★★★★★ How do you rate perfection? With five stars, natch.
It is no secret that birthday cake is my all-time favorite guilty pleasure food. So it was no surprise that the celebration of my beloved's birthday led us on a pilgrimage to Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, PA to find the perfect cake. Although we didn't see Jesus during our brief stay in Bethlehem, I am pretty sure we heard angels singing while enjoying our tasty treats.
So many selections. All treats were vegan, but the third row was also gluten-free, which made Justin super happy. Check out their latest menu HERE.
Vegan Treats also has vegan soft-serve ice cream, to the delight of Lauren and Justin who can't have dairy. Vegan Treats, if you are reading this, please BRING BACK PUMPKIN! And, a cook book would be terrific. Thank you.
Lauren preparing to dive into her chocolate peanut butter cake.
Justin and Lauren, getting busy.
Here is a close-up of Lauren's luscious cake. She let me try it. Deelish!
Justin selected a pumpkin parfait. It was gone lickety split!
Here is my supernaturally delicious chocolate cake. Yum! I had to take half of it home in a box, it was so rich and delightful. Justin, who has autism, later dropped the box in our driveway spilling its contents. This made me sad, so we went back a few days later for more treats!
Boo treats for Halloween. Too cute!
If you plan to be anywhere near Bethlehem, do yourself a favor and visit Vegan Treats. It is worth the drive. Vegan or not, your tastebuds will do the happy dance. <pinkie swear>
Vegan Treats
1444 Linden Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
610-861-7660
For a list of retail locations that carry Vegan Treats, click HERE.
Happy, happy, joy, joy!
~Merrill ♥
When my daughter asked that I draw a mountain hawk dancing Gangnam Style, how could I say no? True Love. ♥ She and her honor fraternity wanted to have T-shirts printed for a fundraiser that incorporated their mascot, the mountain hawk, dancing Lehigh Style.
Gangnam Style is a hugely popular single by South Korean rapper Psy and at last count the music video had 483,277,743 hits on YouTube. On September 20, 2012, Gangnam Style was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most 'liked' video in YouTube history.
Here is the making of:
Oppa Gangnam Style.
~Merrill ♥
We recently made a commitment to eat more healthfully. For my beloved, it has meant adhering to a plant-based diet. He has dropped 30 lbs. and feels (and looks) super duper! ♥ We as a society tend to opt for convenience. For the vegans out there, I salute you. For me, finding delicious plant-based recipes has proven to be a butt-kicker ... which is why I did cartwheels (mentally) when I first tasted these sweet potato quinoa quesadillas. They are truly delicious, and packed with lots of protein and fiber. Kids love them, too! And, they make a great lunch on the go. No need to reheat.
PRINTER FRIENDLY RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb.)
- 1 c. cooked quinoa [Two tips: 1. Rinse your quinoa before cooking it, even if the directions don't mention this step. 2. Keep a big container of cooked quinoa in your refrigerator, that way you can easily add it to salads, cereal, Chinese food ... whatever strikes your fancy!]
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 t. paprika
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. chili powder
- 1/2 t. onion powder
- 1/2 t. ground cumin
- 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 7 oz. can diced green chilies
- Tortillas (I use corn for the GF gang, and multi-grain for the gluten eaters)
- Shredded pepper jack or cheddar - or a combo! (dairy or nondairy) [Tip: Try Daiya brand shredded nondairy cheese. It melts beautifully and is tasty]
- Salsa
- Sour cream (dairy or nondairy)
- Avocados, peeled and sliced
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. [Tip: I use nonstick foil from Reynolds. Magical stuff!]
Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks. Place on lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Place beans in a bowl and mash with immersion blender or blend in food processor. This step is optional. I usually mash half of the beans.
Once cooked, place the sweet potato chunks in a bowl and mash with immersion blender, or allow to cool and blend in food processor.
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for one minute.
Add beans, green chilies and tomatoes. Mix together and then add cooked quinoa and mushed sweet potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Remove from heat.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle.
Place as many tortillas as will fit in the pan/on the griddle. Flip after two minutes.
After they are flipped, use a spatula to spread your yummy mixture on each of the tortillas. Pack them! Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with another tortilla and flip. Grill until cheese is melted.
Use a rotary pizza cutter to slice your quesadillas. Top with a dollop of sour cream, salsa and sliced avocado. Yum!
Enjoy!
~Merrill ♥
Vegan Treats
