Today I thought I’d share a question and my response from the Life Well Lived Getting Organized Panel.

First, the Question: What is your best tip for hosting a gathering, get-together or party that is enjoyable and stress-free for both the host and the guests?

Ahhh isn’t this just an all-time question? I think one of the key things for me is taking care of all (or as much as possible) of the prep work ahead of time. If I leave everything to do for just before people arrive, then I’m doomed to become stressed and potentially forget something.

I start by taking the time to write everything I need down – making my shopping list. It really stinks to be in the middle of preparing a dish and realize you forgot to get one ingredient!

Then I start my advance preparations including cutting vegetables, preparing dips, making desserts and even mixing pitchers of drinks. All this can be done before the actual party day.

As an example, every year we’ve been having an annual Soup, Chili & Chowder party in early December. This event coincides with the tree lighting ceremony that takes place in our town on the first Friday night of December. This party has turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ones we throw because it’s so laid back, casual and everyone is so cheerful with the approaching holidays.

This past year I made 2 soups, 2 chowders and 1 crockpot full of my vegan chili.

I usually start preparing the soups and chowders a couple of days ahead of time. First, making sure I have all my ingredients ready, then I can begin getting all the chopping completed – even if it means soaking the veggies in water to keep them fresh. Nothing wrong with that I say.

The day before, I get all the soups and chowders ready – as in ready to eat if we were so inclined. That way, the day of the party all I have to do is start my vegan chili in the crockpot in the morning before I head to work. Then during the day, my hubby can head to the bakery to pick up loaves of fresh crunchy bread (french, sourdough, etc). After work, I come home put all the pots of soup and chowder onto the stove to warm them up, place out the bowls and spoons and I’m pretty much ready to go.

The evening is super casual with people coming and going as they please. They fill their bowls with their choice of delight and then enjoy the warmth they provide on what is usually a chilly evening.

Most people make the rounds and try all the soups I’ve prepared.

Because there isn’t a set “eating time”, and since people come and go depending on how long they stay at the town holiday event, I get lots of time to visit with everyone as they arrive.

I really look forward to this event each year.

So, what tips do you have for keeping a party enjoyable and stress-free?

Please leave a comment below and also visit the main Stress-Free Entertaining post on BlogHer.com for more ideas and to share yours.

While you’re there, why not enter to with the current Life Well Lived Sweepstakes too!

Happy Entertaining everyone!

Ahhh, Valentine’s Day!

That special day where anything chocolate is fair game!

Yes, I know it’s more than that. It’s about showing that special someone you love them with cards, flowers, special dinners, etc. But I’m going to be honest here, my special someone is off on a trip right now, so today is all about the chocolate! Vegan Chocolate!

To start, and for a mix of the fun, the crazy, the ghoulish and the yummy, I decided to make Vegan Machine’s Bloody Valentine Cupcakes! (click link for her recipe).

These cupcakes are THE BOMB!

So easy and super yummy…makes me wonder why I would ever pay upwards of 3$ for one of those fancy cupcake house cakes again?

I didn’t make mine as “bloody” as her’s look, but I’ll work on that for Halloween this year!

On to the chocolates, and you wouldn’t believe all the vegan chocolates I purchased this year (yes, I used Valentine’s as an excuse – oh and the fact that I’m spending Valentine’s without the hubby – but with the frenchie just adds to my reasoning).

I bought these vegan truffles from Energy Truffles and they’re just delicious!

They’re created in Southern California by a family owned business – love supporting small family owned companies. Oh and they’re mostly raw too. I’m not sure how something so tasty can be “good” for you, but yes, right here, I’m claiming they are. They’re at least good for lifting your spirit when you eat them and for me that’s what counts.

I also ordered a MASSIVE package of goodies from Obsessive Confection Disorder (don’t you just love that name!) Known as the “Vegan Caramel Whisperers”, these treats are such a delight…trust me, you won’t want to share – and luckily today I don’t have to!

In my package I have the Vanilla Bar, Burtle Bar, Irish Caramel Bombs and a couple of sweet crispy hearts dipped in chocolate!

I’ll try not to eat all of this today. Hubby is home tomorrow and if I repackage what’s left, he’ll think I got HIM a super sweet Valentine surprise. Score on both accounts!

So, how are you celebrating today? Or rather, what kind of vegan yummy treats are you eating?? (yes, for me, today is a day to obsess about treats!)

