The World Go Vegan Week Contest!

So cute.

 I really love having things that might not be one of a kind but are darn close. I like things that are screen printed by hand and little vintage-y things that have to do with 80's cartoons and toys from my childhood that are actually from the 80s and not Hot Topic. I love kitchen toys that are shaped like robots, wallets made from recycled bicycle tires from Sweden and pillow cases with love letters on them*. That's why I get a lot of things from Etsy. On one website you can find handmade and vintage wonders from all over the world that are all the more special because they aren't mass produced in sketchy factories and really are treasures*. One day I was on Exaltation's store, falling in love with this Oxytocin shaped necklace when I found something just marvelous. If you're not familiar with it, Oxytocin is the neurotransmitter responsible for love and bonding in all relationships. It's basically romance in chemical form. Ironically though what stole my heart was a sweet, little simple and classic necklace that says my favorite word : Vegan.

It's World Go Vegan Week right now and we have special posts planned but to start it all off we're partnering with Exaltation for a fraking kick-ass contest! You guessed it! We're giving away One of these adorable Vegan Necklaces to One lucky Meet The Shannons Reader! These cute little necklaces tell the world that you're a hero to the billions of animals who suffer and die every year for meat and dairy products while being a little more discrete than a cape.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment telling us 2 things :

1. If you could be eating at any veg-friendly restaurant in the world tonight where would you be?
2. Everyone has their own super power. Baking. Knitting. Jitterbugging**. What do you think your super power is?

Of course there is no wrong answers and don't worry about trying to be the most creative. Consider this a brag board that might lead to you one day having an awesome vegan necklace of your very own. Before you leave your comment -- remember in order to win one of our contests, you must be a "member" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "Join This Site" button on the right hand side of this blog under "Friends of The Family" .

We'll randomly choose a member from the comments posted below on Oct. 30th and send you your MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). 

* Yep. I have gotten all these things on Etsy.

**  OK - They're not all treasures.

*** Seriously adorable word right?

Vegan Chicken Lettuce Wraps & How We Survived The Heat Dome...

2 years ago today, I married my best friend. Now this might seem like a pretty obvious and trite way to describe a wedding, but it fits. I mean it wasn't like the old-school wedding days, where life as we had known it changed forever. My parents didn't hand me over in exchange for a few cows, and Dan didn't lift my veil with crossed fingers. Our lives slowly began to intertwine long before we ever even kissed. We'd been building a life together for years before I ever put on that off-white dress, and our course didn't really change much from the day we decided to be more than friends in the first place. In fact, the life we had already begun to build together just got a little better... we just dressed up, ate a bunch of cupcakes, and made it legal, is all.

Over the weekend in New York City, numerous same-sex couples (and some not-so-same-sex) finally got to make it legal too. Now, I know a lot of you like to read inside bits about our relationship rather than here me talk about politics. I mean, I get at least 20 emails a week asking about what we fight about and how we move past those bloody battles. But if we were all sitting down to dinner tonight, talking about how proud we are to live in a progressive state would come up. We might also talk about the Pompeii exhibit we saw over the weekend and some thoughts we had about the new Captain America movie... which was freaking incredible*.

And if you were visiting last weekend, we would have have eaten these lettuce wraps that require very little cooking and eased our suffering considerably. See, we were trapped last weekend in The Heat Dome. Now if you're wondering if that is worse than the Thunderdome... it seriously is. We're not big on air conditioning, so a Heat Dome is pretty much a nightmare. Now you would think we were used to heat after years in Virginia. Back then the sadistic humidity gave us an excuse to drive to the beach. On nights when we were feeling kinda fancy-ish, we'd stop by P.F.Chang's on the way back. Their vegan lettuce wrap appetizers are pretty spectacular and always went perfectly with sun burnt shoulders and large lemonades. We made ours with Gardein Crispy Tenders and enjoyed them with some beers from Brooklyn's Sixpoint Brewery**, a game of Civilization, and a giant fan.

