Vegan No Bake Cookies!!!

Guess what, the semester's almost over. That means I'm seriously (seriously) even though my own boyfriend doesn't believe me seriously going to do this blog!! Look, I'm going to start right now. I've been trying to research really HEALTHY eating but am CRAVING some dessert foods.. I decided to look up no-bake cookies when I realized that I have a BUNCH of oatmeal leftover from a previous roommate. (I HATE oatmeal but I LOVE oatmeal cookies.)

So, I found this simple, vegan, no bake (I just used a microwave for the whole heating thing) cookie recipe on this vegan forum. Thanks!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

2 tablespoons of E.B. or another butter substitute
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
dash salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter (optional: add more to taste and increase the oatmeal) - I personally used soynut butter - but any nut butter will do.
1 1/2 cups UNCOOKED oatmeal
-heat butter until the butter is melted. Add 1/4 cup cocoa and blend until the cocoa is dissolved into the butter.
-Add the sugar, milk and salt. Blend well.
-bring ingredients to a full boil. You want a full boil, but because it will continue to cook for awhile once it's removed from heat, heating it too long can cause the mixture to scorch.)
-Add the vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal. Stir well. Drop by tablespoon-full on waxed paper and allow to cool.

They are absolutely delicious!! I used vanilla soymilk (maybe this helped since I didn't actually have any vanilla but I use it for everything, even mashed potatoes.) As an added sweetener, I poured in some agave nectar. I used my new favorite earth balance soy-free butter and tahini nut butter instead of peanutbutter (which I happened to be out of). I probably used at least 4 times the peanutbutter it called for.. it helps make them thicker plus I am a huge fan!!! Try them out, delicious :D

p.s. makes more than shown above but i'm currently chowing down on the rest of the mixture. I would also usually use almond milk but my grocery store was out--but that would make them soy free as well!

Exciting things Happening

Time to mention them even though I know I won't blog for another month..ugh.

Veg Fest is this Saturday!! It's going to be awesome. Free vegan food, adoptions, musicians, speakers, artists, eco-friendly exhibitors, etc. Marc and I are volunteering at the Children's booth (reading and coloring, killer!!) :D Dr. Tauber and Dr. Ponticelli are both announcing it in their classes and I've written to some other organizations as well aaand, made a handy dandy Facebook event.

Other happenings: heard back from HSUS and Drew regarding our Dissection Alternative campaign on campus.

Entering a vegan chili competition.... a few other things in the making.

This week we went to Boca Fiesta and Karma Cream TWO days in a row. They have new fried okra as well as stir fry veggies with vegan queso. TO DIE FOR!! The vegan cookie dough icecream is so so good. They even have all the toppings: vegan whipped cream, chocolate, marshmallows, etc.

Then, we went to Mellow Mushroom on Marc's birthday and got some killer calzones. All this after visiting the Ethos Vegan Kitchen for my birthday!! I'll have to get some pictures on here soon.

We just got new fancy "grown-up" aka Android phones so I need to figure out how to send the pictures online/to facebook.

School is going well. I am suuuper busy. 20 (really 17) credit hours and the Prez for SPEAK but I love it.

Finally went down to 20 hours at work.

Driving to PA next weekend for a few days, to see Anti-Flag and Jamin.

Marc has a show this Saturday and Friday we're going to Howl-O-Scream.

Chinese is going well, today was shaky but I'm halfway decent at it at least for a beginner.

Cleaning the begeezers outta the house incase Jamin comes back. Going well, our kitchen is FULL of stuff we're getting rid of. I'm liking it. There is MORE stuff in our room (added a desk, some craft stuff drawers, etc. yet I think it looks bigger and cleaner than before. What gives?

Plenty to do, over and out til later :)

Shout Out to Taco Bus!!

This is Taco Bus. Yes, it's a bus. (with a sit-in area on the side and around back)

They are open 24/7 and have not only delicious grilled tofu BUT

VEGAN STEAK STRIPS and

Butternut Squash Tostadas.

Thank you, taco bus. http://www.tampatacobus.com

It's not a Snuggie.

So funny, Frances and I had mentioned wanting Snuggies (yet feel horrible joining the Snuggie bandwagon). Really, they are a great design! Those who are not avid readers just don't understand. Last night we went to get Italian Ice and then walked around the stores (Marc's trying to find some new shorts). The first thing I see is......



Mine! hahaha, and it's not a Snuggie! Technically. Either way, I can now read peacefully on the cold, winter nights. I wish they had two because I would have gotten Frances one. Maybe we can share custody.

Then we went to Sally's and I got some purple haze hair dye.. not sure exactly what I want to do to my hair but I GUESS I'm growing it out again.. I usually get really bored with my hair which is why I always end up chopping it off. I used to dye it orange here and there but now that I have a job that wants you to look """PROFESSIONAL""" I can't--unless I go back to the wig I wore when I had a mohawk (ha). Maybe I could just use the 'punky professional' dye Marc told me about-harhar-

Current hair (after being out in the hothotheat)

kind of a weird growing out shortness

I also made shorts out of a pair of teal pants I had...just TOO much teal to cover all of my legs, idk. Plus I need some shorts-added a Cobra Skulls patch to the back pocket (which I still need to do another run through with needle and thread) and voila! shorts :) and they're the perfect length.



work 11-8 talk about ruining your day..

my favorite vegan noodles & gravy dish

Note: I used to eat noodles and gravy as a kid like nobody's business!! Everytime I went to Grandma's I wanted noodles and gravy. Here is my vegan swing on things.


P.S. I had already eaten almost half of the noodles and used less than 1/2 can gravy!! So when I explain my servings, the bowl had been full to the top with noodles...

Besides the fact that everyone at work is starting their 'diet' this week, I'm starting to really look into what we're eating and how to create the perfect, well-rounded vegan meals. I thought I was doing the right thing by buying these 'tricolor' noodles .. (maybe pasta in general is just really THIS packed full of carbs) .. but here is the breakdown of what I was making tonight.

Ingredients:
1 box tricolor twisty noodles
1 can Campbell's mushroom gravy
1 bag Gardein "beefless" beef tips

The noodles are pretty crazy:
328 carbs
56 grams of protein,
1680 calories,
8 grams of fat.
I probably eat 1/3the box at a time that makes it..
109 carbs,
19g protein
560 calories,
<3g fat
mushroom gravy is.. (whole can)..
5 grams of fat,
100 calories,
15 carbs..
cut in 1/2,
2.5 grams of fat,
50 calories,
7.5 carbs. not bad.

beeftips
45g protein,
17.5 carbs,
6g fat,
300 calories....
soooo in half again
22.5 grams protein,
8.75 carbs,
3g fat,
150 calories.


GRAND TOTAL: (1/3 regular box of noodles, 1/2 can gravy, half bag beeftips)


41.5g protein (someone my weight should eat a little under 50g a day optimally, so almost done this meal alone ;D)

125 carbs--not terrible but still more than Marc should have in one meal (diabetic, supposed to have about 75carbs three times a day)

about 8g fat--really good I think!!!

1010 calories (half daily intake) which seems a lot but dinner IS my biggest meal of the day


Hmm.. I need to go look at pastas and see if there's anything with lower carbs that would be better for us to eat. I do like that it is high in protein, though.