Thanksgiving Preparations & Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Recipe

We will be having Thanksgiving dinner with my family tomorrow and I'm in charge of making the dressing/stuffing, a "cheese" ball and pumpkin Pie. The "cheese" ball turned out great and by tomorrow the flavors should all be blended together. It's been so warm here that I still have calendula in the garden so I was able to use it to decorate the top.
My Vegan Cheese Ball recipe






Vegan Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Recipe

You will need:

1 ready made prebaked crust

1/2 a package Sweet and Sara Vanilla Marshmallows

PIE FILLING:
1 15oz can of pure pumpkin
1 cup almond milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 T molasses or agave
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground allspice
1/4 t cloves

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Using 1/2 a package of marshmallows: cut or tear each marshmallow into 1/4 and place them directly on top of the prebaked pie crust. You can use the other half for another recipe, roast them, or eat them straight from the container.

In a bowl, combine all pie filling ingredients together until totally smooth, no lumps! Pour this mixture on top the marshmallows and bake for 1 hour.

So easy and so darn good!

The Joy of Vegan Creamer

For many years, there was no good alternative to dairy based creamer. Even the ones that were labeled as dairy free contained milk proteins which made them unsuitable for vegans and those with severe allergies to milk derivatives. Then, the folks from SavingOpusOne came up with the perfect solution! These individually wrapped creamer packets are not only delicious, creamy and vegan-friendly, they're all natural and completely lactose-free. And to make them even better, they are made from organically grown soy.

I'm not a coffee drinker but sometimes I like cream in my hot tea and this does the job. Thank you SavingOpusOne!




Purchase SoyGo Creamer

About Mineral Makeup

It seems that a lot of mainstream cosmetics companies have jumped on the bandwagon and started creating mineral makeup, but after a trip to a local big box store and careful examination of the ingredients in these products, I think they are way off base. Mineral makeup should be pure, without preservatives and chemicals, but these products are chock full of stuff I would NEVER put on my face such as talc and other nasty stuff:

TALC: The dangers of talc have been well characterized by studies that show it to be similar in structure to asbestos, a well known cancer causing agent. Even more disturbing is a study that showed that women who used talc in their genital area had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. This is particularly disturbing since this cancer has such a poor prognosis when diagnosed at an advanced stage. Equally unsettling is the fact that talc has been associated with lung cancer when inhaled on a frequent basis. Because the particles of talc are so tiny, they can easily enter the lungs and set up an inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory reaction can cause short term problems such as pneumonia as well as chronic problems such as lung disease and cancer. Studies have shown that talc miners who are in contact with this substance on a daily basis have a higher rate of lung cancer as well as a higher rate of nonspecific mortality. SOURCE:
Ehow.com


Please take a look at the ingredients when picking out your makeup!


Revlon Colorstay Mineral Makeup
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (0.9%)
Inactive Ingredients: Talc, Silica, Nylon 12, Polymethylmethacrylate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Perfluorononyl Octyldodecyl Glycol, Grapeseedate, Polyethylene, Mother of Pearl, Topaz, Quartz, Serica (Silk), Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract (Mallow), Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Silsesquioxane Copolymer, Copolymer, Triethoxycaprylysilane, Lecithin, Alumina, Lauroyl Lysine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163)

Maybelline Mineral Power Blush
Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Boron Nitride, PTFE, Synthetic Wax, Cetyl Dimethicone, Acrylates Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Trisocetyl Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis (Leaf Juice), Tocopheryl Acetate, Alumina, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Polyethylene Teraphthalate, Polymethylmethacrylate, Chamomile Flower Extract (Matricaria Chamomilla), May Contain (+/-): Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77499, CI 77492, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 73360 (Red 30), CI 15850 (Red 7), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide)


Covergirl Trublends Mineral Makeup:
Mica, Talc, Methylmethacrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methicone, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, May Contain (+/-): Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide


