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Just like brownies, every vegan has their favorite sloppy joe recipe. Over the years, I've had some very tasty vegan sloppy joes made with everything from TVP to Jackfruit. While I wasn't too in love with the eggplant version (Amanda, if you're reading this, I'm sorry), my all time favorite has been with Tempeh. I adore, just flat out love ,Tempeh sloppy joes and debated making that version this t
I still can't believe how many people I know made pickles this weekend. I had all these daydreams of posting these and everyone saying "WOW" and "I can't believe how easy those are". But much to my chagrin, when I started dropping teasers for these babies, the response was a round of "Me Too!" I guess I have too many talented and crafty while still remaining fashionable yet remarkably intelli
Oh, Friday night. Would you still be my favorite night of the week if there were no Mexican food or video games? Would I still think of you as fondly at 2pm on Tuesday, when the work week has no end in sight, if there weren't the promise of spicy salsa and freshly-squeezed limes in distance? Who's to say? I hope we never find out.Dan and I have had a strange weekend. I'm dying to talk about how ma
Hurricane Earl is at Norfolk's doorstep. Trees are waving in the wind, and the birds and squirrels who are usually up at dawn are being being all crazy, hiding away in the courtyard of our apartment building waiting for it to pass. Right now as I type this, I have a huge Siamese cat on my lap looking for comfort and another, much smaller cat under my chair. But the funny thing is that while there
Summer is wrapping up, and this weekend maybe the last time we light up the grill or pull out the picnic table until next spring. Of course, in Virginia we're suppose to be on the lookout for Hurricane Earl, so we'll see how these summer swan song BBQ plans turn out. I feel like all the best Season Finales feature all-star cameos. So, just in time for Labor Day Weekend, here are our some of our f
Beer Can Chicken is an American tradition. I mean, I never made one, or even ate one, before going vegan - but apparently people all over the country have. The second we saw this recipe, we began plotting our strategy for this impressive and somewhat ambitious grilling project. We discussed the challenges, such as stabilizing the Tofurky, and the differences between mock meat and, well, meat. We a
This weekend, we went to see the all-star overdose The Expendables. We're, friends right? So let's be honest here. This movie made me feel old. It was like seeing all the great old action movies in some kind of Cocoon kaleidoscope--with more tattoos and stabbing in the neck, but fewer Wilford Brimley cameos. Sadly, it was the kind of movie where you spend the drive home talking about the previews.
One cupcake to rule them all! I won't bore you with stories about how a certain portion of my life has been dedicated to searching out and locating ways to eat chocolate with chili pepper. They're uninteresting stories about mixing soy chocolate ice cream with Tabasco, or baking dozens of chocolate cookies till I figured out how much chili powder to add to get that kick at the end. Some flavors ju
I was never a big Ranch dressing lover before I went vegan. I didn't grow up dipping my pizza or hot wings in it. There were no Ranch dressing fountains at parties I went to. To be fair, there are probably a few Ranch dressing enthusiasts who have never enjoyed one of those, though.Then one day I discovered Naysoya Vegan Dressings. Creamy Dill, Garden Herb Ranch and Wasabi Ranch were some of my fa
Once upon a time in the little neighborhood of Ghent, I used to bake a lot of cupcakes.I baked dozens and dozens of cupcakes. I baked for birthdays and parties, slow Wednesday nights, whatever. I just really like to bake, and cupcakes are easy to make vegan and pass out to various loved ones. I also find them just charming. I like their little wrappers and sprinkles and all the cute things you can
You may already know that Eggplant Parmigiana is a pretty old-school Sicilian dish, and super easy to make vegan. You probably already know the original dish is more heavy on the vegetables, and not baked over pasta. Though, you could also point out that there's an area in Italy called Parma, and that they often bread their cutlets with Parmesan cheese there - so Sicilians should stop acting li
This weekend I did a lot of things I don't normally do. For example: I went grocery shopping without Dan. It was funny; as I was walking around the store, I realized that I was pretty much the only person not talking. All the other single shoppers (and many of the partnered ones) were on their cell phones. Here's the thing about when folks talk on their phones in public - you find yourself left wi
