My Blissful Journey

I'm Still Around...

2019-11-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to say that I'm still around but life has thrown me more curve balls!

I'm trying to deal with things. I'm trying to work on myself and my stress, anxiety, and depression. I have taken a step to work on that. In the last couple of months - DH had a set back from his surgery and battled an infection. We lost my step-father-in-law. My mother had 2 surgeries to take care of her skin cancer.

My sleep issues aren't really getting better which contributes to even more problems.

Having said that...there are some great things happening and things to be grateful for! They were able to get my mother's skin cancer in ONE LAYER. She's healing now.

My niece is keeping things interesting and joyful. I get a kick out of her. She really IS my world. I adore her more than words can express.

This group of ladies has been a real comfort in trying times. My Zontian Sisters! This is a bunch of us celebrating Zonta International's 100th Birthday. We received the traveling flag and signed it.

I'm really feeling YOGA calling my name the last several months to a year but I'm having a hell-of-a-time getting back into it. I'm trying to at least start with 1-minute breathing/meditations. I'm not sure that has really helped, to be honest.

My pain has returned but I'm convinced it's stress related.

Sorry to be such a Debbie-Downer.

Hopefully, I will be my crazy blogging self again soon!

Oh Deer & Girl Power!

2019-10-18T04:45:00.001-07:00

Yet another bump in the road! This time around - my mini disappearance had to do with health issues for DH and surgery and re-coop and the last couple of days me fighting an awful mutant head cold or sinus issue. But...I'm back!

Last month, a few of the Zonta Club Members participated in a 5k Run/1k Fun Walk to benefit CASA. It was their annual Superohero 5K Fundraiser and dressing up was encouraged. We had special Zonta T-Shirts and our Pres accessorized with Wonder Woman garb. Super COOL!

Cricket has been stuck to me like glue the last several weeks. Sometimes I can get the cutest pictures of her while she's on my lap in the evening!

I'm blanking when it comes to where I found these somewhat recently but I knew I had to grab them! I'm thinking it was either Tops or Wegmans because those are the places I've been the last several weeks. Maybe Walmart???

Maybe it WAS Walmart because I remember finding THIS at Walmart the last time I went and was pretty shocked to see several items were new there that were also vegan!

I know I grabbed that at Wegman's! I've had 2 or 3 other NEW Amy's Wraps, too! LOVING that Amy's is coming out with more new vegan options!

I've still been doing a lot of traveling with my job and I am sure that will keep up. Another thing I have been doing more of lately is taking video footage for TV news reports. Last week I grabbed video at a local festival, 2 area football games, a local apartment fire, and more...and they were all featured somehow!

These last two photos were taken from my car window. YES...I was completely stopped and I normally wouldn't even THINK about grabbing my phone to take a pic in a situation like this BUT I had been sitting there a while because these 3 deer wouldn't move. They were in the middle of the road and I was lucky enough to see them and could stop BUT once I stopped they didn't move. Because of the road I was on I knew someone would hit them so after moments of them not moving I laid on the horn and 2 out of the 3 eventually ran in to the woods. The 3rd slowly followed. They were all safe...THANK GOD!

OH! By the way...I slightly changed the look of the blog...what do you think?

Havana Shakedown Wrap & Votes For Women Festivities

2019-10-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

It's been another rough couple of days but I don't really want to talk about the negatives. I'm really trying to focus on the positives but it's getting harder and harder.

A few weeks ago what I tried to do to 'get out of my funk' was to stop at a vegetarian place in Jamestown that I had not been to in a while. Years ago I blogged about it. The place is called The Labyrinth. The wrap that you see here is what I had for lunch while I was in town for work. They call it the Havana Shakedown. It has beans, avocado, seasoned rice, sun seeds, carrots, spinach, tomato, onion, agave, lime, and hot sauce in it. YUM!

Not too long ago I found these at ALDI. They were pretty tasty.

Now on to some photos from the Votes For Women Festivities in our area. In case you haven't seen my other VOTES FOR WOMEN posts...we have been doing a lot of celebrating and will continue to celebrate thru 2020...for the 100 years of Women's Right To Vote.

In this photo (above) you will see a replica of an old poster and clipped to the bottom left a photo of my niece from the rally we had back in June. The other ladies in our local Suffrage Centennial Committee surprised me with her photo the one day!

We were able to get 3 downtown businesses to let us use their windows to promote a few upcoming events. A few of my friends Jane and Barb did the decorating!

Here are some pics of those windows! As you can see they are promoting the event we had on September 10th which was a portrayal of Susan B. Anthony. More on that shortly.

I couldn't believe all of the replicas and memorabilia they were able to gather and decorate with! So exciting! We have lots of other events planned, too, so I will be sure to update you all!

When we did the Susan B. Anthony event on the 10th - we had a Rally prior to the show. We had many of our committee members attend but also several from the community dress up as well! The lady in the yellow hat is Karen and the one with the glasses in front/middle is yet another Karen. They are both League of Women Voters Members (among other organizations). Phyllis is pictured on the left and also in the photo below.

My friend Jane is pictured on the left with the yellow/white/purple poster. She was one of the ladies who decorated the windows! Phyllis is next to her...she's a local gem and involved in SO MUCH! Annette is next to Phyllis. All 3 of those ladies are League of Women Voters Members (as am I). Then on the end is Carol. Carol - along with Phyllis - are Zonta Club Members (as am I). I adore these ladies! They are wonderful!

Here is a snapshot of the crowd prior to the one-woman-show. It was a wonderful evening and the portrayal was great! The Historical Society received a grant from our local Zonta Club to pay for the actress to come to town.

We are hoping to have an Alice Paul portrayal within the next year but we don't have the funding yet.

More Travels, Animals, Flora, Photos, Food, and Community!

2019-09-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

I've probably posted a photo like this already when I mentioned my recent trip to our Audubon but I can't help but re-post this little guy! This is Lincoln. Ever since I met him I have been thinking about him. He's a resident of the Audubon and was a rescue. At some point I will be stopping by to make a donation specifically for his care. I adore this guy! LOOK! He's even smiling!

One of the other stops I made while traveling for work not too long ago was one of my favorite places in our county. This is the road to/from Kinzua Wolf Run Marina, Kinzua Dam, Kinzua Beach, Allegheny National Forest/Rim Rock, Jake's Rocks, etc.

I was thrilled with how this photo turned out considering the car was moving at about 55 mph when I took it. Below you will see two more photos specifically from the Kinzua Beach location. I will be revisiting Kinzua Beach this Saturday as I volunteer for a Bicycle Event and helping with registration. My father will be helping with set-up today and the beer tent on Saturday.

But the last time I stopped at Kinzua Beach I was completely alone. Well, I was the only human...let's put it that way! It was a nice brain break. Here is a photo I took while walking down the hill from the parking area. There is a building behind me, several large parking lots, restrooms, and a few paths. The grass you see is a small part of a LARGE grassy area where you can walk, sit, have a picnic, etc. The bridge you see in the front is the bridge that goes over part of Kinzua and is near Kinzua Wolf Run Marina which is somewhat across the street on the other side of the bridge and Kinzua Dam itself - is not too far away.

That day I walked down to the water. There were several ducks there. They were not afraid of me in the least. They actually came up to me and nibbled on my shoes and jeans. I talked to them for several minutes. I posted a video a while back on IG. I was so surprised they came up to me like that but it totally made my day and I will not forget it!

Another brain break I took this past summer was to Bett's Park. More specifically the Pollination Garden that Penn State Master Gardeners attends to each year. These next few photos where some of the beautiful flowers I saw while there this year.

I have blogged about the Pollinator Garden before and I think I even did a walk thru video on YouTube a few years back.

Since I am backlogging these photos I must say most of the flowers and plants have since 'expired' for the season because fall is approaching.

