Squirrel’s Vegan Kitchen

Trader Joe’s rules and so do my cats.

We’ve been eating some delicious and fun treats lately. The pictures aren’t quite as good as the food was, but c’est la vie.

With the leftover pumpkin from the amazing pumpkin rolls I made in the last post, I made some pumpkin pudding for dessert last weekend.

Basically I took a regular vanilla recipe, decreased the liquid slightly, added some pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and then stirred in the pumpkin when it started to slightly thicken. I thought I would be slick and pipe around the perimeter of the glasses with some melted chocolate and then write our names in chocolate on top of the pudding, but the hole on my piping bag was too big and I basically made a yummy mess. I topped each glass with some Ricemellow Fluff and a little sprinkling of cinnamon.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m completely obsessed with Trader Joe’s, and rightfully so. They just have some of the most amazing products and their prices are incredible. And as if they couldn’t get better (save becoming an all-vegan store) they are starting a new labeling system that will clearly mark all vegan items with a big, beautiful V on the front of them! Vegetarian items will be marked with a little carrot. They are also labeling for things like gluten-free and low fat. I love TJs! I was chatting with the cashier about how much I appreciate these changes and she told me that starting with the new year, TJ’s is also changing their importing guidelines and will no longer import products made in China. Again, I love TJs so much!

And because TJs loves me (and you) their holiday Joe-Joes are out, chocolate peppermint! Yummy cookies with crushed up peppermint candy in the cream. For chocolate mint lovers, this is the mother lode!

I crushed some of them up and mixed them vegan Coldstone style into some vanilla So Delicious. Sooo good, even though I was cold to begin with, who can resist such goodness? Not I, my friends.

I am also a big fan of the Real Food Daily cashew cheddar cheese recipe. I made it this week, but the texture was off, it’s not smooth like it normally is. I think I heated it too fast, so it thickened before the agar was dissolved all the way. But I couldn’t let the cheese go to waste so we made quesadillas!

I whipped up some white bean spread with a can of white northern beans and a head of roasted garlic and spread it on one side of the tortilla, with a heavy sprinkling of grated cheese on the other. Cooked in the quesadilla maker we were given right before going vegan (and we have used all of once, to make waffles in) they were really good. The garlicky white bean spread fulfilled my constant craving for mashed potatoes. We ate them with salsa and a side of broccoli.

Now that cold weather has hit full on, we’re trying my hardest to stay warm. Sweaters, scarves, sleeping in pajama pants (which I loathe), Hazel is in hibernation mode, everything! My cute little cat kids have it easy though. They have each other to cuddle with.

Bindhi and Ravi normally don’t lay together very often, but in our drafty house they are taking advantage of each other’s warmth. How cute are they? I wish I could have gotten a better picture before they woke up and started beating up on each other, but we do what we can.

I hope you all are staying warm and healthy! Cheers!

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