Easy Homemade Vegan Cocktails

Screwdriver
For those who like adult beverages, vegans can have those too! This screwdriver is just orange juice and vodka. Vegans need to watch out for liquors that are processed with bone char and fish bladder. Also make sure drinks made at the bar do not contain milk or raw eggs. Keep it simple. 

Screwdriver

Tootsie Roll

I made this vegan shot simply by combining Kahlua coffee liqueur and orange juice. It tastes just like a Tootsie Roll candy! Ironically, Tootsie Roll candies are NOT vegan. They contain milk and whey.

Black Russian

I can't drink White Russians because they have milk in them. Vegans don't drink milk, so I make Black Russians. Tonight's tasty cocktail was made "on the rocks" with 1 part Kahlua, 2 parts Smirnoff, and a cherry.

Homemade Black Russian

Tropical Spiced Tea

Tropical Spiced Tea is easy to make. Just get a glass of iced tea and spike it with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, then add a splash of lemon juice.

Tropical Spiced Tea

Malibu Driver

This home-made Malibu Driver is made with Malibu Coconut Rum and orange juice. Malibu Drivers are safe for vegans, that is until the third one!

Malibu Driver

Jack and Coke
I've developed a taste for this easy to make adult beverage. Yes. It's just what you think it is; Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Tennessee Whiskey with Coca-Cola, on the rocks. 

Jack and Coke

The recipe for this drink is 2 oz. of Jack on ice, then top it with 8 oz of Coke. Or at least that's how beginners drink it! Those who live hard lives tend to alter the recipe a bit. I only had a mini bottle, so I was forced into drinking this like a normal person.

I've been to the distillery in Lynchburg TN. I've smelled the mash, inspected the barrels, and sipped it straight. It's vegan. There's some other Jack Daniels products that are not vegan friendly. Always get No.7 to be safe, or do some research.

Captain OJ

I made this home-made Captain OJ using one part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and five parts orange juice. I was able to get such a beautiful photograph of this drink only because I captured this image before drinking this cocktail and the ones that followed it.

Captain OJ

Personally, I believe this to be a healthy dietary supplement that positively supports good mental health. Drinking this will ease stress and increase confidence and self esteem. But you should never get health advice from a drunk blogger.

Hot Chick'n Sandwich Combo at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

I made my way back to Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL today. I've been wanting to visit again for a while. I had a craving for a chick'n sandwich. 

This is Vujee Vegan's version of the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. This is a delicious hand-breaded fried chick'n "breast", deep fried and tossed in house-made spicy seasonings. This is served on a toasted vegan Hawaiian roll with sweet creamy slaw, spicy pickle slices, and vegan ranch sauce. This combo is served with a choice of waffle fries or Mesquite BBQ Kettle Chips. I always get the waffle fries.

Hot Chick'n Sandwich Combo at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

Hot Chick'n Sandwich at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

Everything about this meal was excellent! I loved the crunch of the large slab of vegan chick'n. It was crispy but still soft in the middle. The Nashville hot sauce was thick and spicy with a good amount of heat, but it was still mild enough for adventurous kids. The soothing vegan ranch, slaw, and pickles were all perfect with the hot sauce. More slaw would have made this great sandwich even better, but that's just a personal preference.

The perfectly cooked waffle fries were as good as the ones I get at Chick-Fil-A, maybe better since these were slightly crispier and not as oily.

Allergens are clearly listed on the Vujee Vegan menu and marked on each wrapped food item with a nice Vujee Vegan label. The use of labels is good marketing and also ensures that we all know what we have in our hands before we eat it.

The ordering process was very easy on the Vujee Vegan website. Call in and walk in orders are also taken. Walk in orders do require a wait of about 10-15 minutes. I've been using the website because it's so easy, and it shows options available, such as ingredient subtractions or extra sauces.

I've been visiting this place frequently over the last month. Every meal has been a real treat, and the people are very kind and friendly. The kitchen looks clean, and there's a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the calming music. This has become my new favorite place for vegan food in Huntsville. I will surely return very soon!

Click here to see the Vujee Vegan Website

My First Visit to Slutty Vegan in Birmingham AL

After years of waiting for the right time, today I finally had the opportunity to try Slutty Vegan. This is my documentation and first impression of my experience.

Finding Slutty Vegan is pretty easy. Just find Sloss Furnaces and go east on 1st Ave a couple miles to 55th Pl and look for the brightly colored signs. 55th St is one block away from 55th Pl, so be sure you're on the correct 55th.