There are safe mineral makeups out there:


Herbs of Grace Mineral Foundation (suitable for vegans):
Color Foundation Ingredients: titanium dioxide, iron oxides and mica powder
Translucent Ingredients: serecite

Pure Mineral Color Makeup by Herbs of Grace

Pure Mineral Blush Colors by Herbs of Grace

Lip Luminosity by Herbs of Grace


Again, please do some research before buying cosmetics, for your health :)

Easy Vegan Stuffed Peppers

This is so super easy! You will need 4-6 green peppers, a box of Fantastic Taco Filling Mix, a can of spanish rice (available at most grocery stores), a packet of Roads End Chreese, fresh cilantro, and fresh onions or green onions

PREP:
1) Cut the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds. Prepare an oven safe baking dish with just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees

3) Prepare taco filling and chreese according to package directions

4) Heat spanish rice to warm

5) Cut up cilantro and onions and add them to the rice

6) Once the taco filling is done add it to the rice mixture

7) Now, fill each green pepper with the rice mixture and top with the chreese sauce. Put the peppers in the oven safe dish and bake for 25 minutes or until the peppers become soft.

Pure, Natural Deodorant that Really Works!

Just finished the video presentation for the 100% natural deodorant by Florere. I absolutely love this product and it has ended my search for the perfect all natural, vegan deodorant that actually works!





For All Skin Types

• Vegan patent pending formula
• Free from aluminum chlorohydrate, propylene glycol and harsh chemicals
• Subtle, natural scent - won't interfere with perfume or cologne
• Long lasting, effective protection
• Goes on clear
• Gentle to delicate skin and environment
• CCIC-Certified (no animal testing)

Florere's natural deodorant stick with essential extracts of organic lavender and clary sage is a unique and gentle formula, yet highly effective and long lasting. It helps keep underarms fresh without aluminum chlorohydrate, parabens, petroleum by-products, or harsh chemicals. The bacterial inhibiting properties of pure essential extracts suspended in our creamy stick base helps reduce odor and perspiration. One stick should last 3 - 4 months with daily use.

Simply pure ingredients: Hydrating and protective cocoa (theobrama cacao) butter. Soothing unrefined Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter - Naturally occurring earth mineral deodorizer - sodium bicarbonate. Derived from dried corn kernels - cornstarch - soothes and freshens. Palm tree (copernica cerifera) wax - hand milled and naturally processed. Coconut (cocos nucifera) oil - moisturizing and restorative. Essential oils of lavender (lavandula augustifolia), (salvia sclarea) clary sage. Tincture of lemon balm, lavender flowers and ecologically wildharvested benzoin (healing, antioxidant, and preservative.); and nothing else.




Purchase product here:
VeganGoods.com

What's Blooming in My Garden?

Took pictures of some of the plants that are blooming yesterday.

Red Velvet Yarrow:



Pink Primrose



Crocosmia Lucifer



Red Bee Balm



White Bee Balm


Black Eyed Susans (a variety that doesn't have black centers)


Borage



Calendula


White Butterfly Bush with Hummingbird Bug


Lavender Hyssop



One great thing about our house is that the previous owners put bird houses everywhere, which saved me some time and money.

Orange Trumpet Vine Growing up an Old Tree

Skunk Rangling & the 4th of July

When you live in the country you never know what kind of wildlife you may encounter on a daily basis. On this particular day, it was a hungry skunk that had roamed into my parents garage trying to eat dog food. I pulled in their driveway and could smell it before even getting out of the car- whew! Well, their black lab Bingo was relentlessly chasing the skunk in the garage. So, I go in for the removal. The best idea I could come up with was to scoop him up on the snow shovel using a broom. It worked and luckily we made it out without me getting skunked!



Headed out to watch fireworks last night. I was able to capture a few good pictures with my phone. Feels like summer is moving so fast and I have many things I still want to do before it ends. Going out to look for chickweed today.