a veg life

Whenever we have friends who are starting a vegan diet or just dabbling in a plant-based lifestyle, they inevitably ask us for recipes. I always find that to be a tricky question to answer, because so much of the cooking I do is unmeasured and unstructured. When I find a recipe I like, I typically use it as a guide, and end up changing it in some way. One way I have found to organize and share recipes is through Pinterest . I find it so much easier to use than storing things in my email, because a picture of each finished product shows up when I am looking for something specific. The mobile app is perfect to use when at the grocery store, too! Here is a link to my recipes board: Emily's Recipes These are some of our favorites--most I have adapted for our tastes, but some I follow exactly: Mac and Cheese from VegNews BBQ/Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Orange Chicken Cauliflower This recipe is the perfect example of one I have adapted. I started with this NY Times...

Ever since apple season has come around again, I've felt the urge to try my hand making apple butter. After reading a number of recipes that involve using a crock pot (my favorite easy cooking appliance), I knew it would be easy! Here's the recipe I followed, using a mix of Granny Smith, Fuji, and Gala apples.  Crock Pot Apple Butter thanks to Kathryn T for help with this recipe! 16-20 apples, cored and cubed (as many as it takes to fill your crock pot) 1/2 c apple cider  1 tbs cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/3 c sugar Fill the crockpot with apples and sprinkle spices and sugar on the top. Stir to mix and cover. I set my crock pot to high for about an hour, to get everything started and then switched it to low. Stir every few hours, if you can.  I started my apple butter around 7:45pm and switched the crockpot to low an hour later. I stirred about once an hour until I went to bed. I let the apples cook overnight, and then switched off the slow ...

Did you know today is a holiday?! I mean, it's not a holiday that immediately springs to mind, but any day we can celebrate a leafy green vegetable is a great day to me!  source We've been on a number of kale adventures lately, while experimenting with new kale chip recipes. We had registered for a dehydrator as a wedding gift, and ended up buying it for ourselves the day after the wedding. It is going to become even more crucial as we decide on which flavors to offer as a part of our new side business, REfoods. Rick and I always find so much gratification in making and sharing healthy food with others that we've decided to make it official! There are so many products we use/eat--kale chips, almond milk, veggie stock--that are unnecessarily expensive when purchased at the store. We hope to provide our friends and family with more affordable, high-quality options.  The idea for the business began when a friend of mine from work wanted to go on a juice cleanse,...