Slutty Vegan in Birmingham AL

Upon entry, the crew playfully welcomed us by announcing loudly that sluts have entered the building. The interior was bright and clean with bold graphic design and text all over the place. Slutty Vegan is known for its slightly vulgar corporate identity and advertising. It was so fun being part of Slutty Vegan's naughty world.

Slutty Vegan has a take-out counter for ordering food, but there is no seating area or drink station. It's very similar to a Pizza Hut or Dominos take out location. The kitchen appeared to be very clean. The crew was friendly. At the time of my visit, one of my favorite jams, No Ordinary Love by Sade, was the smooth groove bumping loudly on the apparently high-quality sound system, giving the place a cool nightclub vibe. I was dancing at the counter as the bass riff and Sade's smooth voice distracted me from the menu.

I had a travel companion during this visit, so we both ordered multiple items to share. We had to eat in the car.

Here's what we ordered:

Super Slut

A plant-based burger patty with vegan cheese, onions, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, and jalapeños on a vegan Hawaiian bun.

Super Slut at Slutty Vegan

This was scary. This burger tasted just like the real thing. It had the grilled flavor and chunky texture of a real beef patty. Even omnivores would never know this is a plant-based burger. And the creamy melted cheese was just like real cheese too. This burger was a bit messy. It had guacamole and sauce oozing out. The jalapeños gave it just a little bit of heat. The advertising shows burgers with more toppings, so the amount of real veggies was just slightly disappointing because of my personal preferences. This was one of the best vegan burgers I've had. I just prefer more veggies.

Personally, I'm nervous about vegan food that tastes like real meat. I really could not say for sure they didn't accidentally feed me real beef. While this was very good, I'm still afraid of this. I must trust them. Based on the taste and texture, I'd say it was beef.

Slutty Fries

Thick crinkle cut fries tossed in Slutty dust seasoning.

Slutty Fries at Slutty Vegan

These thick fries were excellent with a crispy exterior, soft interior, and a perfect amount of seasoning. These are some of the best fries I've had lately. I was given a good amount of ketchup to go with them. The portion size was good. This could be a satisfying smaller meal by itself, however it would be difficult to visit this place and stop with the fries. I saved some of these fries for later. They held up well and did not get soggy.

Side Heaux

New Orleans style crispy vegan shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce with a side of Slutty Fries and sweet and spicy coleslaw with house made ranch dipping sauce.

Side Heaux at Slutty Vegan

This was my first time trying vegan shrimp. Decades ago, as an omnivore, I was never a big fan of seafood, with the exception of an occasional flounder dinner. The last time I ate shrimp was when I was a small child, so my ability to compare this to real shrimp is limited. The batter was mostly crispy. As expected, the bold buffalo sauce was slightly hot and tangy. The interior texture was unexpected and really odd for me. I imagine this was similar to the texture of real shrimp; slightly rubbery, but soft, juicy, and delicate. There was a mild hint of funk to make it taste like seafood. The flavor was good, especially with the ranch dipping sauce added. This is just not my kind of thing with the weird texture, but it was good enough that I can imagine possibly wanting to order this again in the future. The side of sweet slaw makes this a more complete meal.

Hawt Toddy

A bowl of vegan chili.

Hawt Toddy at Slutty Vegan

This was a fine bowl of chunky, tomato-based chili with whole kidney beans and an oily finish. The heat level was mild, but the taste was completely satisfying. This can be a meal by itself. I also used this as a dip for my Slutty Fries, and it was a great combination.

One Night Stand

Plant-based patty loaded with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, and slut sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun.

One Night Stand at Slutty Vegan

My travel companion had this one and said it was good. But as you can see, it was very messy because of the Slut Sauce. Things get really nasty at Slutty Vegan, but that's part of the fun. I may try this one next time I visit. That vegan bacon looked good.

My over-all opinion of Slutty Vegan is that it's as good as all the hype. I really enjoyed every bite of the food. Every city should have a Slutty Vegan, and with the recent growth, I can see that possibly happening. This was a really fun experience.

The only slight disappointments I have is that I would prefer a self serve drink station in the lobby with free refills, and I didn't have a place to sit and eat. I had to order a single can of expensive root beer, which was really great, but I really needed a big cup of sweet iced tea. I didn't see a way to order that. Also, I don't like eating in my car, so having a place to sit would be better. But take-out only locations just are the way they are. No big deal. This was still one of the best meals I've had in a while. I plan to return ASAP.

