Vegan MoFo: EZ & Quick Chik’n & Dumplings

In my quest to find quick and easy vegan dinners to make in a short amount of time, I've revised my grandma's chicken and dumplings that she made when I was a young'n. Here are the changes I made: replace...

Vegan MoFo: Gardein Burgundy Trio Product Review

I picked up this little box on a lark at my local run-of-the-mill grocer partly because I was curious and also because I knew it'd come in handy when I was: in pain with lower back issues tired from a...

Vegan MoFo: Super-EZ Spinach Dal Pizzas

NOTE: There's been some debate about whether or not Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls are actually vegan. Last time I checked they ARE vegan, not healthy but are vegan nonetheless. This week's been a bit packed with work so I haven't...

Vegan MoFo: Fluffy Gingerbread Scones with Juicy Bits

Oh man! THESE are the best scones ever! Especially if you like gingerbread but sometimes find it too heavy and strong. Amazingly yummy, fragrant, fluffy, and the gold raisins are just the right touch. And very tender, fall-apart kinda tender....

Vegan MoFo: Beer Biscuits with Daiya® Cheddar Cheese

This is the easiest thing in the world, short of opening a banana of course! But a little background first: I suck at making biscuits. I can't emphasize this enough! In fact, my biscuits can be used a weapons. They...

Vegan MoFo: (Review) Vegan Fast Food Indonesian Peanut Noodle Saute

One of my favorite places for fast vegan food is Noodles & Company. Until today I thought they only had one vegan item on the menu but the cheerful cashier chick handed me this handy card that outlines several vegan...

Vegan MoFo: Fabulous Korean Buffet at Notorious Dragonlady Lounge

Most vegans in Chicago now know about Sue's Thursday night vegan buffets at her Dragonlady Lounge, or at least they've heard of them. Having been to the buffet twice on Thursday and once this weekend for the Vegan Chicago Meetup,...

Vegan MoFo: Herbs & Produce (tomatoes!) That Grow Well Indoors for Winter Cooking

Part of what makes a vegan diet so great is the use of the freshest ingredients including herbs and veggies. But groceries are one of the most expensive places to buy fresh herbs, especially in winter. And you can be...

Vegan MoFo: Broccoli shot with iPhone vs. Canon Powershot

No recipe tonight as it failed and I didn't want to post something that I felt was icky. BUT, I've done a comparison of 2 cameras I used to shoot Korean broccoli I ate at Dragonlady Lounge. Sue at Dragonlady...

Vegan MoFo: Tater Tot Casserole with Daiya® Vegan Cheese

I was DESPERATE tonight for something salty and trashy from my childhood. Yes, tater tot casserole. REALLY trashy and full of everything bad for you. And who the hell said Vegan MoFo had to be healthy anyway? Pffttt!! BUT of...

Vegan MoFo: Mac ‘n Teese® Cheese Casserole

[Note: unfortunately Teese® creamy cheddar is no longer available. To my knowledge, no other brand of vegan cheese has a creamy style. Please comment if  you know of an alternative.] Most of the time I just make macaroni all in...

Vegan MoFo: Cranberry Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup

OMG this was wonderful! Best apple crisp EVER and a CONTEST too! DH asked for apple crisp for his birthday and I finally created one where I measured everything. Yes, after 20 years of eyeballing apple crisps, I can finally...

Vegan MoFo: coming Tuesday, cranberry apple crisp with maple syrup!

Trying to space these out one per day so I can still get my day job done. Tuesday will be the fabulous cranberry apple crisp DH requested for his birthday. Wednesday will be mac 'n cheese casserole. Thursday will either...

VeganMofo: Review of Tofurky® Vegan Frozen Pizza With Daiya® Cheese

Confession time: I haven't been in Whole Foods since their CEO came out against universal health care, so it's been a while and I've missed a few things. Like the extended array of Chicago Diner desserts in the cake case...

VeganMoFo: My plans for a month of vegan food blog posts.

It's been two years since I participated in VeganMoFo and I'm feeling a little pent up. I harvested a boatload of squash from my community garden this year so I've got a good stash to start from. And nothing says...

Halloween Projects: Gothic Gardening with Rusty Steel Sculpture

Rusty Steel Garden Sculpture from Steel Heart Ltd. Nothing is as cool as rusty metal, especially if it's creepy. Steel Heart Ltd. offers some fabulous Halloween sculptures including spiderwebs, witches and pumpkins. These are so cool, I'd leave them in...

Halloween Projects: Gothic Gardening with Black Petunias

If you're in a warm enough zone, having black petunias in your porch planters can create just the right Gothic look that's interesting yet not too threatening. If I didn't live in zone 5, you bet I'd be planting these...

Zombie Vegan Halloween Cartoon for my Vegan Pals

DH drew this cartoon after hearing the joke Monica left on my iPhone.

Halloween Projects: Gothic Gardening with Spooky Wire Topiary Forms

I love love love Halloween and cackled with delight when I saw Glamos' skeleton topiary form at the Independent Garden Center Show in Chicago this year. But you'll need to start earlier than I did if you want some creepy...

Halloween Projects: Gothic Gardening with Skeleton Flamingos

The classic (yes, I said classic) pink flamingo gets a new twist for Halloween as Skel-a-flamingos from Pink Inc. You can order these online direct from the manufacturer and they're a very affordable way to incorporate Halloween into your garden....

Halloween Project: Creating a TERROR-arium from an H. Potter Wardian Case.

Have you ever walked across a marsh, up a seemingly innocuous grassy knoll under a big gnarly tree, then noticed you're standing in the middle of an ancient cemetery? Then the sky darkened and clouds started tumbling and suddenly, the...

Halloween Project: Dusty Bones Container Planting

This little project started out as a challenge to salvage the reputation of Dusty Miller, the plant that garners disdain from many professional garden designers. After pondering the shape and texture of Dusty Miller for over a month, I realized...

Launching The Pink Flamingo Project!

Well it's high time somebody did this so here goes: I am launching The Pink Flamingo Project! today, right now. The primary goal is to create a forum for folks to share their best Pink Flamingo photos to inspire gardeners...

Functional Art for the Garden.

Last week, I attended the Independent Garden Center show in Chicago hoping to find 3 – 5 cool new products to review for 2011. I thought I had everything I needed when I left Thursday to stand in line for...

Reconsidering too-common plants for the uncommon gardener.

I was just listening to @jeanannvk and @kissmyaster's latest Good Enough Gardening podcast about plants that are so common, they are frowned upon and it got me thinking: do I have snobbish tendencies toward some overly used plants? Of course...

Wordless Wednesday: Oldies but goodies, shot pre-digital.

   

Thai Basil Succotash with Roasted Red Peppers

Sorry folks, no photo for this one. I took it to a potluck and was running late but trust me, everyone loved it. Even DH ate some and he's not that fond of succotash. 2 bags of frozen shelled soy...

Hell Strip: That Part of Your Yard that Hates You.

Timber Press recently held a contest on their blog for the worst of hell strips. For the uninitiated, a hell strip is that part of your yard where nothing grows. It can be hit with too much sun, poor soil...

Hipster Pete Bilts a Garden One Chip at a Time with Troy-Bilt.

In April, I was approached by Troy-Bilt to see if I’d be interested in reviewing one of their products. Since I’d had such a good experience with their tiller last year, I said “Absolutely!” I hate being put in a...

Share a recipe idea and win a coupon for ice cream!

I have in my grubby little paws (and they are grubby with all the Spring gardening this month), 2 coupons for free pints of Coconut Bliss Ice Cream!! Yes, you can be rolling in cold cold bliss made lovingly by...