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I hope your day is fabulous!

Sending lots of hearts and hugs to you all,

P.S. Today is the LAST day to vote in the Vegan/Vegetarian Top Mom Blogs contest over at Circle of Mom’s. Please take a moment and vote for all your favorite blogs – hopefully mine is one of them – and know I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Almost exactly a year ago I posted a similar recipe on stuffed peppers.

So, you’re probably asking why am I posting again?

The answer is probably because I haven’t made them since then, and I just got reacquainted with how very easy they can be to make – especially if you have a local Trader Joe’s and access to their new Beef-less Ground Beef, their trio packs of peppers, sliced mushroom packs and frozen pouches of Rice Medley. Plus, Trader Joe’s makes it easy to tell if something is vegan..they put this little ‘V’ on their packaging!

I admit it, sometimes I’m a “Lazy Vegan”.

Work has been a bit nutso lately (thankfully) and sometimes when I get home, I just want to get a healthy meal on the table with minimal effort and minimal time (oh and if you didn’t know this, I’m really not that big on going out to dinner).

Here are the ingredients I used this time:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 yellow onion – chopped
• 1 cup sliced Trader Joe’s Sliced White Mushrooms – chopped
• Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
• 1 trip pack of Trader Joe’s peppers (the recipe actually makes enough for at least 4 peppers though)
• 1 pack of Trader Joe’s frozen Rice Medley
• 1/2 jar of tomato sauce – (I used Trader Joe’s)
• OPTIONAL – Chia seeds to sprinkle on top and Parma Vegan Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat, add onions and cook until translucent

3. Add chopped mushrooms and cook thoroughly

4. Add meatless ground stir and cook through

5. Mix in 1/2 jar of tomato sauce

6. While above items are heating, toss your packet of Trader Joe’s Rice Medley into the microwave for 3 minutes and then cut off the tops of the peppers and clean out the insides. I actually chopped the tops of the peppers around the stems and added those pieces to the mix cooking in the pan.

7. Line up your peppers in a casserole dish, stuff with the above heated mixture. Since I had more mix than peppers, I used the extra mix to line the casserole dish to hold the peppers upright.

8. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on how soft you like your peppers.

9. Go open the mail, make a tossed salad, ask your hubby and kids how their day was and before you know it, a healthy dinner is served in less than an hour!

Before eating, I topped my peppers with some Chia seeds and some Parma! vegan parmesan….YUM!

Enjoy!!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Also, I’ve been nominated on Circle of Moms to be in the top 25 vegan/vegetarian blogs. If you have time, could you please vote for me.  You can vote once a day, every day until February 14th – only a couple more days! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

We have a winner!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who entered!! AMAZING! I love meeting all the new people through this amazing medium! I’ve now got lots of blogs to follow, Pinterest boards to follow, Twitterers to follow….follow, follow, follow! THANKS!

Here’s how the Randomizer went:

The #14 comment was made by Katie Wurn!

Thanks Katie and Congratulations!! I’ll email you for your address so I can get this bag out to you by Valentine’s Day!

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend and Valentine’s Day!!

Hugs and love,

Also, I’ve been nominated on Circle of Moms to be in the top 25 vegan/vegetarian blogs. If you have time, could you please vote for me.  You can vote once a day, every day until February 14th. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

Valentine’s Day is Coming!!

Truly, I like to celebrate absolutely any reason to spread love in this world!!

To celebrate this Valentine’s I’m giving away another vegan handbag created by
Susan Nichole!

This will be a quick giveaway – only 4 days to enter – so that I have enough time to get the winner their bag before the BIG day!

Here’s the beautiful vegan bag I’m giving away:

Isn’t it just GORGEOUS!

To enter, just let me know “what’s your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day” in the comments below.

It’s that simple!!

I can tend to be a bit of a homebody if given the chance, so for me, it’s dinner at home with my hubby and then sitting together on the couch with our French bulldog Bubba watching a movie. Nothing fancy for me…just sweet and simple time together works.

If you’d like additional entries, you can:

• Like Lita’s World on Facebook, then leave a comment here on this blog saying you’ve done so, and/or
• Follow Lita’s World on Twitter, then leave a comment here on this blog letting me know, and/or
• Become a follower – subscribe through a reader HERE, or by submitting your email address in the right menu bar and hitting subscribe. Just leave another comment here letting me know you’ve done this.
• Follow my boards on Pinterest! (and yes, I’ll follow you back if you’re addicted to it too!), then leave a comment here on this blog saying you’ve done so, and/or
• Add me to your Google+ circles (I’ve got to get better at using this!) then leave a comment here on this blog saying you’ve done so.