Click here to see the Slutty Vegan website

Vegan Thanksgiving 2023

If you wonder what a vegan Thanksgiving in the southeastern United States looks like, I have photographic documentation to share with you. The following foods were created for a small family gathering. At first glance, this looks like a typical Thanksgiving meal. But there are a few odd details.

Vegan Thanksgiving 2023

This homemade meal included:

Portobello mushroom steaks with homemade chimichurri sauce
I made this one by marinading large portobello caps in soy sauce with fresh minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. I tried to char them in the skillet, but they were just too moist with the time I had. This was good but needed more time in the skillet.

Sliced root casserole
This was made with slices of rutabaga, sweet potato, onion, cassava, cashew milk, and seasonings.

Stuffing
I believe this is Pepperidge Farm stuffing with extra spices and small tomatoes added. I'm not sure, but it was very good.

Collard greens with Indian spices
I cut what's left of the fresh collard greens from the garden. I let those simmer on medium heat in salt water while I cooked sliced onion in the skillet with avocado oil and a small amount of cardamom, curry spice, cumin, and garam masala. After the greens darkened, I drained most of the water and tossed the onions into the greens. This blend of spices really added interesting layers of flavor to one of my favorite foods. Excellent!

Mashed potatoes
I have no idea how these vegan mashed potatoes were made, but I heard they included Follow Your Heart Vegenaisse. I thought that sounded a bit nasty, but I open-mindedly ate them. The Vegenaisse gave it a fuller home-made flavor. I prefer more basic mashed potatoes, but these were good.

Corn of the cob
I didn't get a photo of this one. I just melted vegan margarine on it. Excellent!

Pumpkin pie
This amazing vegan pumpkin pie was made with a premade graham cracker pie crust, a can of pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, corn starch, nutmeg, cinnamon, garam masala, cloves, and salt. I topped it with crushed almonds and baked it for an hour. This was the best pie I have ever made! The flavor was so unexpectedly wonderful. Perfect!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with almonds

Thanksgiving 2023 included some pleasant surprises. Two of my contributions were surprising successes thanks to my recent experimentation with Indian flavors. This is just further evidence that I'm the weirdo of the family. Check out my other Thanksgiving posts to see more "creative" Thanksgiving foods.

One Table Huntsville 2023 Vegan Option

One again I had the pleasure of sharing a good meal with hundreds of people at the One Table event in Huntsville, AL. The event is designed to bring people together for a shared meal. Everyone met new people in a very positive setting with kindnesses and generosity all around. They had free food for all, and a good amount of us were eating from the vegan line. We were all very appreciative to have a vegan option again. The plant-based lifestyle is alive and well in Huntsville. 

One Table Huntsville 2023

This meal included a plant-based steak patty, a cornbread muffin, southern-style green beans, smokey vegan mac and cheese, dressing, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes.

Vegan Options on a Carnival Valor Cruise in 2023

This post is provided as photographic documentation of my own experience as an herbivore aboard the Carnival Valor cruise ship in 2023 so that potential vegan and vegetarian Carnival cruisers will have more information about the plentiful availability of plant-based foods onboard.

DAY 1

BlueIguana Cantina

Before my cruise, I found information stating that BlueIguana Cantina was the place to go for vegan and vegetarian burritos and tacos. This was my first stop and first cruise meal once I boarded the ship.

Apparently the information I found online about BlueIguana Cantina was incorrect. I personally was told that the beans have chicken fat in them and the rice has butter in it. I was told the only vegan options are corn tortillas, the vegetable toppings, and the many salsas at the toppings bar. So my first meal was 2 corn tortillas with pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro, and salsa. While this was a good snack to enjoy as I waited for the cruise to start, it was a bit disappointing considering that I thought this would be my main dining spot during the 5 day cruise. I became very concerned that this may be as good as it would get for me. Vegans, don't stop reading. It gets much better than this.

The Washington Dining Room

Before the cruise, I read that I should contact the dining room staff or maître d' to request meal options ahead of time. The ship is huge, and I had no idea where to go to do that. I was able to find the dining rooms, but the large multi-leveled dining rooms were empty at the time of my arrival. I decided I'd just go with the flow, wait for dinner time, and optimistically go from there.

At dinner, I saw vegetarian options for each course and each meal. I asked the waitress if those items are or could be altered to be vegan. She said my selections were vegan. This is my first serving; Mixed Greens salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The main course was called Featured Indian Vegetarian and included lentils, basmati rice, papadam, chutney, and raita. The waitress was incorrect about this being vegan. The raita was made with milk, and I could not eat that. The rest of the meal appeared to be safe. It was excellent. This was loaded with the bold flavors experienced at a good Indian restaurant.

