Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan)
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan) is crazy delicious and easy! Yesterday, I was by myself for about 2 hours, a total rarity in life, and decided to take advantage of this randomly awesome moment and shoot some amazing eats! I drank red wine and danced around the kitchen listening to Billie Holiday. I truly did this. And, it felt sublimely amazing. “You Go to My Head” is one of my all time favorite tunes. I put it on repeat. 😉 I need more of these moments in life for sure! Not to say I don’t love my little guy to the freakin’ moon, but mama needs a break sometimes, too. Some me time. So, yesterday was suh-weet!
This recipe uses an arrabiata sauce (homemade recipe coming soon), and creamy vegan cheese sauce. You can buy a creamy vegan cheese OR you can make it yourself. If you’re looking for a recipe, I used mine from my Creamy Vegan Mac n’ Cheese recipe. I used Lisanatti Almond Mozzarella Cheese and shredded it for the top of the pasta bake. This is a simple but incredibly flavorful recipe!
Side Note: Upon reheating, I put the pasta in a sauce pan on medium, added a Tbl of Tofutti Cream Cheese, dash of garlic powder, flick of the wrist of olive oil, and crisped that baby up! A pasta that actually tasted just as good, if not better, reheated! One for the win! Mangia, my friends. 😉
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- Approximately 24 oz arrabiata sauce (can sub out for marinara) - a garlicky option is best
- Approximately 24 oz creamy vegan cheese (I used my recipe from my vegan mac n' cheese)
- Approximately 1 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Lisanatti)
- Fresh basil to taste (chopped) and for garnish
- Boil pasta and preheat oven to 350f
- On the bottom of an oven safe pan, smear both sauces and add spaghetti
- Top spaghetti with both sauces
- Continue this pattern until pasta has run out
- Top the pasta with more sauce, shredded vegan mozzarella, and fresh chopped basil
- Cover pasta with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes
- Enjoy!
- Sangiovese
A Series of Poems on Motherhood
Dear Moms (and Dads),
Here is a snippet from my upcoming book, “One More Sip of Whine.” It is 5 different styles of poems – mostly humorous. #3 is my particular fave. I have no doubt that you can relate! Parenthood is the craziest hood you’ll ever roll through. My goal was to express that in 5 short poems. I’d love your opinions before the editing of the book is completed so please leave comments! Enjoy the read!
Some Mothering Poems to You, From Me
1- Roses Are Black
Roses are red, violets are blue,
Someone took over your life that was you.
Roses are red, violets are blue,
Your days are now filled with pee pee and poo.
Roses are black, violets are dead,
Deep down you must know you are out of your head.
2- A Haiku of Truth
Like thunder, their roar
Rain, your tears that start to pour
Scream, shriek, more, more, MORE!
3- A Tangled Slew of Rhyming Words
Shitting, pissing, screaming, unfit
Mommy shouting daddy “fuck it!”
Penis, ‘gina, keep your hands off!
Headaches, hormones, “need a wet cloth!”
Dolls that make shit tons of noise,
Oops! Mom broke those talking toys!
What the fuck was one and done?
I should’ve said “boy run or none!”
Thomas, Blippi, Tayo, Poli,
Oops! Mom ‘broke’ the fucking TV!
I want, I want, I want, MOMMY!
I give, I give, MY SANITY!
Hitter, biter, licker, kicker
Bruises, scratches, ice packs, LIQUOR!
Try to cook and then relax,
Mama needs her pills, XANAX!
Knock it over, pick it up!
Someone needs a bigger cup!
Tissues, boogers, burps, and farts,
Legos missing favorite parts,
Bath/story/bedtime blues,
Redundancy turns into booze,
I do not want green eggs and ham!
Shove it, be a fuckin’ man!
Brush your own teeth! Go to bed!
Where is my mind, I’ve lost my head…
4- A Cozy Couplet
Baby brewing in the womb
Sanity is leaving soon
5- Acrostic Poem for Dummies
Brainless act in Shanghai
Aspire for perfection – fail and sigh
Body shaming boobies – Buh-bye!
Your youth is gone – a new one – arise
5 Easy & Delicious Vegan Asian Inspired Meals
5 Easy & Delicious Vegan Asian Inspired Meals is a compilation of recipes from my blog that I totally love! Going vegan from veg-head a few months ago has been amazing for me. I have loads of energy (pumpin’ my B12’s of course) and a lot less belly bloat. I remember, many moons ago, this being the case when I was vegan for 2 years. Asian food is a fabulous foundation for vegans because there is rarely any dairy (Indian food aside and sans meat of course) involved. So many flavors and veggies to play around and experiment with. I often do ‘inspired’ meals. For example, my Mexican Sushi Rolls. I am definitely not a ‘by the book’ kind of gal. I like to mix it up and use whatever ingredients are in my fridge. When you read my recipes, I encourage you to take your own creative license with them as well.
