The Vegan Cereal Killer Bars! Mwahahahaahhaha - ha.

Many of you know I had a brief fling with the TV show Ghost Whisperer. I got really hooked. I mean Netflix couldn't deceiver them in time. I would suck it up and rent them - in person - in public - from our local video shop. I know that may not seem like a big deal but try it out some time. Visit your local indie movie headquarters and walk around for a bit with the 3rd season of Ghost Whisperer under your arm and you tell me if it doesn't take some real self confidence in your nerd and arty cred. Having said that - if it is so uncool why do they have it on their shelves? I'll save that tangent to explain why I loved Ghost Whisperer during the Spring of 2010.

It's pretty easy really. Ghost Whisperer is awesome.
Every episode has an extremely convoluted plot that could probably be resolved in 10 minutes but isn't so that all your favorite stars from the 90s (and I assume Jennifer Love Hewitt's BFFs) can have guest cameos. Sometimes it can be a little hard to even spot them - but once you do - it's pure hanging out/conversation gold! It was a make shift game that I really loved.* I think this is what Love Boat & Fantasy Island were for my parents generation.
Don't believe me? Here are just a few Ghost Whisperer Guest Stars :

• Jamie Kennedy
• Jay Mohr
• Mary J. Blige
• Rachael Leigh Cook
• Jason London 
• Lacey Chaber
• Kellie Martin
• Josie Davis
• Balthzar Getty

Believe me there are more - way more... but I'd like to move on to explaining what this has to do with cereal treat bars. See, somethings aren't cute or clever but they are still good because they tap into a nostalgic sentiment that just feels fun and in the case of rice crispy treats feels like childhood. They aren't hard or masterful. They're just good and they remind me that I didn't have to give up anything to go vegan - just tweak things a bit.

So here's 2 classic recipes for what I've been calling Cereal Killer Bars for your Halloween parties this weekend!

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef-Less Burgundy Stew with Herb Dumplings

As we head into the junk food-chocoholic-sweet tooth paradise known as Halloween - we thought it might be good to post a fall dish that has lots of flavor & vegetables to help with those candy and cupcake hangovers we're all going to have.

I have to admit my favorite part of this recipe is the Herb Dumplings because they are a lot like The Betty Crocker Project's Garlic Cheesy Biscuits (that are pretty much one of my very favorite recipes ever). Another thing I love is that this recipe only takes about an hour to make as compared to the 10 - no joke 10 hours the meaty version takes and has none of the fat you would find in the 2 pounds of beef the original recipes calls for. This is actually a pretty light stew and we tried to keep it as traditional as possible while staying in the spirit of Betty's original recipe. I know I'm bragging now - but I think we rocked this one.

Don't forget that Peta has a $1 off Gardein coupon on their Facebook Fan page right now! Just "like" and print! Easiest buck I ever saved - plus their Facebook page is a rockstar too.

Vegan Hot Cocoa, A Contest Update & A Very Special Shannons PSA

When I look back at my childhood, I find it hard to deny that the 80s were the Renaissance of PSAs. We had School House Rock, G.I.Joe telling you that knowing was half the battle* and of course the quintessential After School Special. Of course, we all remember hearing the "safety rules"  for Halloween and immediately ignoring them. But when I was 5 years old, they canceled trick or treating in my neighborhood because some sicko had been going around poisoning companion animals left outside the week before. It was very real and I will never forget hearing about it. Since then I have heard several similar sad stories and am pretty heartbroken to hear these things happen more often than we'd think. So please - oh please - bring your companion animals inside and make sure they are safe and secure during your parties and trick or treating!

OK - Soapbox away! Let's get on to the fun stuff...

The Betty Crocker Project : A Halloween Treat - Vegan Devil's Food Cupcakes

You knew they were coming. All the signs were there. I mean we're a blog that spends a lot of time veganizing Betty Crocker recipes. It was only a matter of time before we made adorable holiday cupcakes. I won't bore you with chit chat about what our cats have been up to, what video game is kicking my ass this month or various other random updates. You're here for chocolate cupcakes and I'm here to help you out.

Now if you're not familiar with Devil's Food Cake it is light, fluffy chocolate cake that has a hint of coffee to it. Now some doesn't have the coffee in it but the fancy ones do and who doesn't want to be fancy?

Who's ready to bake some cupcakes?

The Betty Crocker Project : The Vegan Cheesy Chicken Fingers & Some Long Lost Loves

From time to time it is hard to not get nostalgic for food you enjoyed in childhood. I personally loved those little cheddar cheese goldfish crackers. One of my favorite memories was my grandfather putting them in my soup. I took them to school with me almost everyday in a sandwich bag and when I went vegan I admit I missed them a little. That's why when I found these Eco-Planet Non-Dairy Cheddar Crackers I kinda freaked out a little. I mean they are shaped like little electric cars and windmills and that's not as cute as a smiley fish but they have filled that space in my heart that missed those little crackers. They also make it possible to veganize Betty's cheesy crunchy chicken fingers*. Dan had his fantasy basketball draft last night and cheesy chicken fingers with some waffle fries kinda seemed the perfect meal for such an occasion.

Here's a few other childhood favorites that some of you newly veganed folks might be interested in to help make that transition into cruelty free living : 

• Marshmallows! There are several brands these days that make vegan marshmallows. Sweet & Sara are a favorite of mine and they even have special Halloween marshmallows shaped like bats & ghosts on sale right now. There is also Chicago Soy Dairies' Dandies which are pretty perfect in Hot Cocoa.
• Which brings me to Instant Hot Cocoa! Ah!Laska's Organic Instant Hot Cocoa is a pretty extraordinary treat for those nights when you just want to add water.
• Vegan Corn Dogs by Cedar Lake Foods. That pretty much says all I need to say about that. 
• Memory can be kind to some old friends - like Cheetos and I actually think Tings are much better version of the cheesy snack puffs. I think Tings are actually better than most things. To quote Food Fight Grocery "Better than squirrels and kittens hugging."

OK back to our recipe...