Weekly Rewind~Easter Edition

Are you excited for Easter weekend? I know my kids sure are! This week’s rewind is all about Easter. I’ve included both vegan foods as well as some other cute stuff I found around the internet. For even more Easter themed fun, check out my Easter Pinterest Board!

How cute is this guy? This zombie-style Easter bunny plush by HenryStMartin is a humorous addition to your Easter collection. You buy the zombie plush separately, but to add an Easter holiday touch to it, you can buy the zombie’s costume for $12 + shipping.

Super cute, super easy hats for your kids (or kid at heart)! Head on over to One Perfect Day for complete instructions and a free template!

Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? Check out this awesome vegan peanut butter egg from Sjaak’s Organic. Yum, yum!

Look, it’s a vegan bunny and eggs! Allison’s Gourmet doesn’t disappoint with this adorable vegan chocolate bunny speckled with rice crisps and flavored solid chocolate eggs.

These savory herbed shortbread with pesto filled thumbprints from Glue and Glitter sound like the perfect Easter appetizer to me.

Avocados are a staple in all vegan diets and this Chilled Avocado Soup from She Knows Vegan looks amazing!

I don’t think that lasagna is a traditional Easter dinner but it should be! This Vegan Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheeze from Oh She Glows is incredible! My omnivore family devoured the whole pan.

I’ve always been intimidated by risotto, especially after watching Hell’s Kitchen and hearing Gordon Ramsay yelling at the chefs every. episode. that the risotto is CRAP! However, Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack assures me that this Asparagus Portabella Risotto is not to be feared.

I think every vegan eats tempeh or tofu on a fairly regular basis, so Easter should be no different. These Miso Tofu or Tempeh logs from Kathy Patalsky look mighty tasty to me.

We can’t have a complete Easter without delicious desserts now can we? Isn’t this cake gorgeous? The original post is in Finnish so some of the ingredients are probably hard to find in the States, but I fell in love with the photos, so here is the cake!

These Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars from Chef Amber Shea should not even be legal! Seriously.

What are your plans for Easter? Do you have an Easter Egg hunt? Do you host a big brunch or dinner for your family?

Magic Mushroom Soup and Gravy {vegan}

No, no, not that kind of magic mushroom!
I have made this soup numerous times, tweaking and adjusting each time, until I felt that I have finally found the perfect recipe. You will find that this soup is magical because it can also be used as a gravy, simply reduce the amount of liquid you add.

I’ve made this as a gravy and poured it over millet for a hearty winter-y meal, though any grain such as brown rice or quinoa would work wonderfully as well. This magical soup & gravy is a great vessel for greens too. I’ve used both kale and spinach successfully, you could use collards or chard, if that is your preference, simply add the greens in at the end of cooking.

Ingredients:
Adapted from New York in Green
Makes 4 to 8 servings

• 1 small onion; chopped
• 1 (4 oz.) container of wild bunch mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, oyster), sliced
• 1 (8 oz.) container of baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (8 oz.) container of button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/8-1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (add amount based on your preferred saltiness)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary**, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
  

Method:

• Sauté the onions in a little oil until they are soft and translucent, I used coconut oil.
• Add in all of the mushroom slices. Cook them down for several minutes; then add the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, rosemary, lemon pepper, and paprika.
• Once the mushrooms are cooked down,stir in your flour. Do this quickly and once it is in don’t delay, stir it to ensure to no clumps form, creating a mushroom paste.
• Add in the stock once you get your paste at an even consistency, about 1/2 cup at a time. Bring the mixture up to a simmer.
• Keep adding the stock,1/2 cup at a time, bringing to a simmer each. Follow the same procedure with the almond milk, adding 1/2 cup at a time. Be careful always to only bring to a simmer, never to a boil. If the soup boils, it will “break” – the flour will separate from the oil it has bonded to, and each will float at the surface of your soup in weird little bubble pods instead of infusing it and making it creamy.
• Once all four cups of liquid have been added, let the pot simmer (simmer not boil!) for ten to fifteen minutes.
• Turn off heat; let sit five to ten minutes before serving.
  

**If you have dried dill, I highly recommend you try using it instead of the rosemary. Both will work beautifully, but I prefer the dill to the rosemary.**

Are you a mushroom fan? I love mushrooms. I will eat them any way I can get them, but this soup has become a favorite.

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You can check out even more great recipes at Buns In My Oven!

Weekly Rewind~Valentine’s Day Edition

Happy Valentine’s Day! I thought it would be fun to share all the yummy Valentine’s recipes I’ve been seeing around the blogosphere this week for the weekly rewind.

Let’s get started with drinks shall we?

Blood Orange Sangria from How Sweet It Is

{Source: How Sweet It Is}

Red Velvet Smoothie with Cashew Cream Filling from Keepin’ It Kind

{Source: Keepin’ It Kind}

Can I interest you in some appetizers?

Beet Ginger Coconut Soup from A Farmer in the Dell

{Source: A Farmer in the Dell}

Go-To Kale Salad from Oh She Glows

{Source: Oh She Glows}

Next for the entree..

Chana Masala from The Post Punk Kitchen

{Source: The PPK}

Spaghetti & No-Meatballs from The Lunchbox Bunch

{Source: Kathy Patalsky}

And now for my favorite part of any meal, dessert!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Strawberry Truffles from Fork & Beans

{Source: Fork & Beans}

Strawberry Shortcake with a Coconut Whipped Cream Topping from One Green Planet

{Source: One Green Planet}

What do you do for Valentine’s Day? Do you go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant with your love? Or do you prefer to make a sinfully delicious dinner in the comfort of your own home? I prefer staying home with my husband and three kids.