Get some chopsticks out, prepare to make yourself a hot and saucy mess, get together with friends, chow down with the fam, drink well, chat well, eat well, and appreciate the amazing conversations and moments that come from the kitchen to the table. Life is short. A recent and heavy loss reminded me of this, and she lived a beautiful 93 years. I’ll always have our family meals… politics, humor, tales from the times etc. In many Asian cultures, food is a time to be together. Click on the light green title of the recipe below the pic for the link to the recipe, and serve up your own good times and traditions… let the memories begin!
RIP, grandma. You’re my woman amongst all women. I’ll carry you with me forever and always. XOXO
Chocolate Covered Fruit – Vegan!
So there’s no trick to making the easiest thing in the world. I thought I’d post my pics of my chocolate covered fruit because they were delicious and made me feel better about giving my kid sweets. I have this thing about sugar. Especially about giving sugar to my almost 3 year old. Outside of soda, I think it’s the worst thing in the world for your body. Anything in moderation? Sure! I’m not that crazy, but I don’t get down with loads of sugar for the soul. Have some soup. I am a savory girl, not a sweet girl. If you offered me a gigantic Belgian chocolate bar or an everything bagel, I’d choose the bagel every time. Nothing gets in the way of me and a good carb! Just ask my wardrobe that hangs so beautifully in my closet wondering when their owner will get her growing rear to the gym so that they may make an appearance in the outside world again. Sigh… winter is coming, I have loads of amazing pants but let’s just say they’re not lookin’ so fly. Of course, I write this as I am promoting a delicious dessert. 😉
My kiddo has been asking for donuts like crazy. Obviously, I’m not going to satisfy that hunger every time he begs, so I wanted to make him something different to get his mind out of the donut gutter. As you all know, I hate to waste food! I looked in my fridge and fruit bowl, and noticed I had a ton of good fruit about to go south. This is when the chocolate covered fruit lightbulb went on. The rest is delicious history. Start melting your sugars away…
- 1 vegan chocolate bar
- 1 handful of honey roasted peanuts - crushed
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- A variety of fruits - I used bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and 1 peach
- Melt your chocolate
- Dip fruits in chocolate and scatter coconut and peanuts on top
- Let cool for a few minutes
- Done!
- Sparkling Rose
- Red Zinfandel
- Port
Mexican Vegan Sushi Rolls!
Mexican Vegan Sushi Rolls! are so incredibly healthy, easy, and delicious. I wanted to do something unique with my nori rolls so I looked at what I had to get rid of in my fridge, and this idea rolled (hehe) right into my head. I had whipped up some fire roasted hot sauce last week with my various hot peppers that are pouring out of my garden. I smothered the inside (and out) with it. Of course, using store bought hot sauce will be just as amazing. From there, I added my sushi rice, and everything else from the recipe card below…
Everyone always assumes that I don’t eat sushi because I’m veg. Sushi is an awesome veggie or vegan food! You can put absolutely anything in it. The weirder the rolls, the better. At least in my humble opinion. 😉 Carrots, cucumbers, and avocado. That is primarily the “it” veggie sushi roll. Screw that! Shove some buffalo patties, chives, and pinto beans in there! Why not use tofu or tempeh? Go Italian style with some amazing Tofurky Sun-dried tomato/basil sausages and more. Go Greek with olives, tomato, and hummus, think of throwing some kind of veggie patty or a falafel in there! There’s no end to what you can roll into your nori. Obviously, swishing it down with some hot saki is highly recommended, or even encouraged. I live near a saki factory where you can go and taste the amazing flavors that sakis have to offer. Pretty dope! If I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m in love with living in Oregon again. Five years in China and I’m extra freakin’ in love with this orgasmic place! I get asked all the time why in the world I don’t live in New York (my home state), and I have one answer: The Pacific Northwest rocks!
Mexican Vegan Sushi Rolls! should be on your list of things to make this week. In addition to some cocktails, Halloween decorations, jack-o’-laterns, and costumes of course. 😉 Eat up and enjoy!
- 4 Nori wraps
- 3/4 C cooked sushi rice
- 1 vegan buffalo chicken patty (I use Boca) cut into strips
- 1 slice vegan cheese (I used Field Roast Chao - Tomato Cayenne) cut into strips
- A handful of chives cut in half
- 8 slices of cucumber
- 8 slices of carrot
- Optional: avocado slices (recommended) & cilantro to taste
- Pinto beans to taste (I dived 3/4 of a can)
- Hot sauce for inside and out - to taste
- Optional: Everything bagel seasoning for a garnish (I used Everything But The Bagel from Trader Joe's)
- Top each sushi roll with rice (split evenly among all 4 rolls)
- Add hot sauce on each roll (to your taste)
- Add beans
- Add cheese and buffalo patty
- Add carrots and cucumbers
- If using, add avocado and cilantro now
- Add chives
- Roll them up and lightly rub with water then sprinkle with everything seasoning
- Garnish with hot sauce
- Feel free to squeeze a fresh lime over those rolls!
- Hot saki OR Hefeweizen, Witbier, American Ales