a veg life

(posted by Emily) Today's post is one I'm pretty excited about. We've shared our zucchini brownies with you before and they've always been a favorite. Well, I think we've found a way to elevate them to a new level of deliciousness.  My Kappa alum group meets once a month on Wednesdays, and I volunteered to bring a dessert to our meeting tonight. I'm not sure how the idea struck me, but I decided to remake one of our family classics. I have always loved these marble brownies my mom would make growing up. This picture is of her original recipe, complete with handwritten notes from her  mom :)  As you can tell, this fella needed a bit of reworking to be vegan friendly!  I decided to stick with what I know is a sure-fire winner, so instead of a box of Duncan Hines mix, I made a single batch of our zucchini brownies. That was the easy part! Next, it was time to figure out what to do for the cream cheese marble. The original recipe c...

(posted by Emily) Yeah, I'll say it. There are non-vegan foods that I really miss sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love my vegan life and wouldn't trade the way I eat now. But sometimes, I just really want a bagel.  Top Ten: Foods I miss now that I'm vegan 1) Cream cheese. This Philadelphia cream cheese commercial gets me every time. via 2) Toasted bagels with cream cheese via 3) Scallops via 4) Shrimp cocktail. It makes me (only a little) sad to know I'll never try this .  via 5) Jeni's non-sorbet flavors via 6) Chocolate with caramel via 7) Red Velvet everything (good thing Sprinkles has a vegan RV cupcake!) my midwestern friends know what this is ( via ) 8) Goat cheese via 9) The Playboy Roll via 10) That blueberry goat cheese log from Trader Joe's, with their gorgonzola crackers via via Now I'm hungry.  --E&R

(posted by Emily) I hope you all had a great weekend! Rick and I enjoyed our time off with a little DIY and a fun Super Bowl party with friends. When we were deciding what to bring, Rick requested a taco or layer dip. We used to eat taco at my Grandma's house all the time, so I called my resident expert, Amy, for some tips. This is what I put together and it was definitely a hit! We're pretty sure that most of the guests had no idea the dip was vegan, either :) Thanks to Jaime and Bec for hosting! Layer 1 : Black beans (cooked in the rice cooker with bay leaves, thyme, and a splash of vinegar) pureed with some veggie broth until smooth.    Layer 2 : Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese , mixed with taco seasonings. I used chili powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and oregano until I got the flavor I was looking for. Layer 3 : A jar of Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Salsa . For some reason, everything with roasted garlic is my go-to at TJs. They make an awes...