After this first satisfying meal I was able to request the vegan meal options for the entire cruise. From that point on, the dining room staff knew to prepare the vegan "Chef's Special" options for each of my meals. They know ahead of time to prepare something special. If you get this meal plan you need to be there each evening or let them know when you will not be there. But you will want to be there. The dinners are awesome! 

 

Rosie's Restaurant

There's drink stations with unlimited coffee, tea, water, and lemonade located in several places around Rosie's Restaurant, which is the buffet service area on the lido deck. These drinks seem to be available at all times. Fruit juices are also available for breakfast service. I had evening tea and took it to the Serenity deck for a peaceful moment.

DAY 2

Rosie's Restaurant

I started the day early at the buffet in Rosie's Restaurant. Vegan items found include plain grits (yay, no butter in them), several kinds of fresh fruit, several breads and toasts, and toppings such as peanut butter and jam. I enjoyed mine with coffee, and then orange juice.

Everything about this breakfast was great. I had plenty to eat, and my worries of starving on this cruise were completely gone. Vegans can eat well on Carnival Valor!

 

I returned for lunch, this time enjoying a plain baked potato sprinkled with cracked black pepper, a side of onions and peppers, and some hot sauce.

 

The buffet has a large salad area with anything you may want on a salad. It's one of the best salad bars I've seen. Even omnivores will enjoy this buffet. The vegan dressings seem to be limited to oil and vinegar, but that's my first choice anyway. Check out this massive serving of plant foods!

 

I was very pleased with this salad bar. And the line was short. Most of the cruisers were trying to hoard the meats and sweets.

 

And here's the lemonade, clearly made with real lemons. Notice the pulp. This is available around the clock, day and night.

 

 

Coffee Bar 

Carnival Valor has a fancy coffee shop! Vegans, they have almond milk, but they didn't have my first choice, oat milk. Don't miss this tasty treat on deck 5 near the casino. This is an extra cost item, but the prices are not too bad.

 

The Washington Dining Room

My second dinner started with a slice of baguette. It came with butter, but I set that aside and used olive oil and pepper as a dip.

That was followed by Baby Spinach Salad. It would normally come with walnuts and blue cheese dressing. My vegan option may have been misinterpreted to omit nuts. This was just a plate of spinach. I put balsamic vinegar on it. It was good, but it left me wanting something more.

This is where things really got good. The chef made a vegan version of the Root Vegetables In A Pie Crust. This was amazing! It tasted like the best Thanksgiving dressing mixed with potatoes, carrots, and corn in a pot pie crust, and there was what seemed to be a tapioca sauce on top. This was so good in so many ways. This was among the best plant-based food I've ever had.

 

DAY 3

Rosie's Restaurant

Here's another good breakfast at Rosie's. There's nothing new here, just more grits and a bagel. Perfect!

The Rosie's buffet had tofu. Can you believe that? I asked buffet cook (with a red tie, possible a leader) if the tofu was vegan and what else may be vegan. He said if I'm vegan he could make me a plate with all the vegan items. Completely surprised, and partially doubtful, I said sure. I'll try that. He said he'd send it to my table. A few minutes later I was served this beautifully dressed plate of tofu and fried rice with veggies and sauce.

The food and service was fantastic! I didn't even expect anyone to know the V word. I was surrounded by hundreds of vicious carnivores hoarding mountains of dead flesh, and here was this miracle meal that happened as if I wished it into being. I hope this buffet cook got rewarded by the positive comments I sent to Carnival. This was more than I ever expected. 

And since the food is almost always there, why not have another bagel with peanut butter and banana with coffee?

DAY 4

The Washington Dining Room

This meal started with bread and salad as the others did. Both were great but my photos were not so great. So let's move on. The main dish was the vegan Chef's Special again. This time it was a stuffed tomato with veggie patties in a tomato sauce. This tomato was stuffed with quinoa and veggie chunks. Just as the last main dish from the dining room, this was excellent in every way. This was real food from a chef. With food this good, I didn't want to leave the ship. I was eating like royalty.

DAY 5

Rosie's Restaurant

I couldn't resist. I had to have even more of this for my last breakfast aboard the Valor.

 

BlueIguana Cantina

I ended this cruise where it started, BlueIguana Cantina. This time the toppings bar was completely raided, and I was forced to get my taco toppings from the Guy's Burger Joint toppings bar on the other side of the deck. But it worked out. This was my last sad snack as we cruised back to New Orleans and floated back to reality.