And speaking of fall...my indoor/office plants are starting to realize what time of year it is, too! I've already lost 3 plants and it's bumming me out. This plant, however, is one of my newer ones. It's called and Aluminum Plant.

This one is an Elephant Bush Plant. I fell in LOVE with it but I think it's on its way out, too! I hope I can save it.

My mother found a few old photos and here is one of them. It's of my sister and I when we were in our church Kids Choir. We were 'ewes'. Oh...to be a kid in the 80s!

Here is a photo from the most recent Bra Shipping Party that our Zonta Club Members did. If you remember seeing photos like these in the past you might recall we send the bras over to Free The Girls and they go to survivors of trafficking to help them start their own retail business. Right now there are 3 countries that receive these shipments...Mozambique, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. In about 9 months we have shipped 2,001 bras to Free The Girls from our rural area.

And now it's time for some vegan food! Here is one of the items I found from Trader Joe's. It was yummy and had a nice kick to it.

Right near where I work there is a NY Style Pizza and Deli place and the pizza dough just happens to be vegan. They will put basically anything you want on a pizza. I have enjoyed a few of them in the past but recently I decided to re-visit their 'build your own salad' and this is what they made for me. It was darn hefty and VERY MUCH appreciated!

Greens, Broccoli, Tomato, Avocado, Cucumbers, Onion, Peppers, topped with a nice amount of Hummus, and French-Type Dressing.

Again, one of my side trips while traveling to work - and actually FOR work - I stopped in Kennedy, NY, at the Aber's Acres Produce Stand. I couldn't pass up these AMAZING Organic Raspberries!

And...Cherry Tomatoes! A few years ago they got their ORGANIC certification. It was a 3 year process. Their stuff is AMAZING, too!

Cuteness, Cars, Crafts, Veterans Ceremony, Tomato Saltine Salad Recipe, & Fair Week Re-Cap!

2019-09-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

I thought I would start this post off with a little CUTENESS! This photo was taken in Erie near the Bayfront. These little youth ducklings were all snuggled up and ready for a nap.

It seems I have been spending more time in Erie for several reasons but a few of them have been work related. As for this 2nd photo - this was taken at our local Courthouse over the summer. The person on the right in mid-salute is my father. He was one of over 300 veterans in our county that was recognized for serving during Vietnam. Our area has more veterans per capita than any other county in Pennsylvania.

In late June - we once again helped with the car and craft show at the fairgrounds. It was the first time in 7 years of holding the event that we had PERFECT weather!

One of the camping foods I made this past summer that I certainly want to try again is this Tomato Saltine Salad. For the vegan version I used the following:

2 packages of saltines
1 large tomato, diced

Vegan Mayo to taste/consistency

Garlic, fresh or dried, to taste

Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Super easy! I know it might sound weird but I think it might just qualify as a comfort food!

Finally, I am getting to re-cap Fair Week. It was the first full week in August and I'm just getting to it now! YIKES! In this photo, you will see me, Riley Green, my mom and my dad. YES...Riley Green is TALL...but...my whole family is also SHORT so that is why he looks like a giant. BUT...if you look at the next photo...

You will see all of the guys from Home Free are also tall. Here is a pic of the guys with me, my sister, my dad (squatting and holding my niece), Trinity, and my mom in the back, too! This was the 2nd time we had Home Free at our Fairgrounds and they are AWESOME! My niece was dancing the entire time. Now when she sees the five guys in a photo...she points to each one of them and says..."hot...hot...hot...hot...hot.." I have to say...she's NOT wrong...they are some good looking guys!

Something I did for the very first time at fair this year was enter a few categories in the domestic buildings. My original plan was to enter several photographs but when I went to do the prints they were to grainy and I decided not to do it but didn't want to FAIL at a goal so I entered other categories instead. This first photo didn't place at all. I decided to enter it into the Mixed Media but there were so many other entries that were much more involved than mine so it's all good!

This one placed 4th! I entered it for Collage! It was a project I did several years ago and was thrilled it placed!

This one I entered into the Scrapbooking Page category. I placed 3rd! I was pretty shocked!

And check this out! I got a 1st place!!!!!! I was completely surprised and didn't believe it at first. I entered this Veggie Recipe Book in the Rubber Stamp Project category!

Here's another look at it next to the actual ribbon. I had more photos of the inside on my IG, too!

And here is my FIRST PLACE Project with all 3 Ribbons! I was so thrilled yet surprised that I placed at all let alone with 3 projects in my first year of trying!

More Regional Stops & Snapshots AND Even More Vegan Finds

2019-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Strange question right off the bat? I'm a little OCD and can't stand it when I have a post that has zero comments LOL. I posted later yesterday and earlier today and at the time of writing this yesterday's post didn't have any comments so if you can help me out by commenting on both of the posts I would appreciate it. Does anyone else have this OCD issue when it comes to blogging?

Anyways...more photos from the last couple of months including this vegan find! I believe I found this at Giant Eagle in Erie. It was pretty good. I see they are coming out with more breakfast options, however, I have found that I am eating them for dinner!

These lil gems I found at Wegmans and I have to say I'm a fan! I see they have other products that are vegan, too, so if I see them again I will have to try them!

I also spotted these at Wegmans. I had been seeing other people post other flavors on IG and when I saw them FINALLY I just about jumped for joy! I have yet to make them but one of these days I will get to it!

I've already downed this bottle of Goddess Dressing from Trader Joe's!

These I bought at Lakewood Apothecary. They have some neat vegan snacks there. I tried these and like them but find it to be an occasional snack and not one where I would eat an entire bag at one sitting.

I also found this Detox Toothpaste at Lakewood Apothecary! Has anyone else located this yet by chance? I have used it a few times and it's ok so far.

I consider myself to be somewhat techie but there are certain things I still like to have to physically write in and to have in front of me instead of using an app or device. A daily planner is one of those things. I have been on the search for one for what seems to be EVER and a few weeks ago I finally found one that I really like. This was the quote that was on the front.

While in my travels for work I enjoyed the time I spent on one block of Jamestown where there were a few shops within that block. This was one of the shops. It's the Bio Dome Project and they had a co-op/vendor feel to it and carried some interesting items. I loved their window store front and snapped this pic for my co-worker since she's our resident 'plant lady' and has gotten a few of us started with office plants!

Right next door was The Sprinkle Cone. I really LOVED the look of this place! Artsy! They even have about 3 vegan options daily.

The space is opened via garage door but they converted the inside for this space.

It's seasonal but super cool decor where you can scribble on their chalk board walls!

While in Jamestown I also stopped over at Full Moon Rising Bakery. They had a nice space, as well, and carry at least 1 vegan option daily.

This is the outside of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY. Jamestown is the home of Roger Tory Peterson who was a naturalist, educator, artist, and environmental advocate before environmentalism was 'a thing'. His specialty was birds.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is right down the street from SUNY JCC - Jamestown Community College. That's where I went to college and it's been a while since I have stopped over and spent time in that neighborhood. Down the other side of the street is this park I used to spend time at while in college. It's called College Park and before that it was called "Hundred Acre Lot". The history behind it is that it was SAVED by fundraising efforts by area teachers and students and was one of the first School Parks in the nation.

Oh! I almost forgot to post about this Vegetable Panang Curry I found at Trader Joe's! I figured it was time for another food break in this post before moving on to more travel and regional photos and tidbits!

These two photos were taken at the foot of Bett's Park in Warren, PA. I've featured other photos from this park before but I don't think I have posted about the water side of things.

It was a bit on the dry side when I took them. Sometimes the water is higher. These trees will be changing colors for fall soon. I will try and get more fall photos this year and post them soon!

