Snacks

Desserts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

New Vegan Product! ~ Jelicii Vegan Gummy Candy

Posted on March. 2024March. 2024 by writinstuff

I’m not big on candy or sweets in general, but my husband loves sweets. So do most of my in-laws and most people that I know. It’s fine, you do you. Live and let live, right?

But when I find something new and vegan, I will generally check it out if it’s not a calorie bomb and if it’s something I or my Hubs might like. So when I stumbled across these vegan gummy candies when I was at Lidl in flavors like ginger, rose and lavender, I couldn’t resist.

The ingredients are natural as you can see below.

As you can also see, they aren’t all that calorie friendly per 100 grams and with about 20 grams per candy, you’re look at 77.6 calories per candy. And they aren’t that good.

What I liked:

These Jelicii vegan candies are tasty. I liked the ginger and the rose a lot. They were a smidge too sweet which meant I didn’t want to keep eating them like is so often the case with plenty of junk food.

The unique flavors were a nice twist and none of them had that gross medicinal taste to them, which really surprised me with the rose and lavender flavors.

What I didn’t like:

The calories are the biggest drawback for me. Add 20 calories and I can have a shot of tequila. Will it satisfy my hunger? No but neither will these candies!

They were also inexpensive, coming in at 7.99 RON which is about $1.74 (USD) & 1.61 (EUR) for a 90 gram package.

Would I Buy Again?

No. These vegan jellies were good and inexpensive but again, I’m not big on candy and the hubs liked them but not enough to make sure we picked them up again.

Would you test these out?

International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Salads, Snacks, Vegan

Vegan Sauerkraut Kimchi Recipe

Posted on January. 2024January. 2024 by writinstuff

If you were brave enough to click on this vegan recipe, congratulations! And Welcome to the land of weirdness.

Or maybe it’s not weird and maybe I’m just late to the odd, salty, vegan goodness that is vegan sauerkraut kimchi. Who knows?

Anyway I stumbled upon this recipe quite recently because for the holidays my Hubs decided he wanted to make sarmale, which is a Romanian dish of picked cabbage filled with rice, herbs & spices and vegan mince. But he ended up buying entirely too much pickled cabbage which was the first problem. The second? It was too thick to roll and he ended up cutting it into thin ribbons to make a sarmale casserole instead.

Annnnd, then there was almost a kilogram of pickled cabbage remaining. Never one to waste food, I dug into the recesses of my mind to think of different ways to enjoy pickled cabbage. There’s the Oktoberfest staple of kraut, potatoes and onions with vegan sausage. Always a favorite in our house. I figured we could add some carrot matchsticks or ribbons and let them absorb some of the pickled deliciousness.

And then I wondered if I could kimchi it so, of course, I consulted the ol’ Google machine and guess what? Totally possible. So I got down to work and if you’re feeling adventurous, you can too!

Continue reading →

Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Sides, Snacks, Vegan

Vegan Vinete Dip – Vegan Eggplant Recipes (Romanian vinete)

Posted on November. 2023November. 2023 by writinstuff

Hey there, friends and vegans and vegan friends! I hope your week is off to a good start because I feel as if I’m already behind on this week and it’s just Hump Day!

What’s Up With Me?
I’m busy working for my clients as well as making excellent progress on book 2 in my Emerald Creek series, which is a small town contemporary romance series. It’s keeping me busy and I’m hard at work, which is why today’s episode is a quick and easy eggplant dip.

What Is Vinete?
The easy answer is that vinete is the Romanian word for eggplant. The more complicated answer is that really not all that complicated. Vinete is an eggplant dip, or more accurately salata de vinete is an eggplant dip that is almost always vegan.

This dip was my first foray into the world of eggplant. I’ve talked plenty about my love-hate relationship with this vegetable, until it shifted into mild tolerance and then like in certain circumstances. But it was this dish that made me realize that eggplant wasn’t as gross as I always thought it was.

The best part about this vegan eggplant dip? It isn’t difficult to make and it doesn’t require a long list of ingredients.