YES, each item above is another entry.

This contest is open until Thursday February 9, 2012 at 6 PM Pacific Standard Time. The winner will be selected using Randomizer.org and posted the following day (or that evening) and I’ll be sending out the bag that day too if I get a response with an address – I want to get this purse delivered in time for Valentine’s!!

Good Luck and thanks so much for entering!!!

For weekly chances to win Susan Nichole handbags, wallets and more  from her line, join Susan Nichole on Facebook every Thursday night at  10 PM/ET (7 PM/PT) for their ONLINE PURSE PARTY.

P.S. I’m not being compensated in any way for sharing how much I love any of these handbags…just sharing what I love because, well, it’s what I do.

P.P.S.  I can only ship to a winner in the U.S. or Canada…sorry, if you’re visiting from somewhere further away, but thanks for coming by!

Also, I’ve been nominated on Circle of Moms to be in the top 25 vegan/vegetarian blogs. If you have time, could you please vote for me.  You can vote once a day, every day until February 14th. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

WOW! the entries were all amazing!!! I’ve been dying to respond to everyone, but didn’t want my comments to get mixed in the numbering. I think I’ve followed everyone back on Twitter though..oh how fun!!

Now, don’t be too sad if you didn’t win, I have another Susan Nichole handbag to give away starting next Monday. A shorter entry time (only a few days) so I can hopefully get the bag to the winner by Valentine’s Day!

I’ll be giving away the Chloe bag in the color Clay.

Ready for the Winner of the Trinity bag?!?!?

Comment number 395 belongs to Adrien Beatty!! Congratulations Adrien! I’ll be in contact to get your shipping address.

I hope everyone will return next week for the Valentine’s Giveaway!

P.S. If you have time today, could you vote for my blog over at the Circle of Mom’s site? It just takes a second, no information is asked for, just click the “VOTE” button to the right of Lita’s World. Thanks a Million!

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Wow, it’s that time of year again!!

Superbowl Party Time!

Are you ready?

We were really excited at the prospect of the 49ers being in the game. I must admit though, that since they didn’t make it, I think we’ll enjoy a more stress-free game. (plus routing for the Patriots is kinda in my blood being from New England and all).

Now, since our home team didn’t make it, I can simply focus on a better topic for game day – FOOD!

I thought I’d share some links and recipes to some tasty vegan game day dish ideas I’ve found – some I’ve tried and some I’d like to try this year.

VEGAN Party Recipes:

Mexican 7-Layer Dip

This dish is AWESOME –  Mexican 7-layer Dip (click link for recipe) from the Vegan Machine website. I have definitely made this and in a word, it’s DELISH!

Veggies or Chips and Dips

The standard for party fare…dips and well, anything to dip into them (veggies, pita chips, chips, baguette slices).

There are just so many vegan recipes out there for delicious dips to enjoy. Some of my favorites can be found on the C’est la Vegan site. Here’s a link to a few of them. She has so many delicious recipes everything from spinach dip, onion dip, cheezy beer dip and buffalo chicken dip. (AND, yes, they’re all VEGAN!)

Also, you could go with one of my favorite all-time (meaning every day) dips…HUMMUS!

Artichoke Olive Pizza

This is a beautiful dish from The Tolerant Vegan (click link for recipe). It looks super easy to make – especially if you buy the pizza dough already made.

I see a need to make multiples of this as I know that no matter how I cut the pieces, they’re all going to disappear!

I could see this pizza made with a few olives on it too (I’m kinda in an olive phase right now)!

Hot Caramelized-Onion “BACON” Dip

This is adapted from Coastal Living magazine (October 2011)…and it’s one to be made especially for my son-in-law Robert who LOVES the taste of bacon (and we still love him anyways!) Even though the “bacon” isn’t from an animal in this recipe, it’s still for all to enjoy.

• 2 teaspoons non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance Original)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream (such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise or Trader Joe’s)
• 3 ounces shredded vegan cheddar cheese (such as Daiya)
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup soy bacon bits (such as Betty Crocker Bacos)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add onions, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until onions turn deep golden brown.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar and thyme, and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, Bacos, and pepper. Stir in onions.