And one last photo for today. This is another park. This one is on the other side of Jamestown and is called McCrea Point Park. It's a nice little park in the middle of old factory buildings and a bit of hustle and bustle.

Work Travels, Vegan Finds, & Lucille Ball

2019-09-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been traveling around the region a lot more lately with my job. In this weather - it's nice and I enjoy it. I don't like it when it snows and since we are now officially into fall - I know that is right around the corner. This photo was taken at a park in Lakewood, NY. I've always liked this view! Beautiful!

Before I share more views with you I figured I would also share some more vegan finds in the stores I frequent OR wish I could frequent. A few posts ago I showed you the Ranch Dip. Here is the Sour Cream from Good Karma!

Here is a new-to-me product from Sweet Earth. I believe I grabbed it from Target. I haven't tried it YET but I'm thinking it will be my dinner tonight.

Another roadside stop I took this past summer was this place! This is part of Chautauqua Lake. It's actually part of Lakewood Community Park.

And here is one of the docks!

I was super excited to try this product from Starlite Cuisine. It was 'ok' but I don't think I would buy it again. I found the texture of the pea protein filling to be a little too chewy. The sauce was better than the filling texture that is for sure!

Road Snacks! I've been grabbing them! They are great for traveling in a small car. These I found at Wegmans! I enjoyed them!

During one of my Lakewood trips I stopped at a little bookstore and they had this Rawesomely Vegan book. Of course, I HAD to buy it! It was only a couple of bucks.

I also found these infused flavored peanuts. I haven't opened them YET but I see that in my near future!

I found a purple pepper a while back at Wegmans and bought it. It spoiled VERY quickly and I didn't get a chance to eat it! YIKES!

Check THIS STUFF out! Tahini in a squeeze bottle? YES, please! I'm not completely sure where I spotted this but I knew I had to buy it at the time.

The last time I went to Trader Joe's I saw this Almond Dip and I was so glad I decided to follow thru with the purchase. It was so yummy! It wasn't over the top spicy but it had a slight kick to it!

I got these the same place I got the infused peanuts from! Lakewood Apothecary! These were on the clearance shelf so I got them for a deal!

Here are photos from Celeron Park and the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celeron, NY. Here is the lighthouse on the one end of the park near the dock and water.

In another area of the park they have this beautiful memorial for those who served.

And finally here is the bronze statue of Lucy! She was born and raised in the Celeron, NY, and Jamestown, NY areas. They celebrate and remember her in our region not only for her impact on comedy but women in comedy and her connection to our area!

Scenic Views, Office Plants, Vegan Food, and a Cute Puppy!

2019-09-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

I somewhat recently found 2 vegan waffles here is one of them. When I do eat waffles I tend to eat them dry as a snack.

These were the other waffles I found. I want to say I found one at Wegman's and the other at Mustard Seed but I'm not completely sure.

Here is another Amy's Kitchen Bowl I recently found at Target. It was tasty! I'm thrilled that Amy's is coming out with more vegan options. I just wish they were a little cheaper. I usually only grab them if they are on sale OR if it's something I have never tried before.

Here is another Gardein find. I think I found this at Wegman's but maybe it was Mustard Seed. I guess that's what I get for waiting so long to post my hauls, eh!?

Of course, this one I found at Trader Joe's! I have to say I was a fan!

I blogged yesterday about the VioLife Shred finds but I think they are worth another mention!

These are still in my frig and I'm hoping to eat them soon so they don't go bad. Has anyone else tried them? I think I found these at Erie Whole Foods Co-Op.

I've never tried these before but when I saw they were all vegan and all on sale I knew I had to grab them! Has anyone else tried these yet?

I've been traveling around several different communities the last couple of months - for work - and more than usual. This is a snapshot from Warren but there are several others I will be sharing over time, too!

This is another from the Warren area. It's in the Crescent Park neighborhood near the hospital.

At the end of fair week I saw a teenage boy carrying a young puppy around in a bucket. He said the puppy was newly adopted and overly tired so he wanted to carry him. This puppy was 'happy as a clam' in this bucket! It was so funny!

Oh! I almost forgot to post this photo. I'm sure I have other photos of this downtown Warren Hickory Street Bridge but it was just a gorgeous day so I had to take another snapshot!

Here is one of my office plants from a few weeks ago! It's a Purple Waffle Plant. If you look at the underside of the leaves...they are purple!

And this is my Sunny Star Croton Plant and I LOVE it! It's one of my FAVES! I would like to find a Croton that is tri-colored with red, orange, and yellow highlights!

More Vegan Finds, Plants, Community, and Such!

2019-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

With the many months I took off from blogging - I still have TONS of photos and things to share! I'm trying to schedule a few blog posts in between to try and catch up, too!

Here you can see one of the painted rocks I found this year.

This was on the fairgrounds.

I'm still LOVING these Swapples! If you haven't tried them yet you should! They are VERY dense and VERY filling! Soooo versatile, too!

I ended up grabbing 3 different flavors of these at the beginning of summer and they helped me in between meals during fair week. They are a little dry but the flavor is good.

I'm having some ups and downs with my office plants lately. I'm pretty sure it's because fall and winter are coming. I remember that happening last year. This is one of the plants that seem to be doing well lately. It's one of my newer plants. It's called a Dragon's Tongue.

Near the end of August I attended a community event in Irvine, PA, at the Wilder Museum. There was a speaker from SUNY JCC highlighting the life of a local suffragist by the name of Elnora Monroe Babcock who was born in Freehold Township and grew up around Columbus, PA. She went on to do AMAZING things in the Suffrage Movement throughout the state of New York, too!

This isn't one of my plants but it's a hanging basket I got for my mom for Mothers Day and it's still going strong!

This past summer I spotted a new-to-me product from Earth Balance and HAD to try it. It doesn't taste extremely different from their other vegan butters but it is tasty!

I was going to safe this for a work lunch some day but I ended up having it for dinner one night in stead. It has been way too long since my last vegan meal from Annie Chun's!

I'm pretty sure my new favorite shreds are from VioLife! I got these at Mustard Seed but just spotted them LAST WEEK at my local Tops and I couldn't be happier about it!

I also spotted a new-to-new product from Gardein while at Giant Eagle in Erie, I believe. They are still in my freezer and I haven't tried them yet but I'm thinking it will be SOON!

At first taste I wasn't overly thrilled with this Good Karma product but have since paired it with some things like Salsa and it wasn't too shabby.

This is a product that Hillary and I have been boasting about on IG. I really enjoyed it and wish I would have bought 5 more! I'm pretty addicted to it, actually!

And here is one of the new-to-me Amy's Kitchen products I found at the Erie Target a while back. I really enjoyed this, too!

Vegan Baked Goods at Mustard Seed

2019-09-20T07:55:00.001-07:00

It's been several weeks since we visited Mustard Seed in Ohio. I really DO love that place! I believe there are 3 locations. My favorite is in Solon. As you can see in this post - they have REALLY expanded their Vegan Baked Good Options!

I didn't buy any of the items in either of these photos but I wanted to feature them here and on IG.

What I did grab were some of these Mini Blueberry Muffins! They were AMAZING!

They had a nice selection of cookies, muffins, cakes, pound cakes, cupcakes, etc. And NOT just in one flavor...several flavors!

I mean...check out these Vegan Pound Cakes!

I have MANY more items to post from our last Mustard Seed Trip! But there are SO MANY pictures and so little time. I will try and pace myself to NOT overload you all!

I did also want to post this really cool Woodstock Guitar! I think we found it at Sam Ash but I guess it could have been Guitar Center. Too bad the Woodstock Anniversary - this year - fell thru. I remember when I was in college a few of my friends went to one and I was going to try and go until my parents told me NO. I was right at that 18 year old line but still lived and home so I didn't end up going. A friend of mine brought back a Woodstock Grateful Dead Beanie Bear tho so that was cool!

