Feels good to be back! I spent the entire day resting yesterday as my cold took a turn for the worst. I feel much better today and ready for action!

This recipe is actually a spin off of a sandwich my dad made for me a few weeks back. He made a fried cheese sandwich with spinach and I loved it. So simple and so delicious!

Corn is definitely up there in my top 5 vegetables that I absolutely love. I love the flavour of corn, whether frozen, canned, or fresh. There are so many ways to utilize it in recipes and it tastes great prepared so many different ways.

I spotted this recipe a few weeks ago and I was determined to make it vegetarian friendly. The original recipe also lacked in the veggie department so I stepped that up as well. Basically, what we have is a fluffy, cheesy, corn bake. Fresh vegetables, melty cheese, and corn baked up with vegan italian sausage lardons that are so very close to bacon bits without any of the guilt! The recipe is pretty simple to make and thoroughly enjoyable to eat!

Head on over to the RECIPES tab for more!

HAPPY VEG

BAKED CREAM CORN

Corn is definitely in my top 5 when it comes to vegetables. I love the flavour and texture especially. I spotted a recipe for a loaded baked cream corn online and knew I wanted to give it a try. I fried up some Vegan sausages until they were super brown and crispy and folded them in to the creamy corn bake to imitate bacon bits which they certainly did. My meat eating father loved the dish and even enjoyed the vegan sausages! This is definitely a dish you'll want seconds of!  

SPINACH & MOZZARELLA GRILLED BAGEL SANDWICHES

A few weeks back, my father made me a grilled spinach and mozzarella sandwich that was actually quite delicious despite its simplicity. I knew I wanted to play off of that for an upcoming recipe. In this case, I've used twelve grain bagels as well as providing two different options for taking the sandwich to the next level. Make sure to try them both to find which one you most enjoy!

I wanted to take the time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happiest of New Years. I truly hope the Holiday season is kind to you all and that 2017 is an even better year!

CHEERS!

HAPPY VEG

I have been Vegetarian for over 14 years now and I have always attempted to spread the message of vegetarianism through social media and word of mouth. With that being said, I want to stress to you all the importance of spreading the message in a positive manner.

I've been using social media for quite some time now and there are some things I have discovered that don't sit quite right with me. As I've grown my blog and discovered new people through twitter and facebook, there's an alarming amount of people who force the issue of being vegan / vegetarian. Sharing pictures of tortured animals, criticizing friends / family for their participation in the meat / dairy industry, and constant belittling of those who have not made the switch. This is not the way to go about spreading the message.

What particularly bothers me is the attitude that Vegetarians should return to eating meat. Too often have I witnessed messages and tweets stating vegetarians should return to eating meat because they have not adapted a 100% Vegan lifestyle. This sort of negativity is painting a bad picture of vegans and overshadowing their compassion and the message they are trying to send. We're all in it for the animals!

These forceful means of spreading the message are actually hurting the cause. Bombarding people with horrific photos or bashing those whose lifestyle's are not vegan is also not helping. I can tell you from experience, people will reject your message if it is not delivered appropriately.

It is SO IMPORTANT to spread the message of a vegetarian / vegan lifestyle in a positive manner. What do I mean by this? I use my social media / blog to promote the benefits of the lifestyle. Saving the environment, water / land conservation, and overall health are some of the points I touch on. With that being said, you won't find me sharing pictures of skinned or tortured animals. You won't find me criticizing friends and family for their diets or lifestyles or forcing my message on anyone. 

You see, promoting the benefits of the Vegetarian / Vegan lifestyle and shedding light on the positive aspect of this is the best way to spread the message. By promoting the benefits, you are sharing your message without the use of graphic images or critcism. People in general are more receptive to a positive approach to a conversation especially when it comes to a major lifestyle change.

If you take anything from this post, (which was more of a rant mind you ;)) take with you some positivty. Being a vegetarian / vegan is a reason to be proud but using shock tactics and being aggressive is not the way to be. You won't convince anyone of anything aside from the fact that you might be an a$$hole!


HAPPY VEG

I found this article and felt the need to share it with all of you. It's a well known fact that a vegetarian / vegan diet is significantly better for our over all health but it is also better in so many ways especially when we talk about the environment.

Avoiding eating meat will benefit the environment and our planet greatly. First off, the toxic emmissions let out in to the atmosphere on behalf of cattle farming is immense. Cows produce large amounts of waste that is high in methane gases which are directly linked to climate change. Supporting these beef industries is basically supporting climate change and helping it along.

Preserving our land. The U.S. has lost approximately a third of their topsoil to factory farming. Factory farming is directly linked to deforestation and destruction of the environment. Also, factory farming consumes vast quantities of water. It takes roughly 70% of the world's fresh water for agriculture of plants and animals. There are cities and countries across the globe that can't access clean water and here we are pouring it all in to the meat industry. This is most alarming when you consider that it takes more than 100 times the water to produce a pound of beef that it does to produce a pound of plants. Basically, avoiding meat and sticking with plants / veggies will reduce our water consumption significantly.

There is no "news" in this story but it's important to reiterate the facts. The meat industry is not only rooted in suffering and evil but is also contributing to destruction of the environment, over consumption of natural resources, and deforestation. A vegetarian / vegan diet is our way of contributing to the environment and doing our part to reduce the damage done by this industry.

Click the link for full details on why being vegan is the way to go when it comes to our planet!


HAPPY VEG