6. Transfer to a 2-cup baking dish. Bake 20 minutes or until mixture bubbles and top is browned.

Try dipping in sliced veggies or apples or potato chips or even thin slices of toasted baguette! YUM!

Bruschetta

Speaking of toasted slices of baguettes, why not make some bruschetta to go with them too.

Super simple to make, I usually cut up 3-4 roma tomatoes (though other tomatoes work fine too), add in some sliced green onion (or red onion), a bit of garlic chives, some basil (sometimes some parsley) and then drizzle on the olive oil. Letting everything sit together for a bit combines all the flavors into a lovely dip. While it’s sitting, why not toast the bread?

Roasted Red Potatoes

Another super easy hot treat to serve would be some roasted red potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Baby Red Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Rosemary
• Optional – Daiya vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Scrub the potatoes and then slice them in half and place in a bowl.

3. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss the potatoes well to coat.

4. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet.

5. Place them in the oven for approximately 45 minutes – a fork should easily poke into them when they’re ready.

6. Optional – top with Daiya vegan cheddar cheese shreds and a sprig of rosemary. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted.

These are also super yummy topped with some vegan sour cream, or some vegan bacon bits (as seen in the recipe above). I also like to sprinkle a bit of balsamic vinegar on top of them…mmmmm!

Homemade Salsa Fresca and Guacamole

To me, no party is complete without some chips and salsa and guacamole. So easy to make right at home and always so delicious.

Here’s my mom’s salsa recipe (make this the day before the big game):

• 2 medium tomatoes quartered
• 1/4 medium size onion chopped
• 1 sprig cilantro chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 jalapeno peppers (use 1/3 of 1 for mild, 1 1/4 for medium, and both for hot and spicy)

1. Put in a blender (or food processor) and chop until desired consistency.

2. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend.

For guacamole, I like to keep it simple, combining avocado, lime, some sea salt and a dash of chili powder in a bowl and mashing and mixing it all together.

On game day, I’ll also probably have a crockpot full of my favorite vegan chili ready to go too. Afterall, it is a standard around here.

So many recipes, so much goodness to eat on game day. Maybe I should start working on some drink recipes to go along with all this yumminess!

Serving any favorites at your house or party this year? Please share!

Oh and if you have the “ultimate” margarita recipe, I’m looking for one, so please let me know.

Happy Super Bowl week everyone!

P.S. If you have time today, could you vote for my blog over at the Circle of Mom’s site? It just takes a second, no information is asked for, just click the “VOTE” button to the right of Lita’s World. Thanks a Million!

So, you know those Chia Head/Chia Pet crazy commercials showing those completely hysterical hope-you-don’t-get-one-as-a-white-elephant-gift heads with growing green hair coming out of them?

Well, who knew that those little chia seeds used to grow said “hair” on these items were so stinkin’ good for you?

I didn’t, until I initially read about them on my friend Nadia’s AMAZING healthy raw and vegan food blog Nature Insider.

It’s hard to believe, these little guys are filled with antioxidants, calcium, protein (always a bonus for a vegan), phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, zinc, potassium, omega 3 & omega 6 fatty acids and many more essential amino acids.

Adding a pinch of these small black wonder seeds to every meal can help you lose weight, reduce your blood pressure and stabilize your blood sugar.

These little cuties are an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica that grows abundantly in southern Mexico. They were even thought to have been a main component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and were the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors.

AND they’re so teeny, you almost hardly notice when you add them to anything from salads, smoothies, or baking mixes (mixed in with the flour when you’re baking).

In fact, for reducing oils in baking,  I just read in this Top 10 Benefits of Chia article, that using a chia gel (let some chia seeds sit in some water and they create a chia gel) you can actually divide the amount of butter or oil in your recipe by half, using the gel to replace the other half.

This expanding that the chia seeds do in water is the same concept that can help you lose weight by eating them. They expand when you consume them making you feel fuller, longer. Ok, I’m all for feeling fuller longer and any type of weight loss attempt that is non-medicated and doesn’t leaving me feeling hungry ALL THE TIME is one for me!

There’s so much information online about their benefits, that I really encourage you to read more. Here’s a link I used to view articles on the Benefits of Chia.

I’ve read so much about these benefits now that I’m carrying a container of them with me in my purse, I have a container on the dining table at home and another one on my desk at work. Let’s just say, I’m chia prepared and there’s no room for excuses.