And that I guess is why, on the 2nd anniversary of our wedding, we are posting this delicious recipe that helped us do more than just survive the Heat Dome... it was a tiny reminder of how we're not just making it through our lives together. We are, as my husband so eloquently put it, "Living in the Awesome!"

Let us eat lettuce wraps and be awesome! Awesome for all!

The Super Chocolate Vegan Hootenanny Continues! Episode IV : Vegan Mississippi Mud Pie Cake

In my defense, it *is* called a mud pie... what'd you think it was going to look like?

Yesterday was apparently "Jerk Tuesday." I'd forgotten to mark my calendar, so you can imagine my surprise. It's like forgetting it's the Fourth of July and then spending the day surrounded by exploding things and patriotism--only instead of someone offering you a beer or inviting you to a BBQ, they're just a jerk.

Man, it was a long day. It was the kind of day that makes you understand why someone would start a Fight Club. But let's not focus on the those grumpy little black clouds... instead, let's talk chocolate.

To be more specific, let's talk about the ultimate chocolate dessert: vegan Mississippi Mud Pie Cake. Yeah, this little buddy lives up to the name and isn't the prettiest little baked good on the block. But this pie-cake has heart! This super rich and gooey yummy pie-cake is perfect with a scoop of vanilla soy or coconut ice cream and will help you forget - if only for a moment - why you hate your job or whoever it is that was being a rude jerkface monster.

You know what else was really helpful yesterday? This photo. I keep a copy of this photo on my desktop for tough days, and not for the reason you might think.

God Bless you Happy Wolverine & Stan Lee.

Yeah, this guy has been posted all over the internet and people have said some pretty mean things about him... but look at that smile in his face. This might be a photo of the best day of his life! No one can ever take this moment away from him. I want to be more like Happy Wolverine and focus on what makes me happy, and not those who want to steal my joy.

This is not a healthy recipe. This is not something that is designed to help you lose weight. It is just a compassionate version of chocolate awesome.

The Betty Crocker Project : Macaroni Salad with Peppered Baked Tofu

Peta2's Christina Freeman Approving.

This recipe is potluck tested and approved!

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day and so peta2 decided to celebrate in style... friendly neighborhood potluck style that is. As always there was a pretty impressive spread ranging from spring rolls to chocolate cake from peta2's Vegan College Cookbook. Now Betty's Macaroni Salad is made with Tuna and some different seasoning but we went with baked tofu because it's kinda the new trend around The Shannon Homestead these days. A trend that I hope will make the world a better place for potlucks and BBQs everywhere. Kind of a Act Locally - Think Globally thing.

There are lots of photos to go with this one - Are your vegan-senses tingling yet?*

The Family Album : Herbivore's Michelle Schwegmann makes 'Eating Taco Salad Like You Give A Damn' cooler than ever... SPOILER : There are Fairies involved.

This is what it is all about. Amen.

Many of you already know Michelle Schwegmann as the poster grrl for The Herbivore Clothing Company but did you know that she's more than just a pretty face? She's a pretty bad ass vegan chef who recently launched one of my favorite blogs Eat Like You Give A Damn, is working on a cookbook, raising an adorable vegan kid, has a sweet dog, runs one of the coolest vegan clothing clothing companies and is a pretty face. Yeah - She's pretty much a super hero - saving animals, making vegans cool not crusty and feeding faces with a single bound! Or maybe a few all combined into a one or something... Michelle Rocks is the point and one of those folks that makes Portland, Oregon the Vegan Utopia we all dreamed of when we were little vegans! We are so excited that she's our Guest Blogger today and to add her to our Shannon Family Album... You folks are going to love this Michelle's take our Taco Salad and not just because of all the pretty pictures.

Without further ado -- Here's Michelle!

"You sweet talker, Betty Crocker!" Remember that jingle?

When I first heard about The Betty Crocker Project, I had that immediate feeling "Why didn't I think of that first!" I was jealous and relieved at the same time. Somebody would do this important work, and it wasn't me -- but dang if it isn't a great idea!

