. I just leave off the tortilla shell add tortilla chips,  jalapenos, guacamole and "sour cream" and BAM nachos! They do have a dish called Tony's Nachos  but they are not diva enough for me. Its consists of chips, lettuce, "meat", "cheese sauce" and jalapenos. The serving are huge I ended up eating this dish again for breakfast on Saturday. It still tastes awesome the next day. I decided against dessert but Keithon will never pass up a chance to eat Ms. Stephanie's desserts so he slowly slide an oatmeal raisin cookie whoopie pie his way. He also ate it before we got home but oh well.

  Anytime I have special occasion baking I call Stephanie she did my divorce cake, my birthday cake for my 31st birthday, DIY cupcakes and cinnamon rolls for my 32nd birthday. She is also in my Cookie Club. Stephanie is awesome at what she does so go check out her site or just go to Imagine have a meal and grab dessert.

Even if you are not vegan Imagine is a great place to go if you want to have a meat free Monday or just support a local small business. Trust me you won't be disappointed. I have yet to leave unhappy. (While I was going through foursquare pics to get a picture of the new Imagine, I found the picture I took of my 1st meal at Imagine!)

Vegan Chocolate Casting

When it comes to candy, I become the biggest kid in the world plus who doesn't love sugar. Chocolate is my favorite type of sugar. I only know one person who doesn't like sugar, my friend Greg. His dislike for sugary goodness is just the beginning of his weirdness but we still hang out with him, he's a pretty cool guy. I am the type that can not keep junk food in the house because I will eat it ALL.

   My second love after sugar is crafting. Yes I am the type that would rather stay home and make something than hang out in a bar. So when Five in One had Chocolate Casting on the calendar I was all in! In this craft we would make our own molds to cast the chocolate in. I was super excited! I only gave a brief summary of what Five in One Social Club or VINI  is so here is their answer

"What is VINI, what is Five in One, what is Made in Memphis, and whats the difference?

Five in One and VINI are the same entity - think roman numerals - V-IN-I.  We use the names interchangeably. Made in Memphis is the product line that we make at VINI.  Alice is called alicat and Michael goes by Miguelito Equis.

Vini is a living art studio that seeks to expand the understanding and appreciation of art by engaging the public in the collaborative and creative processes involved with making it. The free exchange of ideas, perceptions and perspectives are designed to enhance the vision of both local and visiting national artists to extend the realm of what is possible, while allowing the public to experience the creative process like never before and hopefully to walk away from the experience enriched, inspired and engaged."

Their tag line is Five in One Social Club kindergarten for adults. I love that there is a group of 20, 30 and 40 somethings that can get together and just have fun. Of course Bianca and I go to Social Club together. ( I may or may not have been late. I was getting my hair done.) While we were making our chocolate Bianca asked Alice where they come up with the ideas for Social Club and she said that she gets a few of the ideas from the internet and other ideas come for the things people bring to the clubhouse.

  Now to make the our molds I had to come up with a drawing. Crap. I am the world's worst artist. My idea was to make a book, easy enough right. Wrong! I had to call Micheal AND Alice over to help me. Once the picture was "drawn" I cut it out, traced it onto foam board three times and cut it out. Next I used rubber cement to bind the 3 pieces together. If you were feeling fancy you could use textured foam to give the mold added dimensions. Yeah, Cassi is not that fancy. I was happy to get my pattern cut out and look similar to its real life counter part. In the end I settled on my three favorite items in life. A high heel, a book and of course a wine glass! Keithon saw my struggles and stuck with a simple K. After was bonded together the first part of the fun started. Micheal MADE a vacuum suction contraption using and old vanity mirror frame, two electric heating coils and a wet dry vac. Yes, I said a wet dry vac. If nothing else that Micheal is handy! Micheal placed the foam cut outs on the part with vent holes will the plastic was placed on the side with the heating coils to warm it up. Then he flipped the warm plastic over the foam and turned on the vacuum! The vacuum pulled the warmed plastic over the foam to making the depth for the mold. It was awesome! The next step and the most important part the chocolate! Now I know regular chocolate contains milk but when your name is Cassi you know where to look to find vegan melting chocolate. Earlier in the week I called one of our local baking supply stores Mary Carter's and of course they had dark chocolate. So I picked up two 1 pound bags for Bianca and I so we could play as well. Alice had all types of goodness for use as mix-ins and a few store brought molds. (Of course I choose the mustaches.) We could choose from peppermint, rice cereal, coconut, and nuts.  Normally once you cast the chocolate you place it in the fridge to set but not today. It has been in the 20's for the past two days so we just put our mold outside to set. 

