End of the Year, Mercury Retrograde Drama.

     

    What would the end of 2023 be like without just a little family drama. It won't stop me though, especially now that I am recognizing some of my family members are enabling me to have unhealthy habits and aggravate my stress and anxiety. I am sure lots of people can relate in one way or another. Some family members are best kept at a distance. 

    My week started out great but very intense spending at least 11 to 12 hours making Christmas treats for all my family and neighbors. Unfortunately, the video got taken down due to me listening to Spotify while streaming. But I will still link all the recipes and my variations.

 White chocolate cherry Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

    3 bags of vegan white chocolate

    1 box of peppermint candy canes

    2 cups dried or candied cherries.

Instructions:

    In a large bowl add unwrapped crushed candy canes and chopped cherries

    In a microwave safe bowl melt 2 and 1/2 bags of white chocolate chips for 2-4 minutes until melted. stir and pour into the bowl with peppermint and cherries and mix until all coated. 

    Spread chocolate on a wax paper lined sheet and top with remaining white chocolate chips. 

    Allow to cool in the fridge before cutting and serving.

Yield:

    24 servings 265 calories per serving

    I also made chocolate covered peanut butter stuffed dates that were such a big hit last year, click the link to last Christmas blog. 

    145 calories per chocolate date

    I also attempted to make a microwave peanut butter fudge, but the recipe was a total flop and never made it to the Christmas plates.

    I also made some of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy cups.

    These were amazing and one of my favorites, but you have to keep them cold because they melt at room temperature.

    160 calories per cup

    I followed this recipe for my Cherry Kool-Aid popcorn balls.  But I added 2 packets of Cherry Kool-Aid instead of food coloring. you could use whatever flavor you like but it tasted delicious, it reminded me of laughy taffy.

    90 calories per popcorn ball

    I used Nora Cooks recipe for chocolate brownies the only thing I did different was after I topped the brownies with chocolate chips, I also added Christmas sprinkles.

Yield:

    15 brownies 300 calories per brownie

    My brother Ben and I came up with the concept for these toasted marshmallow sweet potato pie bars with a ginger snap crust.

    This is the ginger snap recipe for the crust I used. I replaced the egg with a flax egg and used vegan butter. then I spread the cookie dough in a baking pan lined with nonstick spray and baked for only 10 minutes.

    Then I used Nora cooks recipe for the sweet potato pie filling. I used 1 can of sweet potato puree to make it a little easier and then spread the filling on the gingerbread crust and drizzled the top with date syrup. I baked it for 55 minutes then topped with half a bag of marshmallows and broiled the top. Careful broiling the top because it may catch fire like mine did. But that did add a great toasted marshmallow flavor. Then I drizzled the top with a bit more date syrup and coconut sugar.

Yield:

    15 bars 415 calories per bar

 

 

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

    I used Crisco's chocolate chip cookie recipe and replaced the egg with a mashed banana, the milk with coconut milk, and the pecans with macadamia nuts. 

Yield:

    2 dozen cookies 210 calories per cookie

I burned a lot of calories making all the Christmas candies and wore myself out.

For breakfast Tuesday morning I made a vegan peppermint hot cocoa that was amazing.

Vegan Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

    8 oz coconut milk

    1/2 a crushed candy cane

    3 tsp sugar

    2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions:

    Boil coconut milk with candy cane and stir in sugar and cocoa until smooth

Yield:

    1 serving 260 calories.

 

    I slept in pretty much all-day Tuesday after I handed out all the Christmas candies. I ate some of my pumpkin mac n cheese and vegetable soup from last weeks blog and finished drinking the Ultra Beet juice I made. You can find all these recipes in last weeks blog.

    Wednesday, I went to my psychiatrist appointment and things went really well. He seemed impressed with how well I am doing with such a low dose of medication for my bipolar disorder. He also said 1 to 2 glasses of wine a day should be okay with my medication. My Primary doctor recommended I start drinking red wine to lower my blood platelets. I won't say no to that.

    I enjoyed some Diaya no chicken penne alfredo for dinner.

 

Vegan No Chicken Penne Alfredo

 

Ingredients:

    1 bag penne pasta

    1 box daiya Alfredo sauce

    1 bulb garlic

    2 tbsp vegan butter

    2 tbsp olive oil

    1 can cannellini beans

    1 cup rosemary roasted hazel nuts.

    1 no chicken bouillon cube

    1 tsp black pepper

    1/4 cup vegan parmesan

 

Instructions:

    Boil penne pasta with salt or seasoning.

    Create your alfredo sauce by sautéing butter and olive oil with garlic, chopped hazelnuts and drained cannellini beans adding water as needed. then add alfredo sauce and pepper to the large saucepan.

 Drain pasta and toss in the sauce topping with vegan parmesan. then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Yield:

    6 servings 550 calories per serving

 

 

 

    I also made some Instapot brown sugar bourbon green beans which is now my go to set it and forget it way to cook tasty green beans.