So obviously I jumped at the challenge to do a guest post for the blog. Confession: I was slightly disappointed that we were to do the Taco Salad recipe! It's true, though I did not tell Annie. I thought Taco Salad was too easy! I mean, I wasn't going to have to drive across town to sixteen ethnic markets to find the exact ingredients....I wasn't going to need to make 5 items from scratch before I could even begin the taco salad recipe....but wait... what is that? DEEP FRYING? Now I was scared. Talk about foreign and exotic! I'm in over my head and I am deeply afraid. There is nothing like deep burning hot oil to put the fear into me. I am not a deep-fried vegan - I'm more of a saute or steam vegan. Turns out taco salad was going to be exciting after all. I was going to consume something, fried deeply, that was made in my own home. Pigs flew, I tell you.

I enlisted the help of my doting husband and some other deeply traditional friends on Christmas Eve to complete the mission.

The Betty Crocker Project : The Incredible Green Monsta Casserole

OK - So there is no Green Monsta in the Betty Crocker Cookbook but there is a Spinach-Bacon-Chicken casserole that I was veganizing and just kept going. I couldn't help myself. The casserole was very good on it's own but sometimes I see opportunities to work a little more kale or broccoli in my life and I just can't stop. Call it poor impulse control. Call it leveling up. Whatever. This dish is the prefect example of Shannons Gone Wild.

You'll be eating this for dinner for a week. Which also makes it perfect for this time year - when your nights are full of wrapping presents, writing out Holiday cards, baking cookies and drinking huge mugs of vegan chai or cocoa. We've been reheating bowls of this for days and it's been a nice break.

Oh and if you're wondering why I called it the Green Monsta since it kinda has nothing to do with Boston or The Red Sox... Well... Much like the mild mannered yet highly intelligent Bruce Banner this casserole may not look like much but stick it in the microwave and shoot a little radiation at it and it is unstoppable and kinda ugly.

The Betty Crocker Project : Thanksgiving Parade #4 - Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Double Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash! Oh my God! It's full on... What does this mean?!?!?!*

Probably the only good thing about being less than 100% is that you can catch up on your internets and form opinions that are pretty much blogging bread and Earth Balance. For example here's a great feature about  6 superhero origins Hollywood got right (and 6 that Hollywood messed up) that I almost agree with. See here's the thing - I recently watched Hellboy again and though they got he's origin correct - it wasn't as good as I remember. It was more B.P.R.D.(which is awesome but not the same) and Watchmen is actually a good movie and a great representation of the graphic novel (OH - I can hear the keyboards firing up now!). I do agree 100% that the intro is "justly praised" and I think most people found it "boring" because it's not really a "super hero" movie. Oh and I agree the creative carte blanche  taken with Catwoman in the movies is pretty much criminal and when I say "criminal" I mean insanely stupid.

Something that isn't insanely stupid is Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. These good looking fellows aren't just eye candy - they're a sweet, tangy and buttery Thanksgiving side that is filling and if you are trying to work vegan items into a non-vegan holiday meal - you can slip these fellows in unnoticed. They're this weird combination of obviously and secretly awesome at the same time.

Let's make some!

The Betty Crocker Project : Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This weekend, we went to see the all-star overdose The Expendables. We're, friends right? So let's be honest here. This movie made me feel old. It was like seeing all the great old action movies in some kind of Cocoon kaleidoscope--with more tattoos and stabbing in the neck, but fewer Wilford Brimley cameos. Sadly, it was the kind of movie where you spend the drive home talking about the previews. For example: Dan and I have decided that the new Green Hornet is going to be our new favorite movie of all time. I personally am willing to overlook the fact it has Cameron Diaz in it, and instead focus on Bad-Ass Kato. I mean new Kato really had to kick more ass than usual - considering one of the original Katos was Bruce Lee. It looks like a great, modern take on an old classic.