Vegans, vegetarians, herbivores, do not think for a moment that you will starve on Carnival Valor. You can eat almost all day long, non-stop, like a grazing cow, on real plant-based foods, even raw vegan foods! There's so much food it's unbelievable. Most of it is for the omnivores. It's slightly limited, mostly for breakfast, but plant-based food is there for us. 

The Deli can make a very simple vegan sandwich with sourdough bread, lettuce, pickle, tomato, and onion. Just be very clear that you want it uncooked and with no cheese or dressing.

I read that Guy's Burger Joint has a vegan burger option, but I wasn't confident in that information after seeing the kitchen and the food. It was crowded and it looked like there would be a cross-contamination issue, so I didn't bother asking about it. The bun looked glossy like it was an egg bun grilled with bacon grease. They also had seasoned fries for vegetarians, but it's unclear if those are vegan.

Other options for lacto-vegetarians are all over the place. The Deli has french fries and a veggie patty sandwich that looked good. Pizza Pirate has cheese and margherita pizza. An abundance of foods like cookies, pasta, grilled veggies, casseroles, mac and cheese, breakfast cereal, and hash browns can be found at Rosie's Restaurant. Those who are more relaxed about cross-contamination can enjoy the Mongolian Wok's vegetarian stir fry.

Tips For Vegan Valor Cruisers

• Do not miss the opportunity to eat every dinner in the dining room. Make a request for vegan options for each dinner on your cruise. The chef will probably not disappoint you.
  
• Get to know Rosie's Restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Some buffet areas remain the same each day, and other areas have new foods each day. Just ask a red tie leader what is vegan.
• You can skip room service. It's not for us. Take bananas from the buffet back to your stateroom for late night snacks.
• Don't expect to find any ingredients lists online or at the restaurants. It's all a mystery. Go with what you know is safe. Assume the food is not vegan until you have reason to trust that it is.
  
• Be creative. Vegan food is not on any menu. Use the menus to find out what vegan items are in the kitchen, then carefully make special requests, such as the cold veggie sandwich at The Deli.
  
• Servers may not know what's vegan, but the team leaders will.
• Many of the Carnival Valor vegan food suggestions floating around online are just daydreams. Some people are wishing those foods were vegan, and they want to enjoy themselves, so they decide to just eat what they want. That's fine for them, but they're sharing false information. I saw no evidence of vegan burritos, vegan burgers, vegan sushi, or vegan pizza. Vegans will not starve on the Valor, but it's still a bit of a challenge to eat anything other than salad, fruit, and bread during the day.
  
• Relax. Don't worry too much about the food on Carnival Valor. Eat whatever you can onboard. You can save your worries for Mexico. Good luck finding food there.
  

I had an amazing, life-changing experience on my first cruise with Carnival. It feels like it was all just a dream now. If you'd like to have a great time on the water you should go to www.carnival.com

A Vegan Meal at Cenote Ik-Kil near Chichen Itza

I visited Cenote Ik-Kil on the way to Chichen Itza in Yucatán, Mexico. A buffet style lunch was included in my excursion. There was plenty of meats, cakes, pies, and other choices. I was pleased to see some vegan options for me. 

I enjoyed white rice, pico de gallo, a salad made with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and slices of lime. At the table we also had warm corn tortillas, bread, and a hot salsa. This was really good! I used the delicious tortillas to make small rice and pico de gallo tacos, and I put the hot salsa on everything. ¡Muy Bien!

A Vegan Lunch at Cenote Ik-Kil

I added a Mexican Coca-Cola for $60 (pesos). This was my first Mexican Coca-Cola enjoyed in Mexico. It was perfecto. I should have gotten another one to take with me. You can also see my desert which was mixed fruit.

Mexican Coca-Cola and Fruit at Cenote Ik-Kil

The service was very good with full service at the table. There was a bar for those wanting adult beverages. The dining area was clean and beautiful. This was in a spacious structure with a tall thatched roof and exposed wooden beams. The cenote was a short walk away.

This place was a tropical paradise. I highly recommend a visit based on my experience. ¡Excelente!

Home-made Vegan Peanut Soup

I decided to veganize a peanut soup recipe from Martha Stewart. I'm sure my version isn't as good as hers because I'm not a skilled genius in the kitchen. But the soup I made was awesome! 