Some Animal Friends

2019-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today of some animal friends of late! Here's one of the many goats that were at a local event recently. I spend time with them each year. A regional guy has all sorts of animals that he rescues and takes in and he specializes in goats, it seems.

Last month I spent some time at the Jamestown Audubon and really enjoyed chatting with the turtles. This lil guy is Lincoln. I'm considering donating to his feed and care. You can do so for at little at $20. The turtles at the Audubon are rescue situations or those who have been neglected.

About 2 weeks ago I was on my way to work and this adorable dog was playing on a busy street and didn't have a tag. I stopped my car in the middle of the road and wanted to make sure he didn't get hit. Before I could get her - she jumped in my car. She spent 60% of the workday with us in the office and then I took her to the Humane Society to see if she was chipped. She wasn't. They kept her. I was already attached. Later that day she was reunited with her family so that is good!

About a week earlier this cat followed me to my car. I think it's a church cat - because that is where I park. I haven't seen her since but she was pretty cool!

This is one of the cats at our local shelter/Humane Society and she was sitting inside this so matter-of-factly that I just had to take a photo!

And finally...Cricket. Apparently I disrupted her slumber trying to take this pic! LOL!

Many Vegan Aldi Finds...But Some Others, Too!

2019-09-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I noticed yet another gas station chain that started carrying more random vegan things! YAY! This Willy's brand of salsa had 2 or 3 of them that I tried. I have to say it's unlike other salsas and I truly believe it's because of their punchy-use of bold cilantro. I know cilantro is one of those things that some people love and others hate. I've always liked it but I can see in some cases where the over the top use of it could give certain things that soapy taste. For some reason the loads of cilantro worked here. They also seem to love garlic. Lucky for them...I love garlic, too!

Here's a pic of the new, local Falafel that is being made in-house at Total Evolution. It's also vegan and pretty wonderful! This was a HUGE sandwich! You can pick your own toppings for it, too!

Prior to August, this was our set-up for camping season. Our new-to-us-but-gently-used 5th Wheel is on the left and my parents Jayco is on the right. I don't especially like the specific spot we had this year or last year but I didn't complain too much either.

Here's another meal I grabbed at Total Evolution this past summer. You can build your own wrap. Most places that tends to be the vegan option around here but you basically get lettuce, tomato, and onion. I then see if places have salsa or a balsamic for the dressing...BUT...with Total Evolution they have some really neat things to include. This one contained their in-house hummus, carrots, greens, sprouts, celery, tomato. I've done variations of this from time to time and I will certainly start sharing more of them with you!

At our local Tops I have fell in love with a new product but that love comes with a hefty price tag so when I see them on sale I will grab one. It's the line of products from The Coconut Collaborative. In this pic, here, you will see the Chocolate Ganache. When I opened the first one I thought...gee...I could eat all 4 in one sitting! But, you know what? They are so rich I could only eat one!

Many of the products in this post are new or new-to-me products from Aldi and that includes this one! It's the Vegan Vegetable Potstickers! They are tasty!

Another find at Aldi are these Eggplant with Yellow Pepper Raviolis! I LOVED these and hope I can find them again soon! There is another kind, I hear, but I haven't seen those locally yet.

I finally spotted their Vegan Sour Cream. I grabbed some. It was ok. It was certainly good enough for the price! A nice, cheaper alternative. I would probably buy it again!

One of the one pot meals I did in the camper this year was squash with vegan margarine, vegan pepper jack cheese, and topped it with tortilla strips! It know it doesn't look like much but it was VERY yummy! I would categorize it as a vegan comfort food for sure!

I don't really have time to do a blog post YET re-capping fair week but I thought I would give you a little teaser for now. These were our new work banners that were at our broadcast booth!

Moving on to a thing or two from Wegman's! I did grab this to have the camper during fair week. Let's just say...it lasted about a day!

I can't remember which place I spotted these at since there were about 2 to 3 weeks I seemed to travel all over the country-side grocery shopping at various places. I'm not sure if I grabbed them at Wegman's or Mustard Seed. I don't think I went to Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Co-Op, or Trader Joes during that specific time so it might have been Wegman's or Tops. I'm leaning more towards Wegman's as the possibility. They were easy to do in the microwave and for a nuke-able meal it was tasty! I recommend vegan mayo and ketchup on them!

One thing I know I found at Tops was THIS! Mango Sorbet! I thought I would try it but didn't really have a WOW pre-judgement, however, when I had my first taste...I was blown away! This was one of the BEST naturally-tasting mango flavored treats I think I have ever had! YUM!

Also at Tops - right around the same time - I found these gorgeous watermelon radishes! I knew I had to buy them since we don't usually see them available for purchase in our area! I really enjoyed them. I share them with my mom, dad, and 2 ladies at work and all for of them thought they didn't have much taste. They were a sweeter flavor and not a spicier flavor like regular radishes usually are and I think that threw everyone off. I think most people go for your 'standard' fruit or veggie and then when you ask them to try something new they already have a pre-judgement that they aren't going to like it.

When I saw this at Aldi this summer I knew I had to buy it because my local Aldi isn't consistent with what they carry so when you see it you should buy it because you don't know if or when it will be back. I still have yet to open this but it sits nicely in my freezer until then!

And finally, another find at Aldi! The first go around with these - that everyone was talking about - I didn't have them at my local store - but - I was able to find them this summer and tried them. They were pretty good! Next time I would like to try and top them like they did on the box...with mushrooms and onions...and greens, oh my!

Community Involvement & Family Time

2019-09-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

Taking a look back at June 24th...our community did something special to celebrating the ratification of 100 years of Women's Right To Vote.

Our Courthouse bells rang 19 times at noon and many of us gathered for a rally and fellowship. There were several speakers and those who dressed up and held signs.

My mom and dad were watching Trinity that day and the stopped over for the first part of it. Trinity was a HIT.

She even made the front page of our paper the next day! This is her and me holding signs. It was a lovely day. I'm part of the Suffrage Centennial Committee and there are LOTS of things planned thru the end of 2020 so you will be hearing a bunch more about these events soon!

Here is a photo of the Courthouse lawn with those who participated. The brick building in the back is our local historical society.

Another thing that I haven't really blogged too much about is that when our company was sold DH and I spent two days in Erie to not only help with their 70th Anniversary for WICU but to get to know some of the people at the main office and such. Here are a bunch of us passing out fans, coloring books, and sports bottles.

Another thing I was able to do in the middle of July was with our Zonta Membership. Each year we do a "Summer Surprise" and we don't know where we are going or what we are doing until we leave for the evening. This year - we didn't travel too far. We had a private tour and history of our local, historical Struthers Library Theatre. Many of us have been in the theatre fairly often but it was nice to have a behind the scenes look and really take our time.

And I mean...REALLY behind the scenes...this was backstage! I just LOVE all of the old signs we saw.

Here is some of our membership enjoying the tour!

Earlier in the summer...my mom, dad, sister, Trinity and I went to Waldameer which is a theme park/adventure park in Erie. It's been YEARS since I have been there but it was Trinity's first time so it was SO FUN!!!

On the way home that day she was super weird and starting sucking her toes like a thumb and I couldn't stop laughing. Even funnier was the oh-so-serious look on her face while she was doing it!

Total Evolution really kept me fed this summer with all the running around! WOWZA! Here is their Avocado Toast - vegan style, of course!

And here is one of the build-your-own chia bowls. I chose Peanut Butter, Granola, Raspberries, and it was great! They use Soy Milk as a base.

Mostly Food But Some Flowers, Too!

2019-09-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

LONG POST AHEAD!