While I baked this cake, I debated whether I could be overdosing on comic book movies, special effects, and cupcakes. Nothing really makes me awestruck anymore, like when the Millennium Falcon first hit light speed; and nothing strikes me as just automatically cool, like Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Maybe the classics have ruined me for the new movies, unless it's a re-make of a classic (see: The Green Hornet). Luckily, this cake isn't just another cake - it's a classic. It was easy and fun to bake, but still special. When I flipped it over and the sticky sweet glaze melted over the pineapple and cherries - I had to smile. This isn't a hard cake to make, and maybe not the fanciest, but I'm glad we have a vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe now. It fills this hole in our cooking resume that I didn't even know we had.

Come with me on this adventure.

The Betty Crocker Project : Kung Pao Pork

I could type up a whole thing here about how even though Betty made this a pork recipe, the most common version of this is dish made with chicken; or about the political strife that lead to this dish being renamed for about a hundred years because of its association with Ding Baozhen. I could even go into the fact that this is an Americanized version of a classic Sichuan dish that was developed because from 1968 until 2005 it was illegal to import Sichuan peppercorns into the United States. But when I woke up today, I just wasn't feeling it.

Instead, I'm going to give you a list of my 5 favorite onomatopoeias from Batman--it is Kung POW Pork, after all. Please leave a comment to share your favorites as well.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's enjoy some vegan Kung Pao Pork!

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Pie

We've already seen Pizza Burgers and Pizza Dip. We all enjoyed the Stuffed Crust Pizza and the Ranchero Pizza. I still think about that White Pizza some nights when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. But the other day, I found another recipe for The League of Extraordinary Pizzas that we're developing here.

If you're following along in your own Betty Crocker Cookbook, you can find this under Easy Mushroom Pizza Pie. It was an inspiring recipe with a good concept that wasn't that different than the infamous Cheeseburger Pie. But just looking at it, I knew we could do more.

I saw the promise for a dish with the works. A dish that could be more than a vehicle for soy cheese (not that we're opposed to that). So we maxed it out. In retrospect, I would have held back a bit--maybe fewer peppers or broccoli--but this version is pretty fantastic. It was fast and made a lot and went well with the second season of True Blood.

So ay-oh: let's make some Pizza Pie*!

The Betty Crocker Project : Italian White Beans with Chicken

It has been brought to our attention that people prefer blog entries that are "more personal." This is a pretty personal entry for me.

When I was little, around kindergarden, I had a deep clandestine love for My Little Ponies and was running an extortion scam to get them. See, I didn't get the school thing at first. There's a family anecdote about my father sitting me down to talk about my first report card and my my teacher's remarks. My response, was "Who is that lady? Why do I care what she thinks?" As you can see, I've changed a lot.

So, my mother started bribing me with Little Ponies, Charmkins and GI Joes. Good report cards and spelling tests got me points towards my next pony. My very favorite was an orange gal with freckles and yellow hair named Applejack. She slept in my bed and traveled in my backpack. But for reasons I still don't really get, I would hide all my ponies. I would brush their hair and feed them sequins every night. Then I'd line them up under my bed skirt, where no one could see them. Eventually my family moved, and my parents started purging. There was this moment when they asked me if I ever played with the ponies - and I failed them. They were boxed up for Goodwill; even Applejack*. Is it weird that still makes me sad?

What does this have to do with beans? When I was growing up, my mother made this dish, but she called it "fagioli": a term she used pretty loosely for any dish with beans. I grew up eating this on nights when no one really wanted to cook. I loved it - especially with a big piece of garlic toast.

When I found Betty's recipe, my guilt reminded me of poor Applejack and her friends (this is Moonstone - my 2nd favorite). Then the most amazing thing happened; I found these ponies. I nearly fainted. And like any recovering addict, my head began swimming through memories of little purple lashed eyes and ridiculously long manes and that powdery fragrance of the plastic. I want them all. I want to let them boldly run free on my desk and book cases. I know my public declaration has come too late for poor Applejack, but I hope someday I'll be able to give these nerd ponies the forever home they deserve. Until then, I'll enjoy this "fagioli."