 

Home-made Vegan Peanut Soup

This soup includes:

1/4 white onion, chopped

1 medium Russet potato, chopped

1 small bag of peanuts, the kind found in gas stations and dollar stores

4 pieces of baby carrot, chopped

1-1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

salt

olive oil

Kick'n Chicken Seasoning

I made my soup just as Martha Stewart's recipe says, with the following exceptions:

I only prepared a quarter of her recipe, because it was just for me

I added a potato, just for fun

I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth

I didn't puree it as smoothly or strain it as recommended

 

After using Martha Stewart's instructions as a guide for my vegan peanut soup, I put it in the bowl and garnished it with olive oil and Kick'n Chicken Seasoning. This meal for one was perfect!

Marmite Toast with Tea

This light meal included Dave's Killer Bread toasted and topped with Earth Balance and Marmite. I enjoyed it with a cup of tea with oat milk.

Marmite Toast

One Table Huntsville 2022 Vegan Option

One Table is an event organized to "bring together people from all walks of life across our city, give thanks, create unity, and celebrate diversity." Free food with good people in a positive environment sounds pretty good, doesn't it? As participants of One Table Huntsville, we were offered a vegan option! Amazing!

One Table Huntsville 2022, vegan option

The vegan plate included vegan fried "chicken", seasoned rice, greens, carrots. cornbread, and cake. When I heard about free vegan food being given out, I was skeptical and doubtful. I assumed the vegan option would be mustard and tomato sandwiches with a side of ham-cooked green beans with the ham picked out. When I went through the line to get my free vegan food I was offered one great item after another. What a pleasant surprise! But was it good?

The vegan fried "chicken" was better than expected. It seemed to be fried wheat gluten. The texture was perfect. The taste was excellent. The rice was delicious and perfect. The greens were amazing! I love greens! I could have eaten the whole catering tray of those greens. The carrots were good. The sweet flavor was nice. I enjoyed every piece. The cornbread was good, maybe a bit sweeter than I prefer. Most vegan cornbread falls to pieces, but this stayed in one piece. The cake was very sweet, sticky, and soft with a coating of powdered sugar. I was also given a free bottle of water.

This was fun. The food was really good. Friendly, positive-minded people were everywhere, sitting together. I left like part of a huge family at a reunion in grandma's back yard. It was free. This was nothing but positive. I will return next year!

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

Hobo packs can be easy meals for the oven or the grill. Just find some left-over items and cook them in a foil pouch with a splash of oil and your favorite spices.

I had some old potatoes and part of a white onion. I threw in a chopped Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle sausage. I sealed it up in a tightly folded foil pouch and baked it.

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

This works well for camping trips. These can be prepared before leaving home. Let's take a moment to remember that many people are currently living without homes. They may have jobs and look clean, but they sleep in their cars, campers, tents, etc.

Home-made Vegan Poutine with Bisto Gravy

This poutine included frozen crinkle cut fries, Bisto gravy, Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds, and fresh green onions. Food from heaven!

Home-made poutine with Bisto gravy

I discovered a plant-based instant gravy. I first bought Bisto gravy at my local European market in the British section. Later I saw that Publix Supermarkets also have it, and at a much better price. 

Bisto comes in a can. The actual product looks like rat poison pellets or fish food. When very hot water is poured onto the pellets, it turns into a delicious gravy.

This gravy is amazing but takes some practice to make. During preparation, it has a very thick and gelatinous consistency unless plenty of water is added. More water is better. Also, the water must be very hot to dissolve it. The gravy should be prepared only minutes before serving, because it quickly becomes thicker when it cools. When its done correctly, this gravy is awesome! I love it!

A Vegan July 4th Work Lunch 2022

We had a July 4th feast at work! And they offered some vegan items. Free food!

This work lunch included Lay's Barbecue chips, Lay's Classic chips, a bag of popcorn, and a Dr Pepper. I enjoyed this so much I went back for more during my 15 minute break.

Some people would think of this as a disappointing lunch, since the others got to enjoy a fried chicken feast with several side dishes. I grew up poor. I see this as a really good free lunch. I'm grateful for what I get in this world. I think everyone would be happier if we all focused more on the good things in life.

At work I choose not to tell anyone that I eat only plant material. This just avoids conflict and misunderstandings. I would like to avoid having people go out of their way to get something special just for me, not only because I don't want to take the fun out of their celebrations, but also because they'd get their feelings hurt if they got something they think is vegan but is not. Also I want to avoid having people bring in their own assumptions about vegans and apply them to me. They may have known a very judgemental, outspoken, angry vegan who offended or scared them, and I am completely not like that.