Being healthier is always a goal of mine and if I lose some weight along the way, well, that’s even better. Trust me, if I do, I’ll keep you posted on it!

Have some fun ways to use chia? Did you know about it’s goodness already? Please share any information you have so I can pass it along.

Be Healthy,

P.S. If you have time today, could you vote for my blog over at the Circle of Mom’s site? It just takes a second, no information is asked for, just click the “VOTE” button to the right of Lita’s World. Thanks a Million!

Ahhh vodka, it seems you’re not just for happy hour anymore.

(truly, I can’t even remember the last time I even went to a happy hour – I simply have them at home now – getting old I guess!)

My interest in these using vodka tips started with a quick article I read in Health magazine and, just for fun, I looked up more information then thought I’d share some of what I found.

For anyone wondering, well, I’m calling these “GREEN” tips because if you use something you already have instead of buying new, I consider that being green. (and I’m just having a bit of fun)

Who knew there were so many other things you can use vodka for? Of course, I don’t think I’d use the “GOOD” stuff here, but low-quality, bottom shelf vodka should work just fine.

Vodka in the Bathroom and Kitchen:

- Did you know it works like vinegar as an eco-cleaner? Just pour some on a rag and wipe down your counters and sinks.

- It even helps prevent mildew, so use it on the caulking around your shower and tub. Spray the area, let it sit for about 5 minutes then rinse it off. The area should be bright and clean and mildewless afterwards.

Vodka in the Laundry Room:

- In case you didn’t already know this vodka is odorless – so no worries about your house smelling like a saloon. Which even makes it useful for removing certain unwanted smells from your clothing. Just put some in a spray bottle and spray away. You probably want to let your clothing dry completely before wearing it though possibly hanging it in a open area to do so.

- If you have any tough stains to tackle, pour some on a clean cloth, apply to your stain and then wash your piece as you normally would – it works great even on the tough stuff – yes, I tried this one just for fun because stain removing is so much fun.

Before I tried either of the two above though, I would test a small area of your fabric first.

Vodka in the Garden:

- Vodka even has use as a weed killer. Fill a spray bottle with an ounce of vodka, several drops of liquid dish soap, and two cups of water and then spray directly onto the weeds you want gone. The weeds will need to be in the sunlight though for this to work – not in the shade.

- Another useful vodka tip for plants you want to keep aphids off of is to add four cups water, four teaspoons of dishwashing liquid and four teaspoons vodka in a large spray bottle. Shake the mixture well and spritz the areas of infestation.

- Did your honey come home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for you? (or maybe he picked them in the yard). Well, if you want to help them last longer add two teaspoons of vodka and one teaspoon sugar to your vase as you fill it and refresh the water every few days.

Vodka at the Beach:

This tip came from The Daily Green:

For vegetarians and others who don’t travel with meat tenderizer (or who don’t feel comfortable asking friends to, um, relieve the pain), take heart. Vodka can also disinfect and alleviate some of the bite of a jellyfish sting.

My question –  Does anyone travel with meat tenderizer??

Vodka in the Medicine Cabinet:

- Apply a dab of vodka with a q-tip to a cold sore to help dry it out.

- For a minor earache, you can even add a couple of drops into your ear. Let it sit for a few minutes and then drain it out. The vodka should help do away with any bacteria that is causing you pain – I believe hydrogen peroxide would help here too.

- Also good for a minor toothache – just swish a little bit of it over the sore tooth (don’t swallow…well, unless it’s close to happy hour). As your gums absorb some of the vodka, the pain should ease and the vodka again will also help to disinfect the area.

I really am amazed at all the uses vodka has, these are just some I found, but truly, let me state that it IS probably more reasonable and a lot less expensive to just use rubbing alcohol or my favorite cleaning products vinegar and baking soda for some or all of the above.

Plus, let’s be honest, if I’ve got vodka sitting around the house, then I’m probably drinking it with something – preferably some sort of juice – creating my very own Happy Hour.

Got a good use for vodka? or a tasty drink recipe? Please share!

CHEERS!

P.S. I’m not claiming to be an expert on …well… anything. Just sharing something interesting because it’s what I do.

P.P.S. If you have time today, could you vote for my blog over at the Circle of Mom’s site? It just takes a second, no information is asked for, just click the “VOTE” button to the right of Lita’s World. Thanks a Million!