This one will be mostly vegan food finds but I have a gorgeous floral photo to share, too! I'm still going thru MONTHS of photos to catch-up and I have a lot of event-related, family, and life type photos to share but I'm a little low on time to write thought-out captions and explanations so I thought I would theme this as a food post.

First up...Dr. Praeger's California Burgers. Dr. P's might not seem like an awesome find but for me, locally, I have been seeing more and more of this brand popping up and wanted to give credit where credit is due.

From several months ago here is a picture of some tofu nuggets I made at home. It's mostly flour and spices with nutritional yeast and I baked them. I know it's not a wonderful photo but I was pretty proud of the attempt!

Here's another vegan product from the candy show that my Dad found a while back. They were tasty! A tad iffy on the gums but I just need to learn to pace myself!

I'm sure I have already posted this product from Upton's, however, at the beginning of summer I found it on sale over at the Erie Whole Foods Co-op and I just HAD to buy it. I enjoyed it while camping!

Another snack from the show. Just HAD to share! I LOVE the Cranberry and Pistachio combo! YUM!

Here was another meal I made at camp this year. It was when I was running low on groceries but it 'did the job'. It's the new VEGAN Morningstar Buffalo reformulated jobbers. I can usually find them cheap at our local TOPS. Sometimes I see them on sale 3 for $9. I put Vegan Mayo on the bottom and Organic Ketchup on the top.

I can't remember if my Mom found these at Wegman's or if I spotted them at Walmart but I tried them and they weren't bad. I'll probably only buy them again if I find a super good deal on them again, however.

You know veganism is going mainstream when you can find these at the local gas station! Oddly, it was my first and only time to date that I have tried this flavor. They were pretty tasty!

INSERT random yet beautiful floral photo here!

I saw these in the spring at peak bloom on my way to OR from work. I park near this church and these really bloomed this year!

I have been seeing more and more places carry Lenny and Larry's and I have to say I am thrilled. Some I like 'ok' and others I adore...like this one! YUM!

Another Gas Station Find. LOVE THESE!

Haven't seen them since at that location but so glad they carried them for a while.

Here's another newer product from Vegan Rob's. Again...from the candy show. My dad also grabbed me one of their hats! These Wild Mushroom Potato Chips were way better than I thought they would be!

I have been telling you about my VEGAN FINDS at Ollie's...well...here's another one! $2 each - Earth Balance Peanut Butters. But...not just ANY Earth Balance Peanut Butters...they're flavored ones! Coco Pretzel Crunch and Coffee Chocolate Crunch. BOTH were a tad dry-ish so you might not be able to snack on it like you normally would BUT I still need to try them in smoothies thru my Vitamix or BlendTec and report back!

I've had these before and really liked them but when someone finds you a FREE SAMPLE you must cease the day, right?

And speaking of FREE SAMPLES...here is another one! It's was lovely.

Check these out! I've seen them before but it's been since this past summer that I had a chance to try them! They were freakin' figgy I will tell you that - and I enjoyed them!

And just to prove that I have been eating real food and not just snacks...here is one of the wonderful veggie dishes I made a while back. It's simply...broccoli, purple baby potatoes, regular baby potatoes - in a skillet with coconut oil! I adored this as-is...

...but I was eager to try is as a leftover so I did. I added cashew cheese, pico, and lettuce and made them into little burritos or soft shell tacos! They were fantastic!

Earlier in the summer a group of us brought back our local WWN (Working Women's Network) and had meet-up at a local flower shop that also opened a winery/sampling room. It was right around that time that the business had an Open House of their own and had a local band perform and provided munchies. The store owner is a friend of mine. She actually graduated with my sister. Her parents and my parents are friends. Her mom and sister actually do my hair, too! I had a nice time at the open house and LOVED she included so many fresh fruits and veggies in her munchies/offerings!

I almost forgot about these pea puffs. Not because I didn't like them but because it's not a great photo and because I haven't seen them since. I believe I found these at our local Walmart in Spring/Beginning of Summer.

Here is a thrown together veggie curry I made a while ago. I remember it being good and thinking I should have made more of it at the time. Fall is here in NY and PA and I am sure I will be making more curries SOON!

Total Evolution has been my go-to the last several months. They have been coming up with some really great vegan options. They always have vegan buddha bowls and this is one of them!

Yet another vegan camping foods type photo! Indian Vegan Burger, Vegan Italian Pasta Salad, and Zucchini - peppers - and onions in coconut oil.

As you can see it was July when I bought this. I do LOVE this bread. When I visit the Erie Whole Foods Co-Op and see it on sale I have to grab some! It's soooooo filling!

Are you still with me? I know this has been a monstrously LONG post. Let me know in comments if you made it to the very end!

I found this flavor of Bobo's at Wegman's along with 2 others and they helped me get thru breakfasts during Fair Week. I haven't even talked about Fair Week YET but I have so much more to share with you before I get to Fair Week! YIKES!

Certainly more posts to come SOON. In the meantime, tell me what you have tried, what you haven't, what you liked, what you didn't, what you have found in your neck of the woods lately, and all that JAZZ!

Thrifty Vegan & Raw Vegan Cookbook Finds!

2019-09-12T14:14:00.001-07:00

Hi Folks! A bit of an easy-out on a post today. It's all about Thrifty Finds from Ollie's, mostly, on vegan cookbooks and raw vegan cookbooks. WHY? Because, I'm still trying to catch up on blogging things and because we received more bad news 2 days ago...my step-father-in-law passed away. His viewing and funeral are Sunday and Monday. This year has been a rough one. At times I feel pretty numb. Including right now.

Anyhow...the first book I wanted to tell you about was Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan A La Mode. I haven't been able to make anything out of these books YET but I'm thinking about getting together with my mother once a week and trying to make something out of each book this fall and winter as long as the weather cooperates.

This was another book I found this past spring. Funny thing...I don't have an Instapot YET but hope to soon! I think all of the books I have found at Ollie's were only $2.99 each! I do know that I have to invest in a different bookcase for the house at this point.

This is one of my newest ones to my collection. Matthew Prescott. I found him on Instagram and it seems like he and his wife have done books on different things. This one was plant-based and had a lot of vegan (and non-veggie) contributing comments so I thought I would grab it.

These last two are both from Susan Powers. And they are BOTH Raw Vegan books. Something I need to start doing more of again and soon! I have been relying too much on store-bought processed vegan stuff lately. For a couple of reasons, one being I have been on the go and not really at home much in 6 months to concentrate on cooking and the other being I have been finding so many interesting vegan options and products in stores as of late that I have given into those temptations.

I'm LOVING that these books are available locally in our rural area and for CHEAP! What kind of books have you found lately? What kind of CHEAP stuff have you spotted near your home, too!? Do tell!

Vegan Finds, Vegan RVing, Nature, Volunteering, & Playing Catch-Up

2019-09-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

First I want to say THANK YOU for those who commented on my last post and sent words of encouragement. I truly appreciate you all! This post will be more on the positive side. I have LOTS of vegan finds to share with you over the last several months. As well as some of the volunteering, family, nature, and camping posts to share! So...here...we...go! The photo above is one of the new vegan butters I found. Since I found this months ago it could very well be old news but I think it's still worth posting! Country Crock jumped on the plant-based train and came out with this new 'butter' made from Avocado Oil. I have to say I do like it. I found this one at my local Tops Market.

These next TWO photos are vegan yogurts I found. The flavors were good but they were a tad on the thin side. I believe I found these at Wegman's.

Of course, I LOVE Lemon Meringue flavored things so I had to try this one at the very least!

Here are 4 of the dressings and such that got me thru this season of camping! I have been trying to follow more and more vegan RV'ers and vegan campers to connect with, too! I know I have posted the Daiya dressings before but I don't think I have featured the Field Organic Goddess Dressing or the Annie's Lemon & Chive but I enjoyed all 4 of them!