So if you like eggplant or you want to try a new eggplant recipe, keep reading…

Continue reading →

Snacks, Travel, Vegan

Lazy Vegan Picnic at Barajul Paltinu (Paltinu Dam)

Posted on October. 2023October. 2023 by writinstuff

I’m always up for playing tourist whether it’s a long trek that requires an airplane, a passport and customs, or a quick day trip that means I’ll be back at home before bedtime. Sightseeing and learning new things about wherever I am is something that never gets old and it doesn’t always have to be something big and major like the Eiffel tower or the Roman Forum, sometimes the small things have just as big of an impact.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it and I probably haven’t because it terrifies me, but my husband has a motorcycle and he LOVES to ride it. Luckily for me he likes to take the small back roads through small villages because he “loves the curves”. That also means that he finds tons of hidden gems that even he didn’t know about and he grew up here!

Today we’re talking about Barajul Paltinu, also known as Paltinu Dam and Paltinu Lake. Located on the Doftana River, the dam itself is more than 100 meters tall and over 455 meters wide. It’s a big girl and in person it is beautiful.

A few kilometers from the actual dam walls is a nice spot on the lake which is peaceful and scenic, the perfect place for a midday date with your honey. I really want to go back before the weather cools down and spend the day with my laptop writing and soaking up the scenery.

Don’t worry, fellow vegans, this wasn’t just a sightseeing trip! There was food because, of course there was food!

Continue reading →

Bar Food, Dips, Fruit, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Snacks, Vegan

Vegan Cheese & Sausage Board

Posted on September. 2023September. 2023 by writinstuff

I don’t know about you guys but I don’t do a lot of entertaining anymore. Back in my 20’s and even some in my 30’s, I was the queen of the dinner party and would often welcome my nearest and dearest to my home for a good meal, great conversation and awesome drinks.

I’m not really sure why it stopped. Maybe it’s because life goes on and we moved out of the country or maybe it’s because we went vegan and so many people are weird about eating vegan food…like apples and potatoes. Either way, we haven’t done it much in recent years which means I haven’t had a good excuse to do a proper cheese board.

My husband did a Vegan Charcuterie Board recently and that inspired me to do one of my own, only you know with a bit more of a feminine touch. Does anyone do Pinterest anymore? I still love it and I use it for a lot of different things from memes to cocktail recipes and to promote my books, of course. But if you’re ever in doubt about the creativity of the world, just type in vegan charcuterie boards and see what pops up. Prepare to be AMAZED.

Anyway there was no occasion for this other than it was the Friday before our anniversary and I had a good long workout and I wasn’t really in the mood to do a lot of cooking. I compromised with myself to do a lot of chopping and slicing to make this board and we enjoyed a vegan Bordeaux with it while we watched a movie.

It was yummy and easy to make and you can substitute anything you don’t like with something you do!

Continue reading →

Bar Food, Dips, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Snacks, Vegan

Easy Vegan Dip Recipe ~ Roasted Garlic & Artichoke Dip

Posted on December. 2022December. 2022 by writinstuff

When it’s time for a party, you have to have a dip. Or two or three, actually. Whether its salsa, a vegan yogurt dip, cheese dip or hummus, there’s no party without something creamy to dip your carrot sticks and broccoli tops into. Right?

The great thing about vegan party dips is…they aren’t just for parties. Recently we went to see Avatar 2: Way of the Water and we went after a long day spent amongst people. You don’t know this about me but I’m not much of a people person. Between the noise and germs and bodies, it just becomes a lot pretty quickly. So by the time the movie was over–really great, by the way–I was over it all. And it was late-ish, as in a few hours before dinner so I decided that instead of whipping up a big ole lunch, we should do a quick dip.

I bought a baguette and I knew we had cucumbers and tomatoes already for a quick side salad. So there it was, a quick and easy vegan dip made from scratch and oil free.

Dips are great. They are fun and there are so many different ways you can whip up a few, quickly and easily.

Today’s dip is easy and let’s the oven do most of the work.

Continue reading →

Pizza, Plant Based, Snacks, Vegan

Really Good Vegan Pizza

Posted on December. 2022December. 2022 by writinstuff

Over the years, even before I became vegan, I have had a love-hate relationship with frozen pizza. Simply put, it’s kind of gross. Sure it’ll do in a pinch if you just need sustenance but honestly I’d rather have anything else like a cold sandwich, or a few sticks of celery. Anything.