 

 

Instapot Brown Sugar Bourbon Greens Beans

 

Ingredients:

    4 cans of drained green beans

    1 diced yellow onion

    2 tbsp mushroom powder

    1 tsp black pepper

    2 tbsp Mccormick brown sugar bourbon seasoning

    1/2 cup vegan bacon bits

    1 tsp liquid smoke

    1 tsp salt

    1 bulb of garlic chopped.

    1 tbsp vegan butter 

 

Instructions:

 

    Add everything to the instapot and use the steam button.

Yield:

    6 servings 140 calories per serving

Thursday, I woke up much too early to go have lunch with my mother and nephew at Abby's pizza. I planned to have their spuds, I am not sure if they are vegan, but it was the only option that was not loaded with meat or dairy. But the fryers were down, so I was left with no option. I was pretty offended that my nephew and mother went ahead and ordered without me and just expected me to watch them eat greasy dead animal products. So, to avoid conflict I decided to leave and walk home and have breakfast at home.

I grabbed a butter bean meal prep I had made a while back.

 

 

Vegan Butter Beans

 

Ingredients:

    1 lbs. bag dry lima beans

    3 tablespoons onion powder

    3 cloves minced garlic.

    1/2 cup frozen diced bell peppers

    1 tsp black pepper

    2 tsp sea salt

    1 cup bacon bits

    1 tbsp vegetable powder

    2 tbsp coconut oil

    1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

    1 tsp liquid smoke

    2 sliced jalapeños

    2 cups veggie broth

 

Instructions:

    Rinse and sort beans before adding to an instapot. Add remaining ingredients and enough wat to cover beans. Set the instapot to Meat and Stew.

 

Yield:

    6 servings 395 calories per serving

 

     I got some awesome vegan groceries in my weekly food box delivery. Including my favorite tortilla chips, the Jaunita's.

 

    Friday, I made a yummy sweet potato for breakfast topped with BBQ borlotti beans.

 

 BBQ Borlotti Beans

Ingredients:

    1 box Jacks Borlotti Peans

    2 tbsp diced onions

    1 tbsp olive oil

    2 tbsp molasses

    4 tbsp vegan bacon bits

    6 tbsp BBQ sauce

Instructions:

    In a saucepan sauté onion with olive oil and water as needed until translucent. Add beans, 2 tbsp bacon bits, molasses and BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until well absorbed. 

top on a buttered baked sweet potato. add more bacon bits on top.

    Personally, I can only eat half at a time, so this makes about 4 servings.

 

Yield:

    4 servings 260 per half a potato with beans

 

    I finished my day working on the magic candles I made last week and doing a smart hoop work out for 45 minutes.

    Investing in the smart hoop has literally been a life saver and has made exercising my core so much easier and more fun.

 

 

    Saturday morning, I went to The Humane Society Thrift Store and scored some awesome deals using my new future card. 

 

     I was most excited to score a hula hoop that I can practice and play with this spring.

    Saturday afternoon I had to get caught up on sleep, it seems like lately I can never have enough. When I woke, I ate the other half of my sweet potato and took spicy photos for Khalid. 

 

 

    Then I got to work on my Christmas/Kwanzaa/New Years Feast! I can't believe it only took 4 hrs. to make but it nearly dirtied every pan in the house, and I am still trying to get caught up on dishes.

Vegan Coconut Jalapeño Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:

    1/2 lb. dry black-eyed peas

    Meat and juice from 1 whole coconut

    3 jalapeno peppers sliced.

    1 tsp adobo seasoning

    1 tsp slap ya mama seasoning

    3 cloves of garlic minced.

    1 tbsp liquid smoke

    1 tsp black pepper

    3 tsp coconut oil

    1 no chicken vegan bouillon cube

Instructions:

    Rinse and sort black eyed peas before adding them to an instapot.

    Carefully crack a coconut and remove the juice and meat and add it to the pot of beans.

    Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover beans.

    Cook on meat and stew button.

Yield:

    17 servings 70 calories per serving

 

 

Crockpot Steamed Lemon Pepper Broccoli

 

Ingredients: 

    3 heads of broccoli florets

    1 tbsp Tabitha Brown garlic lemon pepper

    1 tsp sea salt

    2 tbsp vegan butter

    11 oz water

Instructions:

    Add broccoli florets to a crock pot with seasoning, butter and water. Cover and allow to steam on high for at least 3 hrs.

Yield:

    10 servings 60 calories per serving

Vegan Cheddar Bacon Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

    1 lbs. baby red potatoes

    1 tbsp olive oil

    2 teaspoons adobo seasoning

    2 tsp black pepper

    1 tsp liquid smoke

    2 cups vegan cheddar shreds

    1/4 cup bacon bits

    1/4 cup sliced green onions.

    nonstick spray

    11 oz water

 

Instructions:

    Rinse and add baby potatoes to a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray then drizzle on olive oil. season with 1 tsp adobo and 1 tsp pepper then roast at 375 degrees F for about an hr.