Here is a shot of my cabinet for the camping season. Of course there were other trips to the grocery store in between but I thought it was worth a corner in this blog post. I tried the new Daiya Bac'n & Cheddar and I wasn't that much of a fan but at least I can say I tried it once. It was too salty for me. I'm just now getting to the point were I am eating the soups because it cooled down for a few days. Rice is always a good choice. Trinity and I shared the organic applesauce. There are some Nature's Bakery items in there and a few Coconut Silk Milk's in there, too!

On to the snacks! My father went to a snack and candy show and brought back a bunch of munchies for me. Over the last several years he has noticed more and more vegan options! YAY! This was one of the new flavors back in April from Vegan Rob's! I have to say I LOVED them! A nice kick! Addicting! YUM!

And speaking of addicting...THESE GUYS! OMG! I adore them! The only negative? I can't find them around here! Maybe that is for the best...I would eat them TOO MUCH then if they were readily available.

While camping this year we found MANY birds nests! And some of them were in the strangest places! This one was behind our camping in between the fence and the water hook-up. It was built AFTER we hooked-up. I checked on it each time I went to the camper and the eggs were so small! Too small to be Robins. After researching it for a bit, I found out these were Chipping Sparrows. 3 out of the 4 eggs hatched and I was actually able to see them fly out of the next a couple of weeks after they hatched, too!

Another thing that happened in the spring was another Refugee Hike. Once again I helped with the food - as did my mother! These kids were AMAZING! The youngest was about 14 and the oldest of was 24. There were also a few chaperones, too. Unfortunately, I missed the canoe trip they did in early August because of the volunteering I do at our fair.

Also in the spring, I was inducted as a new Zonta Board Member. I'm pictured here in the black shirt with red scarf. I really LOVE being a part of the Zonta Organization. My only regret was that I didn't join sooner. In addition to being on the board now I am the Service Committee Chair for a 2nd year in a row. This year I am also on the Advocacy and Media/Communications Committee (as I was last year) and new-for-me this year is becoming a member of the Fellowship Committee, too! I'm VERY excited about the new year!

You may remember that last year our club started collecting bras for Free The Girls. We have continued to do so and have collected 2,001 bras so far. I doubt we will be slowing down anytime soon!

These next TWO photos are from some of our Suffrage Centennial Committee Meetings. We have been discussing and planning various events with several other organizations around our county to celebrate 100 years of Women's Right to Vote.

Many of the ladies have been purchasing and making banners, sashes, flags, and more! It's really neat to see! Tonight we actually have an actress coming to town to portray Susan B. Anthony. I will try and take pictures and blog about it soon!

And, finally, here are some photos from Warren County Serves that took place in Mid-May. It's a group that formed a year or so ago and they lost many of their members even before the first annual event. I've always wanted to do something like this to encourage and promote volunteerism in our area so I ended up joining the group! We had projects that included beautification at our local Humane Society as well as tagging and sorting at the thrift shop they have on the other side of town. There were several parks that also did beautification projects during that weekend. There is a community house for those with mental and physical disabilities that a group helped scrape, paint, and stain steps, too! We also have an organization in our county that houses and pairs service dogs and emotional support dogs to those who have PTSD and other emotional difficulties and that group helped clean-up their parking lot, outside of the building, and such. Another place that had volunteers was our fairgrounds. We did a LOT of painting, and I mean a LOT. And others helped with cleaning some of the buildings and landscaping. There were other projects, too, these are just a few.

I'm already pondering my post for tomorrow. I still have a lot of catching up to do. Let me know if you think these posts are too long or if you prefer them.

Life, Loss, and Lengthy Posts

2019-09-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

April. Has it really been since April when I last post? A lot has been happening. I needed a blogging break. Among other breaks. Blogging was one thing I could actually break from - whereas - the rest I wasn't able to.

It's been a hard several months. In April, I lost my mother-in-law to Small Cell Lung Cancer. It was an awful 3 year battle or so. After the first year, they did preventative so it wouldn't spread to her brain. Because of that preventative treatment it fast-forwarded Alzheimer-like symptoms. Cancer Sucks. I've said it before and I will say it again.

In May, we also lost Charlie. He was about 19 years old and for those of you who I've known for a while - knew he was feral since the time he was a baby and was a rescue. He battled strange issues throughout the years and we had always dealt with them. The last couple of years he was deaf, too. In the past year, we had watched him get smaller and smaller and he got to the point where many things he once loved were difficult for him. Things just started shutting down and the vet assumed there was cancer somewhere but didn't want to put him thru all the tests and anxiety. For the first time since I was 3 years old I'm without a cat in the house. It's strange. Our fur family is the smallest it's been in a long time. Riley and Cricket are still around but we have been having problems with Riley and his natural aging process, too. He's about 18 or 19 years old now, too!

In June, we found out the company we work for had been sold. We've been dealing with the change ever since. It's mostly been good with more changes on the way but it's been a non-stop world-wind of things happening one after another.

Also in June, my mother found out that the sore on her face near her eye was skin cancer. From what we can gather, everything should be ok, but we had to wait over 3 months for her to be seen again.

With everything going on, I have been unsuccessfully trying to deal with my own stress. My chronic pain issues seem to come and go like they have in the past BUT now I am dealing with a few other issues I haven't dealt with before. One being a scalp issue. I have been trying to treat it with coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, etc. Just when I think I am making some progress it comes back with a vengeance. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of psoriasis or eczema of some sort.

I try and keep this blog positive and happy and try and learn things and archive them but it's been so hard with this post not seeming to do any of those things. I have been doing a TON of volunteer work and between that and seeing my niece when I can those seem to be the only two things keeping me somewhat sane.

I chopped off all my hair. It's time for me to do it again. I've gained weight again and need to shed about 20 pounds. I think I would feel better if I did. Winter is coming and that is when I struggle even more with not being as active and on-the-go.

I have a lot of things to blog about but am afraid I just don't have the time. Because of Riley aging and reverting back to his separation anxiety years I'm not able to sleep in bed anymore. I have to sleep down in the recliner so he won't bark. Sleep has been few and far between because of it. I know it's taking a toll.

I'm trying to start my days earlier so I will have some time for myself but then I just start jumping into work and not doing the non-work things I need to be doing.

I need to re-work my time. I need to start listening to podcasts. I need to shake the negative and focus on the positive. I need to spend less time with the people and things that make me feel bad and start realizing I'm not that bad of a person. That's been hard for me my entire life. Certainly something I need to work on.

I have a lot of photos over the last several months I need to post and blog about here. Many of them have to do with volunteering and new vegan finds but I'm also trying to take more photos of my surroundings and BREATHE. I won't share those in this post but I hope to in near-future posts. I just wanted to update you on where I have been and why I haven't been posting. I need to start posting again...I think it will help me in the long run. Thanks for NOT giving up on me.

Vegan Snacks, Vegan Cheese, Vegan Soup, Vegan Pizza Pods!

2019-04-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

A little bit of a shorter post today. Not because I don't have more to blog about but because I'm rather short on time. I'll mostly be blogging about vegan food today! I'm kicking things off with a photo of these Cinnamon & Sugar Pop Popcorn Mini Cakes. They were YUMMY!

I recently came across this Spicy Blanco from Siete and enjoyed it much more than the cheddar flavor I tried a while back. Not that I didn't like the flavor of the other one BUT I found it to be a bit runny and thin. This was thicker and the consistency was much better - especially for dipping! The taste was better, too!

I found that our local Tops had a bunch of stuff on their discontinued shelf. I'm not sure if they are eliminating them to downsize that section (I hope not) or just trying to make room for NEW products! Here is one of the items I found that they are discontinuing! I had not tried this one from Amy's yet so I thought I should grab it before it was gone! It was pretty good!