Five in One is an awesome place and I am so glad we now have a place in Memphis to go and just have fun. So go and get your craft on and support a small local business.

WARNING: EXTREME JUNK FOOD POST

Sadly I am an emotional eater, so when I get upset I turn to food that make me happy or bring back good memories and Wednesday I had a super emotional day so I decided to bake! Cupcakes would not do so I turned to Mama Crunk's (Bianca's Mom) Dump Cake from Thanksgiving. Mainly because Thanksgiving was the most recent time I was happy and that cake was awesome.

I looked up the recipe and it seemed easy enough. You seriously just dump everything in the pan and bake. I used my cupcake pan because cake goes to waste in my house. Its just Keithon and I so we can't eat it fast enough and I end up throwing it out, plus cupcakes are portion control. You know exactly how much you are getting. When I was layering the cherry madness I made a uggh sound and Keithon said "Mom are you doing that because its not fresh fruit?" Pretty much even my child know we don't use canned goods but tonight we were eating BAD!

Ingredients:
•1 (20 ounces) can crushed pineapple, undrained
•1 (21 ounces) can prepared more fruit cherry pie filling
•1 (18.25 ounces) box yellow cake mix
•2 sticks (1 cup or 16 Tablespoons) of  vegan butter or margarine, each cut into 12 slices
•1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, etc., your choice)
•1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for glass baking dish). Have a 9 by 13-inch baking pan ready or you can use a cupcake pan like I did, make sure you use cupcake liners.

Dump undrained pineapple baking dish or pan and spread it out evenly. (if using a cupcake pan I put a teaspoon of cake mix on the bottom to prevent the cupcake liners from burning.)

Using a spoon, dump globs of cherry pie filling evenly on top of the pineapple. (use a tablespoon of cherry and pineapple filing.)

Sprinkle coconut over top.

Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the cherry and pineapple layers.

Cut butter into slices with a butter knife and place slices evenly over cake mix. (if using the cupcake pan cut each slice in half)

Sprinkle nuts on top if you're using them.

Bake for one hour but if you are using a cupcake pan bake for about 30-45 minutes.

It is the ugliest and unhealthy dish you will ever make but I tell you what it tastes good. As long as you aren't eating Dump Cake every night go ahead and bake one up. After eating two I remembered that I didn't have dinner first. Oh well they are just that good!

Vegan in the South

For those of you that don't know I hail from the muddy banks of the mighty Mississippi, Memphis is home of the  blues, barbecue and of course Elvis. I love my city and will dare anyone to speak negatively about it without hardcore facts. Yes I've lived other places and I travel quite a bit but Memphis will always be home. Like Brad Paisley's song its my Southern Comfort Zone but sadly traditional southern fare is my least favorite types of food. Mainly because its not pretty. I like bright colors when I eat, it makes me happy.

  A few weeks ago my friend Aisha suggest a cookbook, Wild Woman in the Kitchen. I knew going in that this would not be a vegan cookbook but she told me it contained stories about the dishes and how they came to be so I said why not and purchased it online.  It is a pretty good cookbook and there are some veg friendly recipes as well as some that can easily be veganized.  While I was flipping the pages I ran across a story about Elvis. I am not an Elvis but it was story about my hometown so of course I read it.  The story is titled Love me Crunchy, Love me Do. It is the story of how poor Priscilla couldn't cook but she wanted to show off at a dinner party and make Elvis's favorite dish lasagna. So she brought the dish to the table, cut into it and noticed it was a bit crunchy but she served it anyway, she thought her knife was dull. She told everyone to eat and when they did there was a collective CRUNCH! She didn't boil the pasta so it was still raw! Poor little tink tink.  Elvis started laughing but when he saw that she was about to cry he said screw it and started to eat and since he was the king the other guests followed suit. I have made a few mistakes in the kitchen so I understood her pain. I even made a mistake making this lasagna. Don't worry I cooked my pasta lol.

