Holy Crap, Cass made lasagna!!

The most common reservation people have about taking on a vegetarian or vegan diet is that they won't be able to et the foods they love. The vegetarian diet was easy for me but I had the same fears about a vegan diet as everyone else. I thought it was impossible or that I would only ever be able to eat tofu and vegetables, while tofu and veggies can be awesome this happily isn't the case.

Luckily in recent years plant based substitutes have become more and more common. There isn't an ingredient I've been able to think of that I haven't been able to find. This means it's possible to create a delicious vegan version of just about any food you love. Recently I decided to try my hand at lasagna and it turned out wonderfully.

If you're looking for a pre-packaged box lasagna I'm afraid that, at least for now, you're out of luck. However this recipe wasn't difficult and was well worth the effort. I read several recipes and then took what sounded good to me, modified it and ended up with this. Feel free to modify with whatever veggies, spices, etc.

Ingredients

One package of oven ready lasagna noodles
One package sliced mushrooms
Two jars marinara sauce
One package extra firm tofu
One large package spinach
A clove or two of garlic
Whatever else you think sounds good (I may add some faux sausage next time)

First take a package of mushrooms and throw them in a pan, I lightly sautéed them. Then add two jars of your favorite marinara. We use Newmans Own, they donate all profits to charity.

While that's heating up gear up your food processor or knives and ninja skills. Drain as much water as possible from a package of extra firm tofu. I like to poke just a tiny hole in the plastic and hulk smash it until no more water comes out. Since we're blending the tofu it doesn't need to be pretty. Add a large package of spinach and blend until smooth. Add salt, garlic, onions etc to taste. This mixture takes the place the ricotta and is quite delicious.

Lay down some of your sauce followed by a layer lasagna noodles, I used oven ready because... Well, that's what we had. Smooth over half of your blended mix on the noodles and add more sauce. Then noodles, the rest of the mix, then sauce. Top with more noodles and use whatever sauce you have left.

Place in the oven at 400 for half an hour. Remove the lasagna and cover it with as much mozzarella Daiya non dairy cheese as your taste buds can handle and bake it for another half hour.

Then serve it up and eat. Keep the dish nearby, you're coming back for more.

Cheers.

Vegan Soft Serve?!?

We tried for the first time today, vegan soft serve. It has literally been years since I have gotten to experience the awesomeness of soft serve and it was Brody's first experience. Cakewalk does amazing things with their time and I appreciate everything they do! They make being a vegan easier when it comes to the sweet stuff.

Vegan Family Easter Egg Hunt and Pot Luck

     We were so excited when we heard about Kelly Green (owner of Cakewalk Vegan Bakery in Salt Lake City, UT) putting together an event for Vegan Families to gather together, share delicious food and the children could participate in an egg hunt.
I love attending events where everyone is vegan, for the sheer fact you don't have to bring a complete meal of your own, track down the person who brought a certain food and ask what the ingredients are, or sort through the candy your child received and hope they don't cry as you throw out the non-vegan candies (Broderyck is, even at age 2, understanding that we have to look at treats and make a vegan and a not vegan pile.)
     I liked the fact that they let the little kids go first, this was Brody's first egg hunt so he was a little slow and wanted to open every egg as he found them. But he still found 9 eggs which he was very proud of!
     It was probably the best potluck turnout we've ever seen, we go to Vegan Drinks often and that seems to be popular but it was nice to see everyone with their families and to know there are other kids who Brody can relate to. Sometimes it feels like its a lonely battle, and a lot of people try to bring you down and say that one person doesn't really make a difference but that whole group of us today, all those kids, brings hope and reassurance to the ideal.
     Kelly stated that they also do a Halloween event which is another one of those holidays that would just be easier with other vegans.

March Vegan Cuts Box!!!

Reviews of individual items to come! I'm super excited to try all these amazing products!!

Slice of Vegas: Mandalay Bay

     Rule we learned, ALWAYS ask if there is a vegan menu. There was only one vegan pizza on the menu and when we asked for the separate menu we had a whole sheet of options. Including wings, salads, chocolate cake, subs, and many different kinds of pizza.

We chose medium wings, and a meatball pizza!

Ronald's Doughnuts: Las Vegas

     There is one thing that there aren't enough of, and that is vegan doughnuts. Especially ones that taste as good as the ones from Ronald's in Las Vegas. Not all their doughnuts are vegan but 2/3 of their case is, which was great for us.

    It's off the strip, in Chinatown, where all the buildings are adorable I might add.

     We got a half dozen, plus a half dozen doughnut holes...which seems like a lot until you taste them. We ate the doughnut holes before we even left the parking lot. And downed a doughnut each by New York New York.
     We even had to go back before our trip home and get 3 dozen doughnut holes (which are only $1 for a dozen!!)

Society Cafe: Encore, Las Vegas

Upon arriving in Vegas we knew that we wanted to try some amazing vegan food, we had recently learned that the owner of the Wynn/Encore had gone vegan and now required vegan options in EVERY restaurant in his hotels, this was very exciting news.

We tried the society cafe our first night in town, the service was immaculate. Great manners and a wonderful atmosphere, one of the fanciest restaurants we've been to. (They even ask you what kind of water you want...lol)

Their appetizers are pretzel bread with butter. They have a mustard butter that is vegan and wonderful. When we finally were able to decide what we wanted to eat, Cass ordered the tomato bisque vegan style and I ordered the double decker cheese burger, with fries and a chocolate shake. We shared, don't worry.

The burgers were gardein patties, and the chocolate shake was coconut based. And the fries were just.....amazing.

It was so wonderful we went back on our last night in town but dressed up nicer than the first we night we went.