And here is the meal I had the last time I was in Buffalo (which was a few weekends ago)! We went to one of my favorite places...The Pizza Plant! They have many vegan options there including their famous PODS! I was able to build my own and went for the vegan cheese and artichokes! YUM!

Tofu Tacos, Around The Community, Wegman's Vegan Finds, Nepal Tea

2019-04-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

While I am still catching up on blogging and posting pics from my everyday life - here are some other things that have been sitting in my TO BE POSTED File. First up, is my meal from Mad Mex in Erie. They have some really wonderful vegan options. This time around I decided to try something I haven't tried yet which was this plate of Tofu Tacos! As you can see they were soft tacos with lots of sprouts, vegan sour cream, guac, rice, black beans and it was all sorts of YUM! That was for my Birthday Dinner back in the middle of March.

March was also Women's History Month and our local library has a very creative and involved staff. They had a nice display of Women's books and Authors. They even did little bookmarks and such! Really nice!

Another thing taking place at our local library last month was the Youth Art display in their gallery! Here is just one of the pics I took of the walls.

Oddly, March was a REALLY BUSY month! Yet another thing I participated in was an evening at the Library where we could speak with 3 electronic voting machine vendors to see which ones our county wants to go with moving forward. It was open house style and you could come and go. Some people stayed for a few minutes or up to an hour - but I found myself returning to each vendor with more and more questions and I think I was there nearly the whole time (2 or 3 hours). I was there on behalf of our local League of Women Voters.

In this photo, you will see a really old staircase and wallpapered ceilings. This was part of a tour I took in our community. It's a historic home that was purchased by a non-profit that houses women who were just released from prison. It helps them get back on their feet, find work, find housing, and rehabilitate. A few of us are trying for some grant money for a Day of Hope we would like to do.

Another community event I attended last month, was our historical society's annual meeting. It took place in our county courthouse. This is a photo of the main courtroom. What's significant about this courtroom is that it's the first (and maybe the only) courtroom where a sitting judge was shot and killed. That took place in 1954. The wood is still present and you can see where one of the bullets grazed it and I believe the other bullet might still be in the wood to the right (not shown). But during this specific community event and annual meeting a speaker talked about a local home that he purchased. Because it was the recipient of a Pennsylvania Historical Marker he told us what he could and could not do with the property and showed LOTS of photos of the house and land. I found it very interesting because it's not even a mile from my parents house.

Here is a tea sampler set I recently received from Nepal Tea and I will be writing reviews over at Sororitea Sisters in the coming months!

A while back I grabbed some Vegan Tofu Ravioli at Wegman's. It seems like it's been forever since I have tried anything from Soy Boy which is a company in Syracuse, NY.

Another item I found that day was these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Cybele's. I have to say I had not seen them anywhere up until this point. They were darn tasty!

And...behold...I finally got my hands on the JUST Cookie Dough. OMG! I'm eating it right out of the container. Forget MAKING cookies!

Smiles, Backlogging of Vegan Finds, & Community Happenings

2019-04-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to catch up on posts. I really have to stop doing that. Life gets in the way, sometimes. This photo of my darling niece was taken a while ago but I thought it was too cute NOT to post. That AND she's wearing one of her many unicorn shirts. Yup! I'm totally getting her into BOTH unicorns AND dinosaurs!

I've had this Rebel Kitchen Mylk before but recently found it at our local Tops Market and it was on sale and I had to grab it! I found the chocolate one and the chai one there!

I want to say I grabbed this a while back when we visited the Whole Foods in Buffalo but I'm 2nd guessing myself. I've never been a cereal person but this looked interesting. Heck...I have never been much of a breakfast person but I'm REALLY trying to change that. So far...I'm failing. I still have this unopened. Hopefully, SOON I will crack into it!

I finally got my hands on 2 of these plant-based burritos from Alpha Foods. I know a lot of people absolutely LOVE these. I thought they were 'ok' but I didn't find them mind-blowing.

And speaking of burritos...I was also able to locate one or two from Daiya recently. These were also just 'ok'. I found the texture of the burrito itself a little weird. The taste wasn't bad...it just wasn't as awesome as I had hoped it would be.

This was another Whole Foods product I forgot to highlight on my blog when I got them several months ago. They were tasty! They had a nice medium strength spicy kick to them, too!

This was something I was really surprised about when I first saw them at my local Tops! They are pricy but because I had never seen them before I HAD to try them! They were really yummy! I also had their little dessert cup thingies, too! YUM!

My husband thinks it's weird that I eat waffles plain and like toast or pop tarts with my hands instead of a fork. I hadn't had these in a LONG time and found them on sale a while back at the Lakewood Wegmans!

I was able to find these again at my local Aldi. When they first came out I saw them but it's been a while in between. I think they are pretty good. They also have a root vegetable one, too!

Back in early March our local Zonta Club had it's Annual Lucky Numbers Luncheon which is a crazy day of fun and fundraising! I was thrilled to see THIS vegan handbag as one of the prizes. I'm not into fashion or accessories usually but I did throw my tickets in this one! I didn't win but it was all in good fun and we did raise a lot of money that day. There were over 120 LARGE prizes!

In other community news, I'm part of a group who is trying to wrangle up volunteers in our county. We are organizing an annual weekend of volunteerism in the middle of May. It's called Warren County Serves. More on that in coming posts. I think this photo was from our February meeting and since we live in the snow belt you can see we even wear hats inside sometimes because the heating systems couldn't keep up with the frigidly low temperatures.

During our Mid-March Zonta Meeting not only did we do another collection and shipment for Free The Girls we also took part in My National Freedom Day.

Here are some of the photos from our shipping party! We shipped another 400 bras to Free The Girls! That is the 3rd shipment we have done since joining to be an official drop off location. 1,264 bras have been shipped in the 3 shipments so far!

The Good, The Bad, & The...CUTE!

2019-04-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

We'll start with the...CUTE...because it's the easiest and, well, THE CUTEST! The other day my father sent me this photo of my niece. Apparently, she has messy hair and doesn't care!

Now...for a little bit of the...GOOD! I found this a while back and it is darn tasty! Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter made with REAL Pumpkin! I have a few spoonsful for a snack on occasion!

And for another 'nut butter' I am feeling conflicted about this one...while it smells and tastes WONDERFUL the texture is a little hard to deal with! Sure...I expected the oil to be on top and that I would have to stir but OMG it was SO DRY on the nut butter part that I got oil all over me and couldn't really stir it at all! YIKES!

The last time I saw this brand I had the spicy queso (I think) and it was ok but really thin and runny. THIS ONE was MUCH BETTER! I liked the consistency and the flavor better than the first one!

For the next product...I guess I aimed a little too high with this one. Perhaps my expectations were too over the top but I have to say I really didn't care for this product. The noodles were very gummy and a weird slimy texture that didn't jive with my pallet. Sorry, folks!

This, however, was AMAZING! The flavor was great and the texture was right on, too! BUT...locally, speaking, was WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! I had to try it just once but at $7.99 I can't justify it...no matter how yummy! Knock 2 to 3 bucks off and I will consider it!

I've had this one other time before but when I found it again I had to grab it not only because I was out of vegan cheese but because it was on sale and I had a craving!

This was the first time I had come across this brand of hummus so I knew I had to try it and was glad I did! It was great! And the price was right, too! I'm looking forward to trying to find it again and trying another flavor!

I did find the new or at least the new-to-me Mexican Classic Blend of Daiya Shreds and I enjoyed them! YAY!

This was a bit more than I wanted to spend but I rarely find Engine 2 brand items and knew I wouldn't be back to that location for MONTHS. I gobbled it up rather quickly to say the least!