Here is the recipe for Ricotta, Tomato and Spinach Noodle Lasagna (I'm not printing it because I don't have permission but no one said anything about links)

  Now my mistake was I didn't completely read the recipe ingredients and purchased regular noodles instead of spinach noodles oopps. Never fear I found a fix! I remembered I still had Spinach and Herb dip mix from Tastefully Simple, so I sprinkled that over each layer of noodles. I said I had a fix, I never claimed it was the best fix.  Of course i didn't use ricotta, the closest thing to ricotta is TOFU! I used the same ounces of extra firm tofu mixed with sea salt and nooch. BAM! Vegan ricotta! Now the tomato sauce made me a bit nervous because I was told to take a can of crushed tomatoes and simmer them in a sauce pan with olive oil and clove of saute garlic for 20 minutes. I was pretty sure this sauce would taste like crap and I would have to add all types of madness to it. Nope wrong, I am in love with this sauce! Its simple and it tastes awesome! I will use this for the base of all my pasta from now on.

  The basil in the dish made my house smell so homey, I loved it! After about 45 minutes I pulled it out the oven and it smelled even better than it did cooking! This lasagna isn't as saucey as normal ones but I liked that, less food for me to wear. I never knew basil and tofu went so well together. My dinner consisted of two servings and I never get seconds on dinner but this dish is that good. (I count my calories) We paired it with Keithon's kale and avocado salad.

Priscilla may have forgotten the most important step but she had the basics down. Who would have thought I would eat like the king, if he was vegan that is.  

Everyone has a past life, if you ask me

  I am convinced in my past life I was a Asian drag queen. I love all things Asian from the food, clothing, and culture. I own more chopsticks than forks. I can whip up more than a few Asian dishes but can't make a soul food dish to save my life.  So Friday during my grocery adventure my asian life came out in full force. Its not abnormal for me to venture to the Asian market in my neighborhood. The Viet Hoa is like my second home but Friday I couldn't tell you what in the blue hell I went in for but I came out with more than a few new things. It may be the fact that the entire market has undergone a makeover and since I had time to burn I was able to roam the new lay out.

  When I got to the register I walked out with a smaller ramen bowl, a Chow Mein kit, tapioca pearls, water chestnuts and baby corn. Plus my normal list staples of bean sprouts, tomatoes, avocado, napa cabbage and a pineapple. Now my mission was to make bubble tea and Chow Mein. The Chow Mein wouldn't be a problem but the bubble tea was a different story. I've had bubble tea in the past but never attempted it at home. Now was my chance! I googled a few recipes but they all contained condensed milk. Vom. So after jumping from site to site I figured out the basics on what I needed to do to make it vegan. So last night I went to work.

  Like I said the Chow Mein was not a problem. The kit was like making a giant vat of ramen. The only two differences were I had to drain the water and mix the seasoning pack with water and soy sauce before adding it to the noddles. I stir fried some napa cabbage, broccoli, water chestnuts, baby corn, bean sprouts and mushrooms and of course I added crushed red pepper. ( I need my spice)

  Like I said I've never tackled bubble tea but what makes it bubble tea or Boba Tea are the tapioca pearls. So I couldn't screw that part up. The directions seemed simple enough boil the water, SLOWLY add the pearls, stir softly, cover reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. This was the most nerve racking process, I was terrified that I would screw it up and they would explode or something. For the tea part I decided to go the fruit route. I added two cups of vanilla soy milk, the whole pineapple plus two cups of ice to the blender and let the good times roll! After tasting I added a teaspoon of sugar, just for good measure. Since Keithon was home I had to share so I added pearls to his cup and to my birthday glass and SLOWLY poured the smoothie mixture over the pearls. Bubble Tea Success! I even had the correct straws to use. The Viet Hoa didn't carry them so I had to venture to Great China Food Market on Summer Ave. It isn't much of a market but they have all the cooking knick knacks I need. They even have porcelain sake cups for a buck! I have to go back!

As I am posting Keithon has requested more bubble tea so back to the kitchen I go. Plus I want more too. I may not have made the perfect bubble tea but by George I tackled it!

Small Business Saturday and VINI

  I did not participate in any of the Black Friday sales but I always take part in Small Business Saturday and this year was no exception. This year I took it a step further and didn't go to any big businesses. Of course to go shopping I needed a partner in crime so I called Nicole. Before shopping I needed to have a come to Jesus meeting and Nicole is good for that, so went for coffee.