PS - This recipe takes about 10 minutes and tastes like home.

The Betty Crocker Project : The Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

I keep starting and deleting blog posts on the following topics:

• Why I'm happy Dan isn't a vampire. Vampire/human romantic relationships always seem so dramatic and dysfunctional.
• How robots are cool because they're vegan, but how a misplaced affection for them may someday lead to our destruction in a robo-apocalypse.
• What superheroes I suspect would go vegan if there were a way to get these brownies into the Marvel Universe; but Dan already wrote something like that like a billion years ago.
• How every vegan has their own favorite brownie recipe that they think is the second coming, and how they're all pretty good in different ways. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had a bad vegan brownie.
• Why I think my cats are Russian Spies.

But none of them ever really come together. I mean, in theory they made me giggle--and I am sincerely glad Dan isn't a vampire--but I think instead I'll stick to the subject. These brownies are pretty good if you like a dark chocolatey fudgey chewy brownie, but if you have your own favorite vegan brownie you can always substitute it, because the real star of this recipe is the cream cheesecake layer. I drizzled some of the caramel sauce from the Caramel Sticky Rolls over them, because that's how we roll around here. Of course, I've heard from some of you that you prefer the caramel sauce on the Turtle Cheesecake... so follow your heart. I won't judge.

OK - let's do this.

The Betty Crocker Project : Pizza Burgers

I woke up this morning with a song about Spider-man and Pizza Burgers in my head.* See, many people know they like Spider-man, but they aren't really sure why. Of course, there are the obvious things:

A. The trademark Spider-man flying-through-the-skyscrapers artwork. Let's face facts: it's sweet. It makes you feel like the wind is hitting your face when Spider-man chases The Green Goblin.
B. Witty banter
C. He's one of the first teenage super heroes who acted like an actual teenager. He's cocky (when he's Spider-man), makes bad choices, and is a sucker for some long-legged blondes and redheads.
D. He was also one of the first teenage superheroes who wasn't just a sidekick.

But is that really why we like Spider-man?

I think we like Spider-man because we like Peter Parker. He's a good friend and son (or nephew or whatever). Peter Parker, like the our loyal little friend the veggie burger, can always be counted on.

I have no idea how many veggie burgers I've eaten over the years. We travel a lot, and we take comfort in knowing that more and more places have a friendly neighborhood veggie burger these days. They've become a trusted friend to vegans everywhere.

Saying that, if veggie burgers are Peter Parker, the Pizza Burger is Spider-man. This burger kicks butts in a boldfaced, saucy style. It's a show-off; but who cares? It's AMAZING!

Pizza Burgers

• 4 Vegan Veggie Burgers (we went with Boca Vegans, but there are a lot of different types to choose from)
• 1/2 Red Onion (sliced)
• 1/2 Small Green Pepper (chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons of Pizza Sauce per Burger
• 2 Teaspoons Black Olives per Burger (sliced)
• 4-5 slices of Vegan Pepperoni per Burger
• 4 Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese per Burger (shredded)
• Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes to sprinkle over the top
• Serve with some Pepperoncinis for a little something extra
• Olive Oil and a Dash of Liquid Smoke for cooking

Preheat oven to 400.

In your cherished little cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil and a dash of Liquid Smoke at a medium heat. Add the Veggie Burgers. Once they start to brown, add Red Onions. Flip the Burgers a few times until they're brown on both sides. If the Onions are done cooking before the Burgers are done, you can always pile them on top of the Burgers to flavor the Burgers a bit.

While the Burgers and Onions are cooking, put your Sandwich Buns on your trusted pizza stone, open and face-down and in the oven. Remove when they're slightly toasted.

Take the top half of the Buns off the pizza stone and set aside. Flip the bottom half of the Bun over and put the Burger on there. Now, stack the Pizza Toppings on the Burger in this order: Pizza Sauce, Fake Pepperoni, little bit of Daiya Cheese, cooked Red Onion, Green Peppers, Some Daiya Cheese, Black Olives, and some more Daiya Cheese. Put the Pizza Burgers back in the oven to bake.