Where we're going, you need scones...Friday morning is a good time to just chill, think about the weekend that lays just a few hours away, drink some coffee, and listen to this. Friday morning is a good time to watch cartoons or Charmed, (but skip Semi-Charmed, or it will seriously be stuck in your head all day) maybe read a few pages of a book you love but doesn't require any real thought, perhap
I could type up a whole thing here about how even though Betty made this a pork recipe, the most common version of this is dish made with chicken; or about the political strife that lead to this dish being renamed for about a hundred years because of its association with Ding Baozhen. I could even go into the fact that this is an Americanized version of a classic Sichuan dish that was developed
Last night, a small group of weary wooden travelers arrived on our dining room table. They had just completed a long journey to start a new, octagon-shaped life on a little island named Cataan. In the end, there could be only only one to settle this island rich in ore, brick, sheep, wood and wheat; and last night Dan had the dice on his side. That's right Shannon; I'm calling you lucky. Love you.Y
Morning on Bourbon Street Even in a magical place like New Orleans, they don't eat Beignets all day. When we were there about a year ago, one of our most memorable meals was vegan Po' Boys at Cafe Bamboo. So it only seemed right that we should make a few for our stay-cation. We had brought home a few postcards from NOLA with recipes for Creole & Cajun dishes that I wanted to veganize, and som
Dan is home! He was in San Francisco last week doing some pretty awesome stuff for the animals; including attending a Ringling Brothers demonstration that had over 250 protesters show up. Yeah, that's my man on the megaphone.He deserved something special to come home to... like a stay-cation to New Orleans.Now, we have never eaten the famous Cafe Du Monde Beignets. They aren't vegan, but they do l
OK: before everyone gets all ruthless about how this looks, please remember we're veganizing this. I didn't use the photo with the sauce mixed in because it just didn't really show the sauce--and that's the best part!Yes, using Oyster Mushrooms for clams is a very old trick. I can remember making vegan fried clams (Oyster Mushrooms) with my roommate in college and thinking we were so clever, unti
I've heard it said that in the culinary world, bakers are considered the mad scientists. Which I love.I admit I love the measuring and testing, popping my creations in the oven, and then pulling out something different than what went in! I love the chemistry and tinkering, and how it really has to be just right or it's just a disaster. That sounds weird, huh? But the world is a mess, and I just ne
I still remember the first time I had Pad Thai. I was going to school in Olympia, WA and I was out to dinner with my friend Amanda from San Francisco. I can still remember how hilarious she found it that I had never had Pad Thai before. I mean, I had eaten Chinese and Japanese food before. I had enjoyed years of eating smelly Kim Chi, and even had Vegan Mongolian Stew once; it was made with tempe
Make us proud.
When we took on the challenge of veganizing The Betty Crocker Cookbook, we knew there would be times when we'd need get creative. We've already mastered the Vegan Poached Egg and the Stuffed Crust Pizza, but there are still some recipes looming--menacing really--in the distance. You know the type: the lurkers. Until we discovered Match Vegan Meats*, Spare Ribs was one of those recipes.Now, our sp
Fact is, what we have here is failure to communicate.See, this photo may show the tender, marinated vegan chicken strips, the Daiya cheddar, and the fresh avocado that made this dinner exceptional; and yet it still doesn't really illustrate how good this recipe is. The warm tortilla hides the three different types of peppers, the red onions and the mushrooms that were essential to this remarkable
Sometimes you just get what you need.The other morning I woke up and thought: "I'd love to watch a detective story that has something to do with submarines while I drink my coffee today."And you know what? I stumbled across a random episode of a CSI-type of show with Mark Harmon as a Navy FBI/police-type-person (?) that... guess what? Solved The Mystery of the Sailor Swap on a submarine!This morni
Why hellooo, little Garden Patch Saute & Vegan Chicken Nicose. What's a fancy French dinner like you doing in a blog about Betty Crocker?One of the things I love the most about Betty is that mixed in with the Cheeseburger Pies and Patty Melts are some pretty schamncy dishes that you'd expect to find at one of the upscale vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants in LA or NYC. Chicken Nicoise is
