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. 😉 

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Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan)
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan) is delicious, easy, quick, and healthy! What's not to love? Chow down with some pasta eats. Great for a nice soiree with friends and family. Enjoy!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
  2. Approximately 24 oz arrabiata sauce (can sub out for marinara) - a garlicky option is best
  3. Approximately 24 oz creamy vegan cheese (I used my recipe from my vegan mac n' cheese)
  4. Approximately 1 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Lisanatti)
  5. Fresh basil to taste (chopped) and for garnish
Instructions
  1. Boil pasta and preheat oven to 350f
  2. On the bottom of an oven safe pan, smear both sauces and add spaghetti
  3. Top spaghetti with both sauces
  4. Continue this pattern until pasta has run out
  5. Top the pasta with more sauce, shredded vegan mozzarella, and fresh chopped basil
  6. Cover pasta with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes
  7. Enjoy!
Pair with
  1. Sangiovese
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In the Garden with Greyson

It’s fall and my garden is dying. Being in NY for 6 days last week definitely put the wilt in full gear. I’m salvaging what’s left! Greyson’s new love is to play in the back of the garden, which he calls his “digging site.” It’s freakin’ adorable! He wore my wireless headphones today because he said it’s what construction workers wear. Then he pours water on his rubber ball in hopes that he’s helping it grow. I can’t with the cute factor! I made an AMAZING vegan pasta bake today that I will post tomorrow. When it was cooling off, G-dog and I hit up the garden for good times and some salvation. Sorry for the obscene amount of pictures, but what can I say? I used my most favorite subject today! For that, I kinda renege on my ‘sorry’. 😉 

I would LOVE for people to post pics in my comment section of what their veggie gardens currently look like! I didn’t plant for fall. Regret city. I’ve got some garlic growing that I planted way too late and hoping it makes it all the way up before a wintery death. I wanted to plant it because garlic looks super cool when grown! You’ll see pics of it rising from the ground next to the fence.

Love my garden, love my lil’ guy, and had an incredible and incredibly warm/beautiful Oregon day today. Thankful to be outta the smog of Beijing and in the the clear skies of Portland. Come back tomorrow for my pasta bake post! Alright, it’s cocktail time. Until tomorrow! 

PS- Any other bloggers use WordPress? If so, my color editing neeevvveerrr comes through on my pictures when posted on my blog – only filters work. Major disappointment! How can I fix this? Help puh-lease!!! -FGG

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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

*Found on Google images via PopSugar @ popsugar.com

*Found on Google images via PopSugar @ popsugar.com

 

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

Asian

 

 

 

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…

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Chocolate Covered Fruit - Vegan!
A delicious variety of chocolate covered fruits scattered with honey roasted peanuts and shredded coconut. A quick and easy vegan dessert!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 vegan chocolate bar
  2. 1 handful of honey roasted peanuts - crushed
  3. 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  4. A variety of fruits - I used bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and 1 peach
Instructions
  1. Melt your chocolate
  2. Dip fruits in chocolate and scatter coconut and peanuts on top
  3. Let cool for a few minutes
  4. Done!
Pair with
  1. Sparkling Rose
  2. Red Zinfandel
  3. Port
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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!

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Mexican Vegan Sushi Rolls!
Yields 4
Mexican Vegan Sushi Rolls! are incredibly healthy, easy, and delicious! Get creative with your nori rolls and dive into a vegan flavor explosion in the form of sushi!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 Nori wraps
  2. 3/4 C cooked sushi rice
  3. 1 vegan buffalo chicken patty (I use Boca) cut into strips
  4. 1 slice vegan cheese (I used Field Roast Chao - Tomato Cayenne) cut into strips
  5. A handful of chives cut in half
  6. 8 slices of cucumber
  7. 8 slices of carrot
  8. Optional: avocado slices (recommended) & cilantro to taste
  9. Pinto beans to taste (I dived 3/4 of a can)
  10. Hot sauce for inside and out - to taste
  11. Optional: Everything bagel seasoning for a garnish (I used Everything But The Bagel from Trader Joe's)
Instructions
  1. Top each sushi roll with rice (split evenly among all 4 rolls)
  2. Add hot sauce on each roll (to your taste)
  3. Add beans
  4. Add cheese and buffalo patty
  5. Add carrots and cucumbers
  6. If using, add avocado and cilantro now
  7. Add chives
  8. Roll them up and lightly rub with water then sprinkle with everything seasoning
  9. Garnish with hot sauce
Notes
  1. Feel free to squeeze a fresh lime over those rolls!
Pair with
  1. Hot saki OR Hefeweizen, Witbier, American Ales
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