I tried the Bootleg Bucha Apple Spice and it was pretty good. Another flavor I had right around that time was a HOPS one and I really liked that one, too! One of these days I hope to visit a Buffalo Based Booch Place...maybe even Bootleg! Time will tell!

Kombucha Journey, New-To-Me Vegan Amy's Kitchen Products, & Ms. Trinity

2019-03-01T05:58:00.001-08:00

YIKES! Yet again...time has gotten away from me! I have way too many photos to post and things to blab about so I'll have to work towards checking those items off my list and not overload everyone in one post. Altho...I have a feeling this post will surely be long enough on its own! First up...an update on my Kombucha Journey! This was the 2nd batch I did and we did do a 2nd ferment with it! My parents found a few of these cute bottles at TJ Maxx for cheap!

In the first photo, you will see our first flavor. It was straight-up Kiwi! In the 2nd photo, that is pure blueberry! Both were fizzy and both were tasty!

And finally, this one is orange and kiwi! We have started our 3rd batch and it should be ready to fruit and 2nd ferment in about a week. It's been FUN! We already have quite the SCOBY Hotel going, too! I think we might have to start doing more than one batch at a time!

A few weeks ago I went to the Erie Target and found a few new-to-me Amy's Kitchen Vegan Labeled Products including this Ravioli! It was SUPER tasty! The sauce really MADE it! The only problem with these Amy's meals is when I find one I really like I could eat like 4 more in one sitting!

Then there were these Asian Dumplings. At first bite...I thought it was 'ok' but as I continued eating it I found myself really enjoying it! After it was all gone, I found myself wanting more!

Paella! Another winner! I really didn't have much of an opinion of this going in only because I'm not a Paella Guru by any means. I think I only had Paella maybe twice before and I made it both times and I made it myself so who knows if it was close to a traditional Paella. Regardless, I did find this one quite tasty and I would certainly buy it again!

And to finish out this post I thought I would post a pic of my wonderful niece with my parents dog. I have a series of these photos on IG in case you want to see more. Ms Trinity calls me Aunt Ja Ja. She's a gem! I love her dearly!

More Vegan Eats & Women Are Wonderful Event

2019-02-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

Have YOU seen these YET? Clif came out with new (loose) Granola! I was able to find this Cinnamon Almond flavor and I must say it was GREAT! Actually, it was a gift from my parents! They are VERY thoughtful! When I eat Granola I eat it loose and dry and usually as a snack! Because I ate many handfuls of this it was more like a meal!

Eventho this photo isn't the best I wanted to post it because it was a meal I had recently. It was one of the Tasty Bites Microwavable Pouches...the Spinach Dal...actually, and a side of Garlic Parsley Riced Cauliflower. I ended up mixing it together. It was YUMMY!

My 40th birthday is in about a month. I wanted to do 40 Good Deeds leading up to my Birthdate but I haven't been consistent with doing one each day. One of the things I'm doing is donating tea to our local Cancer Center for those waiting for treatment (and their families).

Another thing I have done recently is volunteer at our local Women Are Wonderful Event that took place this past weekend. It was a FUN day. There were about 100-110 participants about roughly 30-50 volunteers.

Participants could take up to 5 classes/sessions of various topics and there was a breakfast bar and lunch served. This photo is one of the last classes of the day and it was a card making class. As a part of the Zonta Club efforts, we had many volunteers there. We also chose the winners of our Basket Raffle Fund Raiser which the money raised goes to our Service Projects. That day we also took a collection for our "Free The Girls" Project. The participants donated 66 bras and $56 to help with shipping our next batch of bras to "Free The Girls".

The other night I was roaming around the house - doing a few things - and I caught Cricket on the recliner like this. Apparently, she didn't want to sit ON the recliner's seat but wanted to wedge herself in the elbow part of the armrest.

I almost forgot to post this photo. Still not a great photo but it was a good meal. I made some more Baked Tofu Nuggets. This time I threw a bunch of spices in with Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Flour and some Arrowroot. I probably left them in a bit longer than needed but the texture was nice. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside!

New-To-Me Vegan Finds & Booch Results!

2019-02-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

BOOCH!

Here is some of the finished product from the 1st batch of Kombucha that my Dad and I did. We just went with the 1st brew and flavored with slices of oranges in the middle one and whole blueberries on the two on the left. The one on the right is my Dad's experiment with ginger and cinnamon. The blueberry was ok...next time I think I will blend the blueberries and then add it to the booch. Altho I haven't finished the orange one (I have only sipped at little) I am totally LOVING the orange one! We had to pitch one of the smaller batches due to mold but the large 2 quart and a smaller mason jar worked well...we even grew 2 baby SCOBY'S! We started another small batch and in about a week and a half or so I want to try for the 2nd brew and carbonation!

I waited for as long as I could but had to break down and go shopping the weekend before last. I stopped at Whole Foods Co-Op in Erie and they had a bunch of new products and a slew of sales...FIGURES...I didn't have a lot of money to go on a spree...but I did find some new-to-me items including these bagels!

And Miyoko's! I think it was $2 off! I know I have had some of her other vegan cheese - like the pub cheeses - and flavored cream cheeses - but this might have been the first time I have tried the 'straight up' plain vegan cream cheese. And let me tell you...I LOVED IT!

Target in Erie expanded their vegan offerings, too, including a pumped up Sweet Earth section! I already ate these Aloha BBQ Quesadillas. They were ok but I don't think I would buy them again unless they were on sale. They really didn't look anything like the photo. The vegan cheese was near non-existent, I couldn't really taste the pineapple either. They didn't taste bad but I I was thinking they would have layer upon layer of flavor but they really didn't. They are good if you are in a hurry, however.

Another Sweet Earth meal I found was this. Again...if you can find them on sale they are worth a taste. With this I did appreciate that the cauliflower was actually roasted. It was literally a little bit of mac with cauliflower on top. There wasn't much vegan cheese sauce at all. Luckily I had some of my Vegan Alfredo left over from a previous meal that I added on top and mixed it. The flavor was good but it really could use more sauce!

Check these 'bad boys' out! Daiya came out with some vegan yogurts. But not just ANY vegan yogurt...CRUMBLE Yogurts! As I type this I am eating the Key Lime one now and the taste is certainly a flavor EXPLOSION! This Key Lime is right up there with the Lemon Cashewgurt for me - and that is saying a lot!

I haven't tried this one yet but if it's anything like the Key Lime one I know I will be a fan! These are NICELY done. Word to the wise...be sure to stir these well! They are VERY thick! That in itself puts it in the WIN category for me because many of the vegan yogurts I have had up to this point have been runny and/or thin.

And finally, Kite Hill Ricotta! It's the first time I have seen it locally and that was at my local Tops. However, it was EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, but I felt like I had to buy some to support the addition of a new product at that store so I did. Of course, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to get more, so I hope they have it on sale VERY SOON!

Animal Photography - Color and Black & White

2019-02-01T12:57:00.001-08:00

Thank you to those who are helping me narrow down my photos for this years fair! I was able to get my hands on the categories and I have some MAJOR narrowing down to do now that I know what I am looking for! I was hoping you could help me YET AGAIN!

First up...Animal Photography! I think I have narrowed it down to 3. A cat, a dog, and a Prairie Dog! I can enter ONLY ONE in each category BUT there is a color category for animals and a black and white category for animals. These first two are the Stray Cat.

Next up is a Blue Lab. This first photo is the color one and below is the black and white one of the Blue Lab.

I guess the best way to ask is...out of the 3 animals which one do you think I should enter for the color and which one should I enter for the black and white?

The last of the 3 animal photos I have is this Prairie Dog! Above is the color and below is the black and white version.

I'm not sure which I should enter in each category! Can you guys and gals help me!?