We've already seen Pizza Burgers and Pizza Dip. We all enjoyed the Stuffed Crust Pizza and the Ranchero Pizza. I still think about that White Pizza some nights when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. But the other day, I found another recipe for The League of Extraordinary Pizzas that we're developing here. If you're following along in your own Betty Crocker Cookbook, you can find this under Easy
We recently made a purchase that has changed our mornings for good. And let's face it: having a better morning can change your life.We got a coffee grinder. Dan has been grinding us fresh coffee every morning, and the difference is just lovely. Now, there's a running joke in our family that I don't really drink coffee; I drink coffee-flavored soy milk. I'll admit it; I like my coffee to taste like
About a lifetime ago, Lisa Simpson (one of our favorite animated vegans) traveled into the future and almost married a yellow floppy-haired Hugh Grant British type. The date of that never-to-be wedding was... YESTERDAY! GASP! Yes folks, the future is here! Where's my flying car and robot dog/vacuum cleaner*?Well, while I wait for technology to catch up, let's anounce the winners of The Herbivore M
I would like to introduce you to my lunch today: Betty's Rustic Avocado Baguette Sandwich with a side of baby carrots.I won't lie: if there were a Sandwich Hall of Fame, this fella would be in there all like this. If there were a Little Miss Sandwich Pageant, this sandwich would be in there all like this. If there were a Fellowship of The Sandwich, this sandwich would be in there all like this.I'm
You knew it was coming when you read "Georgia" and "Farmer's Markets"... the Fresh Peach Recipe!I debated making a crisp or pie or some kind of other yummy baked treat. But the thing is, you can use frozen peaches for those, or you need to add sugar or agave nectar, and these beauties are just perfect on their own. This recipe can only be made with fresh peaches, and really brings out their flavor
I recently read an article written by a woman who had been married for five years and worked in the wedding-planning industry. She started with a brief summary of their courtship. Of course, it had the arc of any good love story. There was the lighting bolt "love at first sight", the standard "we broke up once", and the "happy ending" wedding. But that's when she pointed out that, well, obviously
Around the time I moved from DC to Norfolk, Dan and I started talking about driving to Savannah, GA for the weekend. We talked about seeing the mossy trees and walking along the river. We planned trips to see lighthouses and Civil War forts. We researched the vegan spots in town, and we planned on just kinda hanging out with each other. I mean, what's more fun than a day trip with your best friend
Butterscotch & Chocolate Breakfast, with a side of Love for one of our favorite Vegan Bloggers: QuarryGirl.I learned something new about my marriage recently: one of Dan's favorite desserts is pudding, and I can make some pretty tasty vegan puddings! YAY! +10 Soul Mate points!*We recently asked folks on Facebook and Twitter what flavor of vegan pudding they wanted a recipe for. The response wa
I don't really buy into the concept of "Guilty Pleasures". I don't save cupcakes for special occasions and I love bad TV. Give me a day of Lifetime made-for-TV movies, full of Tori Spelling, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Richard Greico, and I'm a happy gal. I freely admit I'll read almost any book with a vampire in it, no matter how pulpy or melodramatic or just down right dirty. Believe me, some of
Oh, good morning little cupcake!Aggie*, our bittiest Shannon, likes to bring me presents. She does it all day, every day. She brings me plastic bags, toy mice, dirty socks from the hamper... once she even brought me a shoe. And, if you've ever seen how small she is, you know that took real willpower--and like five minutes to drag it from the living room closet. I appreciate Agatha's determination,
Still working on the pudding photos, cupcake decorating and other such yumminess... as well as a write up of our latest adventure!Stay tuned.OX
Image by Klas FahlénI owe you one cupcake recipe. Please expect this over the weekend. See, I was going to bake them last night, but yesterday was a pretty big day for me. IDA rescued 55 long-tailed macaque monkeys from a research lab in New Jersey, and I was working until after 10pm. Then I sat down to find the recipe in Big Red and instead found Army of Darkness on TV. I did a little happy dance
A few weeks ago we launched our Family Album - a reoccurring segment on Meet The Shannons for your feedback and photos of Meet The Shannons recipes. Today's post is from Shannon Radke - the Owner and Bakery Mastermind behind the infamous Cinnaholic. They'll be opening their 100% Vegan Gourmet Cinnamon Roll Shop at 2132 Oxford Street in Berkeley, CA this weekend and you're going to want to