Afterwards it was time to shop! I suggested we head downtown to A. Schwab, my grandma would take me there when I was little. A. Schwab opened in 1876 selling dry goods and what nots, plus there is only one location so it doesn't get any more small business than that. Here is a little info from their website.

*In 1876, Jewish immigrant Abraham Schwab opened a store on Beale Street. Over its 136-year history, A. Schwab has become a Memphis institution, beloved by many generations. A. Schwab is the only original business remaining on Beale Street.

The owners are dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of the store and telling the story of the street and region through historic artifacts and relevant merchandise. An authentic mercantile experience still greets visitors from around the world. Children of all ages enjoy an assortment of old-fashioned delights.*

  Its been awhile since I've been and a few chances have taken place. First Schwab's has changed owners but that's a good thing because the store was in danger of closing something I didn't know. The new owners have made a few additions to the store, we discovered there is now a ice cream and soda fountain with a soda jerk behind the counter! It was like walking back into the 50's. The menu is on a chalkboard, there are glass containers for the ice cream and they even make their own sodas. Sadly there aren't any vegan items on the food menu BUT they do have sorbet! So Nicole and I sampled the blueberry it was awesome and locally made. I will return for more.

  Once we got back to the shopping, we found tons of cool things but sadly I can't post any because they are Christmas gifts and that would ruin the surprise. We did stumble on one knick knack that was ingenious. It is a notebook where the pages are napkins! It's the perfect idea, who hasn't written on a napkin? Plus sometimes the best ideas are ones written on a napkin. Now the upstairs has changed a bit too but the scale that will give you your weight and fortune for a penny was still there. Of course we used it, after take of a few layers (yes I stripped off my sweatshirt, shoes and purse in the store) I am happy to report that I am down 38 pounds since January! Whoop whoop!!

A. Schwab is a 3 story building and the 3 floor use to be a museum but now its a mojo shop. This really excited me but sadly the lady that has all the mojo knowledge was on vacation so I picked a few things on my own just to get me started.

  Next stop on our small business Saturday adventure was Nicole's suggestion of a wig shop on S. Third St. Its always fun to go and look at wigs. Of course we were just window shopping but i'm sure we will return because I do have my eye on one wig but that too is a surprise. Stay tuned for the unveiling but check out the hat I brought and of course bedazzled. Yes I own a bedazzler and I bedazzle anything I get my hands on. 

  I have a lot of creative energy so my favorite place to go on Saturdays is Five in One on Broad Ave. It is kindergarten for grown ups! VINI is owned by the husband and wife power duo Alice and Micheal. Along with being a crafting shop they are sale items by local artists as well as screen printed shirts, hats and posters. All the apparel is Memphis themed, created and made by in house by Michael and Alice. If you are in Memphis go check it out!

This Saturday in the clubhouse the project was wine bottle glasses. What's that you ask its where we took empty wine bottles and turned them into drinking glasses! I had plenty of empty wine bottles so I was prepared for this craft. The great thing about VINI crafts is that there are simple enough to be done at home.  After soaking our wine bottles to remove the labels Bianca and I were ready to get to work. (Nicole and I parted ways) The process is super simple, once the labels were removed we had to score the bottles using the a glass cutter box Micheal made. Once that was done Micheal alternates pouring hot and cold water over the score line to break the bottle. If the scoring is done correctly you end up with a perfect glass cup after you sand down the rim of course. This craft was the coolest one i've done so far! Don't worry if you missed the craft on Saturday they always repeat it again on Monday nights. So check out their calender!

  While waiting for the bottle breaking line, Bianca discovered the coolest jackets. There were only two left, a size small for her and a medium for me so we had to nab them. Plus on the back they said Crosstown which just happens to be our hood! The final selling point they are trimmed in pink!! This jacket screamed bedazzle me!  Of course I offered to bedazzle Bianca's but she said she would pass. (She's not the shinny sparkly type) Since we now have our jackets we will refer to ourselves as the Crosstown Mafia because we are tough like that.

So if you haven't been to A. Schwab or Five in One go check them out. They are just two of the local businesses that make Memphis Memphis!