ANYTHING.

As a vegan this continues to be true. Whenever a new vegan pizza hits the frozen food aisles, I try it out, hoping for the best. But the dough is never quite right and the toppings almost always leave a lot to be desired. The vegan cheese is….weird and nothing about it makes it worth the calories.

Until now.

I gotta tell you guys that I wasn’t jazzed about trying today’s pizza even though I really like the Naturli brand. But I grabbed a box anyway and crossed my fingers.

This Naturli Mexicana pizza has bell peppers, vegan mince and a cheese that was actually pretty tasty. I added salt, black pepper, dried oregano and garlic on top because vegan pizza, frozen pizza in general always lacks flavor to me.

Served with hot sauce on the side, of course.

I really enjoyed everything about this pizza. The dough tasted like the kind that’s cooked in those pizza ovens under a fire, minus the burnt taste. The toppings were flavorful and the cheese was tasty. It wasn’t gooey or anything but it was delicious.

Let’s just say that I liked it enough that I’ve been looking for it since and guess what? I can’t find it anywhere so I guess I’ll be ordering it online.

Do you have a favorite vegan pizza brand? Drop names and links in the comments section!

Check out some of my other vegan pizza recipes below!

*Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
*Friday Night Vegan Pesto Pizza Brot
*Easy Vegan Pizza Bread
*Vegan Meatball Pizza

Beans, Grains, Herbs, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Snacks, Vegan

Hearty White Bean & Veggie Vegan Stew

Posted on November. 2022November. 2022 by writinstuff

Soup season is upon us!

What does that mean, exactly? It means we have the best of what fall vegan recipes have to offer from herbs and spices, to locally grown ingredients that make your fall vegan soups the best they can be.

When it comes to making seasonal vegan stews, I love knowing that my big supermarkets and even the local farmer’s markets will have fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano to add to my favorite autumn recipes. Toss in a few seasonal vegetables and you have everything you need for the perfect hearty vegan stew.

When it comes to buying vegan soup recipes in the fall, I like to pick up what I can find. Whether that is corn or zucchini, eggplant, celery or cabbage, whatever I can find locally and at a reasonable price is a top candidate for my favorite vegan soup recipes.

Today I decided to shoot for a hearty white bean vegan stew which is perfect for any level of vegan home cook because all you need is a few vegetables, some herbs and spices and you’re ready to feed your family or a big crowd for football Sunday!

Let’s dive into this quick and easy vegan fall stew recipe that is guaranteed to satisfy a hungry crowd.

Continue reading →

Beans, Dips, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Snacks, Vegan

Easy Vegan Appetizers ~ Feed A Crowd & Party On!

Posted on January. 2022January. 2022 by writinstuff

Whether you’re having a birthday or anniversary party, Super Bowl or Australian Open party, you’ll need to be able to feed a crowd. Feeding a crowd a bunch of vegan appetizers is easier than you might think, as long as you stop thinking of party food in traditional ways.

The first party I threw after going vegan was to celebrate Wimbledon (Hello, I am a tennis nerd! :P) and I was thinking like an animal eating party thrower. My mind immediately went to things like meatballs and buffalo wings, spinach & artichoke dip and all those other party snacks filled with dairy and flesh. No bueno.

As time went on, I became more comfortable just thinking about vegan appetizers and ways to veganize old school party foods. That was (almost) five years ago and now, I feel like a pro.

I mean, I’m not a pro but I feel less stressed when making food for a crowd. Then again that could be because I haven’t attended many crowded events for…some time now.

Tasty vegan appetizers to feed a hungry crowd!

Feeding a mixed crowd of vegans and non-vegans isn’t something I worry about. Why? Because my husband and I are both vegans and so is our household. If you come to our house, you should expect to be served vegan food. Period.

But you know what? Even if it’s just you and your family, however big or small that is, vegan appetizers are a great way to have a snack fest all day on special days. This particular spread of vegan party food was for me and the hubs on New Year’s Eve.

Continue reading →