It has been brought to our attention that people prefer blog entries that are "more personal". So this is a pretty personal entry for me. When I was little - around kindergarden - I had a deep clandestine love for My Little Ponies and was running an extortion scam to get them. See, I didn't get the school thing at first. There is a family anecdote about my father sitting me down to talk about
OK - So you're going to look this recipe up and say "Wow! Those Shannons really made a lot of changes!"In our defense, it is a 3 cheese pizza...and we like to eat good food and if we can make something great, well we're going to do it.This recipe is great, takes about 20 minutes to make and will feed 2 people or 1 very hungry person. Yesterday I blogged your eyes off with a ton of chatter so - Let
There comes this point in the life of every relationship when the topic of babies comes up. OK, maybe not every relationship but these days babies are all the rage around here and that opening sentence sounded better than: Sometimes there are a lot of babies.People are having babies and asking when we're having a baby and there are baby showers, baby food challenges on Top Chef and I find myself c
Dan and I are a pretty normal American married couple* - kinda textbook really.We watch Top Chef. We talk about taking trips to sunny-beachy places and on the weekends take road trips to American Historical Landmarks. We listen to NPR in the morning and recycle. Last night, we played a board game about escaping zombie hoards and ate vegan pork chops. Maybe this weekend we might hit up Target and T
It's been almost a year since Dan and I invited a handful of friends and family to Lynch Park to witness us make a public lifelong commitment to each other. I could rattle on about the how the dresses, shoes, ties, suits - whatever - were all cruelty-free. No wool or silk anything and my dress was second hand. I made my veil myself to look like this one I saw Sophia Loren in. I also won't bo
It does seem a little silly to make tofu look like an egg. But what's wrong with silly?This morning, I watched Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead while I drank my coffee. I was enjoying some deja vu with my Richard Dreyfus and Gary Oldman. See a few years ago, I wrote a simple little blog entry on another blog (posted below). It's really just a blip about drinking coffee, this movie, death and
There is a very long list of things I love. It's a pretty random and varied list full of wonderful little gems. Things like a good true red lipstick or dogs that prance rather than walk. I love Muppet Yoda so much more than CGI Yoda. I love a new take on a classic tattoo and chilled bottle of San Pellegrino. I really love a gleeful guffaw. Of course, Dan makes the list and so does a nice brunch
Awhile back I kinda freaked out about the vegan version of Betty's Caesar Salad Dressing. I mean I talked and talked about it for days. When people came over for Passover - I talked their faces off about how much I loved this salad dressing. Seriously - No Faces! I publicly broke up with Paul Newman because of this salad dressing. This salad dressing is that good.So I was sitting there looking at
4th of July Red & Blueberry Banana Muffins by Katie Willheim So we reached that stage where we need to "test" our recipes because even though we're making them and like them - well - there might be something in the way the recipe communicates the steps or different ovens bake differently - whatever. So we have started The Family Album! The Family Album is going to be a reoccurring segment
I keep starting and erasing blog posts on the following subjects :Why I'm happy Dan isn't a vampire. Vampire/Human romantic relationships always seem so dramatic and dysfunctional. Why robots are cool because they are vegan but how a misplaced affection for them may someday lead to our destruction in a Robo-Apocalypse. What Superheroes I suspect would go vegan if there was a way to get these brown
Sometimes we come across some of the Betty recipes that make us ask ourselves...Does this really need a recipe? The thing is that we don't make the rules and if Betty says this is a recipe well then it is. Also, some people are beginners or whatever...so if this is helpful for you...that's good enough for me! This was a delicious dinner. Next time I think I'll add some fake chicken or maybe some a
So this weekend we had a Shannon Invasion!Dan's parents and little sister came down from Boston and NYC to hangout at the beach, watch some soccer and celebrate his dad's birthday/retirement/belated Father's Day - A Perfect Storm Celebration with the Virginia Shannons. Yes - The US team is out of the World Cup and that was a bummer but you have to admit Ghana's keeper is a talented player. I mean