It should take around 10-20 minutes for the Daiya Cheese to melt. It depends how much you put on. Keep an eye on it, and remove from the oven once the Daiya Cheese is melted.

Sprinkle some Oregano and Red Pepper Flake over the Daiya Cheese and put the top half of the bun on.

Don't forget: with the great power comes great responsibility. So don't take the Pizza Burger for granted. It may seem simple, but that doesn't mean it won't rock your face.

*Pizza Burger... Pizza Burger... Does whatever a Pizza does. Wealth and fame... he's ignored... being amazing is his reward. Look out! There's a Pizza Burger.

The Betty Crocker Project : French Toast with a Variety of Sweet Butters

It was a long, humid, Virginia weekend. Not ideal for baking or frying or whatever. It was the type of weekend that makes you consider getting one of those little Hibachi grills for your fire escape so you can still cook and not turn your home into something Dante may have written about.

Perfect weather for long walks to the theater to see Iron Man 2. I'm not really sure why it took us so long to see this. We were talking about going opening night for months. I hope whatever we prioritized was really good because that movie seriously lived up to the hype. On the walk home, we talked a lot about our confusion over the Titanium Man storyline and our thoughts on Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow. See, Dan and I like to play this game where we cast pretend movies based on super heroes/literary classics/cartoons/80s sitcoms with current actors and actresses. We both agree -  Angelina Jolie was born to play Black Widow and she could do the accent unlike Scarlet apparently BUT most importantly if you're going to have an older (as in not in his 20s) Tony Stark why is it not appropriate to have an older (as in not in his 20s) Black Widow? Angelina Jolie would have been more age appropriate considering what is to come. ALSO - If you didn't stay for the end of the credits you missed out on a teaser that was so awesome it actually made me yell "YES!" in the theater. No joke - I'm really lucky to have Dan. In case you miss it - here's a clue. 

This brings us to Monday morning. The rain had come and we made an epic brunch that had not just 2 of Betty's fancy Sweet Butters but 3! Adapting Betty's French Toast recipe went fine but I still stand by the best Vegan French Toast recipe that at one point it was ironically renamed Freedom Toast. That should pretty much give you an idea how long we've been making that recipe.

Enough chatter let's eat brunch!

The Betty Crocker Project : Butterscotch Brownies

We had big plans for this weekend. . . plans that included Free Comic Book Day at Local Heroes, watching the Celtics beat the Cavaliers, a Ben Peterson visit and homemade Cinnamon Rolls. If you saw the basketball game Saturday night - you know the weekend didn't go as planned. 

We did spend WAY too much on comic nerdery Saturday morning. . . as planned*. . . taking advantage of that sale like she was a hayseed right off the bus (please take some time to check out the updates on our Nerdery page). We got in some good Old Fashioned Ben Peterson Time. . . though the bar we were at had a music selection suited for an unoriginal 11 yr old girl. I mean I can handle some Lady GaGa but Mylie Cyrus at a bar? That's just not OK.  On a side note - for those who didn't know - Mylie Cyrus and Hannah Montana are the same person. I know I'm not the only one.

That is where our list of victories ends. See Betty's cinnamon rolls are real works of art and by the time Sunday morning came around, well I had made a mistake that would follow me around till this very moment. 

I had picked up the second season of the American Gothic epic Supernatural. I thought I could watch Sam & Dean fight demons and ride around the back roads of America in their black Impala while I baked. But I put that first DVD in and I was hooked. Our dreams of cinnamon rolls would have to wait till another day. These brownies take around 5 minutes to mix. . . I made them during the credits of No Exit. They were quick and pretty much amazing with vanilla soy ice cream (not pictured above so you could see more brownie). . . maybe too good. Next thing I knew - I was here typing this and thinking about how much I loved this weekend, these brownies and of course - My old man.