January Favorites - Vegan Recipes

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

 

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (for this I used yellow cheese made with almond milk)
Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

5.Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.

 

Note-this recipe freezes well!

 

I got this recipe from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/ and altered it a little to make it vegan and gluten free by making sure the sauce and cheese were gluten-free and vegan.

 

Avocado Quesadillas

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 avocado, more if you prefer

1 small roma tomato, diced

1 green onion, sliced

Salsa (optional)

1 large tortilla

Directions

Smash avocado and spread out on one half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and any seasonings. Add tomato, green onions, and salsa. (Or save the salsa for dipping!)

Fold over the top half of the tortilla, and place on a skillet over medium heat.

Heat for a few minutes on each side until warmed through.

 

For this recipe, I used gluten free tortillas and baked it in my quesadilla maker. So, instead of using one tortilla, I used two to make a whole one. Original recipe from: http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2014/05/avocado-quesadillas-vegan.html?m=1



Blind Love by CNBLUE

Even though this song is in Japanese, it gives me a lot of inspiration for when I write my stories.

Vegan Diaries #5

November-January 15, 2015

 

During the entire month of November, everything was great. I learned how to cook several different new recipes from my new cook book. This book is amazing and has every thing in it. If you think of it, it's in the book. My favorite recipes are the different soups. If you are vegan and just starting out, I definitely recommend this book. Even if you are not new, I still recommend it.

Going to my relative's party was very frustrating. There was over 50 people there, and the only food I could eat was the vegetable appetizer platter and the small salad. Because there were so many people there, I wasn't allowed to eat as much as I want. I couldn't eat half. Same goes for the salad. I even brought a bunch of bananas just in case there wasn't enough food, but I pretty much ate them in 10 minutes while all of my relatives questioned me, asking me what was wrong with me. My one aunt tried convincing me that I was poisoning myself because "I was eating too much potassium." My favorite thing she said was "If you keep eating all of that sugar, you are going to get diabetes."  They made me feel like shit for eating the way I do, making it seem like I have a choice. But, I know as soon as I eat an animal product, I get very sick with severe stomach pains and have diarrhea, and vomit. Why would I want to suffer through that? I don't which is why I suffer through the criticism instead. Because I was so hungry, I became a raging bitch. It's what happens when I'm hungry. I know I'm not the only one who has a behavior change in that type of situation. And, it is not like I could go home to eat and come back. I live in Reading, PA; this party was somewhere in, NJ, a 2.5 hour drive. If I did have the option to leave, I definitely would not have come back because my relatives were so rude.

 



Thanks Giving was very interesting because this year it was at my house. My aunt and uncle were giving my parents "the look," basically the look of "what is wrong with her?" and "this isn't normal." I pretended not to notice. But, it was all because all I ate was "my" mashed potatoes and pretty much most of the green beans. Before they came over, I had made a Thai stir fry because I was not going to eat the Turkey or the stuffing. By this time, my parents had become more understanding and less critical, thankfully.

 

Christmas was pretty smooth. I ate what I wanted while my family ate their Christmas ham. I was feeling a little sick, but that was because I had gotten my Depo shot on December 22, 2014. From that day to January 8, 2015, I felt so sick. Everything I ate made me feel sick to my stomach, and even when I didn't eat I felt the same way. I had no energy and slept most of the day. I was completely miserable. I never had that reaction before, so I thought it was weird. After I did some research, I read some of the side effects. What was happening to me one of them. I also learned that this type of birth control makes it extremely difficult to lose weight and messes up your thyroid. I came to the conclusion that I did not need this medication anymore. I originally took it to stop my stomach aches and bad cramping, and before this diet, the stomach aches never went away. The severe cramps went away completely, so I know if I stop getting the shots, they will probably come back. I'm just hoping that with this diet, they won't be as bad.

Lately, I haven't been following RawTill4 most days because good fruit during this time of year is extremely hard to find. My only options are oranges, dates, and bananas. A lot of the time, the bananas aren't as good. I found that eating a lot of raw food has been making my stomach acidic and is very painful, so I am going easy on the raw food. I still have a banana or fruit smoothie for breakfast, and everything after that is cooked. I have been sticking to more simple foods like rice and potatoes to keep the acid low. So far, it has been working.

Gothic Lolita Wigs Review - Gamine in Honey Milk Tea and Duchess Elodie in Burgundy Mix

Shipping and Packaging

 

I ordered these wig on a Monday and got it on Thursday the same week. The packaging was standard; it came in a plastic USPS envelope that contained my two wigs. Each came in a plastic bag with cardboard around them. They both were contained in a black hair net, and they were stuffed with tissue paper to protect their shape. I didn't take a picture of it because those who buy from dolluxe.com/gothiclolitawigs.com/rockstarwigs.com know what I am talking about. If you don't, there are plenty of YouTube videos that show you. In addition to the wigs, I received a business card and a beige wig cap.

 

Gamine (Honey Milk Tea)

 

 

 



 

When I saw this wig on the website, I knew I had to have it. The style is so adorable, and it's perfect for when you don't want to style your own hair or you just have a bad hair day and don't have time messing with it. This color is also the closest to my natural hair color.

 

Pulling the wig out of it packaging, I noticed it is exactly the same as the stock photo on the GLW website. The only thing I did not like is the part on the top of the head. It looks noticeably fake. To fix that, I wear a hat to cover it up. By doing that, it is impossible to tell. I actually got a ton of compliments when I wore my pink hat with it.

 

The bangs are very long and have to be styled to get them out of your eyes. If you shake out the wig, the style becomes more poofy and crazy, which is also cute. For me, that style doesn't work well with my face. The more natural flat style works with my round face much better, which is great. Not many short wigs go well with my face shape. Thankfully, this wig does. Lastly, this wig does come with adjustable straps and combs to keep the wig in place on your head. In conclusion, this is my favorite short wig, and I would recommend it to everyone. I rate it a 9/10.

 

Duchess Elodie (Burgundy Mix)

 

 

 

At first, I was nervous about buying this wig because of the color and how curly it is because of my face shape, but it turns out that it goes well with my complexion. As I took it out of the package I noticed that it was very tangled. While I was untangling it, a little ball of  tangled hair fell onto the floor (and that was while combing through it carefully with my fingers). I'm not going to lie, I was a little mad, but once it was completely detangled, everything was fine. The color is gorgeous. It definitely reminds me cranberries. With that said, the wig is exactly the same as this stock photo. It seems more vibrant in person though. The skin top part on the top looks realistic, making it easy to get away with if you wear it in public. No one will think its fake.

This picture shows the wig as redder than it really is. It has a trace of purple in it, I think, anyway. I do not have any complaints with this wig. It's perfect. I hope to get the black plum version of this wig some day. It is absolutely gorgeous. I rate it a 10/10.