     Pull out of the oven and smash potatoes with a potato masher. 

    Spray potatoes again with nonstick spray and season with remaining adobo and pepper. top with vegan cheese and bacon bits. Drizzle water on top and pop back in oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

     Top with green onions. 

Yield: 

    17 servings 75 calories per serving

 

Candied Roasted Winter Squash

Ingredients:

    2 medium sized winter squash. Sweet dumpling and Acorn are good options.

    nonstick spray

    4 tbsp vegan butter

    4 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions:

    Slice squash in half removing seeds. Spray both sides with nonstick spray and place them cut side down on an oven dish. 

    Roast at 375 F for about 45 minutes until squash skins can be pierced with a fork. 

flip over squash and fill each squash with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp brown sugar.

    Pop back in the oven for about 30 minutes.

 

Yield:

    4 servings, 235 calories per serving

 

 Hazelnut Risotto Stuffed Delicatta

Ingredients: 

    3 delicatta squash

    2 tsp creole seasoning

    Nonstick spray

    2 cups of precooked multigrain rice

    1 cup hazelnuts chopped.

    3-4 shitake mushrooms chopped.

    1 tbsp olive oil

    2 tbsp diced onions

    2 tbsp vegan parmesan

    1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Instructions:

    Cut delicatta lengthwise in half and remove seeds.

    Spray inside and out with nonstick spray and season both sides with creole seasoning. lay cut sides down in an oven pan and roast at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes until skin can be pierced with a fork.

    In a Sautee pan sauté onions with olive oil adding water as needed. Add hazelnuts and shitake. fold in rice until well combined.

    Stuff squash with risotto and top with vegan parm and Italian seasoning. then bake for another 30 minutes.

Yield:

    6 servings 580 calories per serving

    The star of the show was Cheap Lazy Vegans Beefy Holiday Roast.

            I loved this recipe but added a few alterations.

 

 In the roast I used 1 block of firm tofu, I replaced soy sauce with coconut aminos, I replaced salt with creole seasoning, I used marmite instead of veggie bullion, adding 1 tbsp mushroom powder and using 2 cups vital wheat gluten.

    In addition, for the broth I added 1 tsp black pepper and replaced the soy sauce with 1/4 cup browning sauce. My choice of wine was Cabernet Sauvignon.

Then I got to work on the boiled corn, which is very delicious, but I didn't count the calories because I am not sure how I would.

Creole Boiled Corn

Ingredients:

    4 ears of corn

    2 cups veggie broth

    8 cups water

    3-4 tbsp slap ya mama seasoning

    1 tbsp Tabitha Brown Garlic Lemon Pepper

    3 tbsp lime juice

    1 tsp pepper

    3 tbsp thyme

    4 tbsp onion powder

    1 bay leaf

    2 tbsp red chili flakes

    1/2 tsp gumbo file

Instructions:

    Boil corn for at least 15 minutes

Yield:

    4 ears but feel free to make more.

Dijon Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients: 

    1 lb. asparagus

    2 tsp lemon pepper

    3 tsp dijon mustard

    2 tsp agave

    4 tbsp nutritional yeast

    4 tsp vegan parmesan

Instructions:

    Remove tough stems of asparagus and add to a skillet with a few oz. of water. Cover and let steam for at least 5 minutes before adding lemon pepper, mustard and agave. 

    Simmer and add nutritional yeast.  

    Once sauce begins to thicken finish the asparagus with vegan parmesan.

Yield:

    6 servings 40 calories each

Cranberry Brussel Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

    1/2 lbs. Brussel sprouts sliced.

    1 tsp chopped garlic.

    1 cup chopped frozen cranberries.

    3 tbsp vegan bacon bits

    4 tbsp green onions chopped.

Dressing:

    1 tsp liquid smoke

    1 tbsp orange marmalade

    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

    1 tbsp Mccormick Brown sugar bourbon seasoning

    1 tbsp olive oil

 

Instructions:

    Slice Brussel sprouts and add to a salad bowl with remaining salad ingredients. 

    In a small mixing bowl whisk salad dressing with a fork then toss with salad.

    This salad tastes fantastic hot or cold.

Yield:

    4 servings 190 calories per serving

    I wore my London Fog raincoat to the thrift store, and it finally fits again! but I can't button it up yet.

    Sunday was a very chill day and I slept in all day then got started on the huge pile of dishes and my blog.

    This New Year's Eve I spent on the phone with my brother and my boyfriend, Khalid, and his best friend, Athanasius, which I had the honor of speaking to for the first time. He used to live in Oregon and plans to move back here with Khalid hopefully this year. I am just so glad Mercury retrograde is finally over and hopefully things can get back to normal chill vibes again and I can start working on making this year even better than 2023 which I actually enjoyed for the most part. 

    I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all the best for the new year!