Highlights of the week (so far)

I've done a couple new things this week that worked out pretty well. But first. Amy's. Mac. And. Cheeze. I know I reviewed this already, but I ate it before I could take a picture. So, of course, I had to have another, and here's the proof. The picture says it all.

I also made some spaghetti sauce this that varied from my usual concoction. Usually, I saute zucchini and fresh tomatoes for a fresh, chunky veggie sauce. I didn't have any fresh veggies other than tomatoes, so I decided to make a vegan "meat" sauce. I cut up some roma tomatoes pretty small, then added garlic and olive oil. After simmering for a bit, I added some frozen veggie meatballs. Once they softened up, I smashed them into tiny bits and it looked like a meat ragu. And it tasted great. Satisfying.

Another thing I've gotten into lately is baked sweet potatoes. My aunt's neighbor, who is over 100 years old, says she has eaten a sweet potato almost every day for as long as she can remember. I take that as a good sign.

I'll throw them in the oven, wrapped in foil, with a bit of canola oil to keep them from sticking. I don't skin them or anything, I just scrub 'em and bake 'em. I put some Earth Balance buttery spread on top and that's it. They're really good. They take about 45 minutes to cook, but that doesn't have to suck. For example, I'll get home from work and throw them in the oven right away. Then I walk the dog, read my mail, make the rest of my meal, and then the potatoes are done. And I have an extra for work the next day.

Review: Amy's Mac and Cheeze

Yea, that's cheeze with a "z".

Since going vegan, I've tried non-dairy, boxed mac and cheese. Nice try, but no. I've seen the recipes on Vegan Yum Yum and other recipes people have been so kind to offer me, but I haven't made them. For me, mac and cheese is a tradition of making something really quick for immediate satisfaction. Gooey, gooey satisfaction.

Needless to say, I had high hopes for the mac and "cheeze" of Amy's. The picture on the box looks fantastic. And I feel lucky I even got a box of it, since there were only a few left in the store's freezer.

I had it for a snack at work. And...we have a winner! This stuff will never be like the real thing, but it's really damn close. Mmmmm, cheesy, salty, not really good-for-me goodness. Thanks Amy's!

Review: Amy's Frozen Vegan Pizza

I know frozen pizzas aren't the greatest thing to put in my body, but everyone once in a while I need a pizza fix. And this time is usually around 11:00 pm when pizza spots are closed, especially any with vegan options.

In comes Amy's. In my ongoing quest for non-dairy Amy's Mac & Cheese, I discovered Amy's Rice Crust, Gluten Free, Non-Dairy Cheese pizza. I know, it sells itself!

It was really good! It satisfied my craving. Here's how it works: You bake it for about 8 minutes, and then broil it for about 1 minute to melt the cheese. I was skeptical about the cheese, as I haven't seen a lot of melted non-dairy cheese be successful. But, I got excited when I saw it starting to melt and crisp up! Thumbs up Amy's! It's not like the taste blew me away, but it did the trick.

Mac and Cheese

Ok, I'm on a mission. Now that I know this exists, I must try it. I always had a guilty pleasure of mac and cheese. The yellower and cheesier and faker and creamier the better. This stuff looks like it just might fit the bill. And I can't find it anywhere. Eek!

Yes, I know, there are some fantastic vegan mac and cheese recipes. But, they don't look like this. I can only hope it lives up to this amazing photograph.