The Betty Crocker Project : Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting

Ta-Da! This is a soft, sweet and delicious cookie that is pretty much wonderful. I know a lot of us are overdosing on pumpkin right now but these little buddies aren't so pumpkiny that they'll put you over the edge into Mrs. Mia Wallace territory. Dan brought the extras to work today because this recipe can make 3 dozen small cookies. They are also really easy and quick to make. So pretty much perfect party noms.

Have a Happy & Safe Halloween everybody!

Happy Halloween - IOU One Cookie Recipe

Happy Halloween!

Some answers to frequently asked questions. Please expect a wonderful cookie recipe soon.

1. I've heard you're working on vegan souffle recipes. Can I get a progress report?

Actually it's going really well. Thanks for asking! We're still in that testing phase where we're trying to figure out the formula that's the prefect storm of flavor and texture. Here are some photos of our favorite ones thus far. These tester souffles were flavorful while still rising. We are still working on it though because we really want to get the impressive lava monster souffle puffs without sacrificing flavor. We're 98% sure we'll get this in time to include it in the book. One thing I can promise is that we will never surrender.

Vegan Cheese & Broccoli Souffle

Chocolate Souffle

2. I would like to talk to my boyfriend/parents/roommate about trying out Meatless Monday with me. Do you have any tips and can you suggest a few recipes that we can start off with?

We both love the Meatless Monday campaign. In a perfect world everybody would be vegan every day, but until then I consider getting people to eat three vegan meals a week a success. I think the animals not being eaten would appreciate it, too. If the ultimate goal is to decrease meat and dairy consumption and increase the availability of vegan options in restaurants and stores, then this is a big step in the right direction.

If you feel awkward about talking to people about Meatless Monday, there is a a really fantastic video HSUS just launched today that can do it for you!



These are some easy recipes that I think would be good for cruelty-free living novices :

Breakfast:

Shannon Smoothie I
Whole Wheat Banana & Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Pearberry Crumble Cups
Mexican Scramble
Garlic Cheezy Biscuits
Crepes


Lunch:

Antipasto Salad
Avocado & Smoked Sheese Salad with Toasted Walnut Dressing
French Dip Sandwich
Rustic Avocado Sandwich
Caribbean Black Beans
Asian Beef-less Noodle Bowl


Dinner:

Fettuccine with Cannellini Beans & Artichoke Heart Alfredo
Vegan Creole Spice Popcorn Chicken
Chili Pots
Margarita Pizza
Taco Burgers
Beef-less Stew



Hope this helps! We'll be back later with those cookies.

The world really is going Vegan! Yes! There will be lots of pictures!

Vegan in LA

Everyday we get emails from all over the world from people who are living or looking to explore a cruelty-free life. Last night, I was looking through the stats for our Facebook Fan Page and was incredibly impressed to see that literally people from all over the world from every age group and demographic are interested in being vegan! I have to admit if you had sat down 16 year old me and told her that - she would have never believed you. I was a very jaded teenager*.

So you can imagine how happy I get whenever I hear about a new awesome veg-friendly restaurant. I mean for a long time vegan restaurants had a pretty bad rap for being nothing but sprouts and nudists. They were never really that bad in my opinion but these days there are pretty revolutionary things happening in veg-friendly restaurants. A-list celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi are opening vegan restaurants and you can pop into places like Foodswings in Brooklyn where you can enjoy vegan Butterfinger Milkshakes and Pizza Fries. I mean this is the definition of a dream come true.

So we thought it would be fitting to post some photos from some of the vegan hot spots around the world! I couldn't fit them all in one post so here are some highlights in a slideshow. Special Thanks goes out to Quarrygirl, Melisser Elliot, John McDevitt, Sarah Posey (our Facebook Fan Page covergirl), Marisa Miller Wolfson, Joel Bartlett, Libbe Blain and Rachel Foss for submitting photos and helping us with today's post.

If you're looking for a veg-friendly restaurant near you there are a lot of great online resources. We suggest HappyCow.net, VegGuide.org, and of course a little googling**. 

Ready to get really hungry?

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

(If you can't see this slideshow - visit our The world is going vegan! Album.There is also more info on where you can get this delicious food.)

If you're looking for a veg-friendly restaurant near you there are a lot of great online resources. We suggest HappyCow.net, VegGuide.org, and of course a little googling**.


PS - You can find more photos on our Fan Page in the Restaraunts that have a Heart Album. If you ever have a great photo from a veg-friendly restaraunt you'd want to share - just email it to Shannons@MeetThe Shannons.net.



* It might be possible I was a bit of jerk.

** Which even after all these years still sounds dirty to me but is undeniably helpful.

Creole Spiced Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Vegan Parmesan Croutons

This. Is. Creole Spiced Butternut Squash Soup!*
HAU HAU HAU! 

Let's make some.

Homemade Dill Pickle Potato Chips

I should be working on our book right this second. I should be going through the over 500 recipes right now making sure that I have the right gadgets for each recipe listed. That was the first thing on my list for today. Actually I should be doing a lot of things right now. 

But instead I got sucked into Wil Wheaton's clever blog that goes so well with coffee. Then I figured since I already was enjoying a little online browsing, why not get around to reading about Joss Whedon's new project? Spoiler: There's still not much out there about it. At least not enough for me.

That brings us to now. I'm watching Tron and sharing with you a recipe for one of my favorite little savory treats. I first had them in Canada back when I was in college. I couldn't believe all the different types of potato chips they had up there like Gravy and Ketchup. I wasn't in love with those but the Dill Pickle flavored ones won over my heart. Now you can find these random flavors pretty much everywhere but at the time it was one of those things that made Canada somewhat exotic. I also love making homemade potato chips. So really this recipe is a perfect storm of awesome. Here are a few fun facts about these and other chips before we start: 

• These chips are baked not fried. 
• Yes, I did have to eat an entire jar of pickles by myself in a day and half to make them.
• The key to a great homemade potato chip is slicing your chips as thin and as even as possible. You may want to have a few practice potatoes to play around with. The reject chips can be used in this Double Corn Chowder recipe to replace the hash browns. 
• If you have a Mandolin*, I would recommend using it to get the thinnest and most even slices.
• In the UK this way of making potatoes would be called "crisps" and what we call French Fries are called "chips". I bet you already knew that but I had to share anyways. In some way it makes those Canadian Ketchup Chips make more sense to me.
• These little buddies are really good with a vegan Reuben sandwich and a little coleslaw.
• Fried Pickles are also pretty freaking awesome.
• These chips won't have that strong kick you in the teeth flavor of the store bought ones because those ones are chemical masterpieces. Ours are made using things you probably already have in your kitchen.
• I don't care what anyone says. Tron is a really good movie. You should see it. Just don't ruin it by trying to make too much sense of it all.

 Shall we begin?

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?

The Betty Crocker Project : Mini Pumpkin Pleasecakes (Cheesecake)

 I haven't been sleeping all the great lately. It's not really anything to be concerned about. There is no real mystery as to why. I've been sabotaging myself by doing all kinds of things I shouldn't. I mean what do I expect if I watch American Horror Story right before I go to bed?

The other night I woke up in the middle of the night because the cats were bickering in the kitchen and my first thought in my slightly unconscious mind was "They must have cornered that troll* from the 1985 feature film adaptation of Stephen King's Cat's Eye." I mean obviously. Because that's what happens to your brain when you overdose on monster movies. AMC's Fearfest has had me in it's clutches for weeks now. I skip anything with any real gore and focus more on the classics like Teenage Zombies.

Between the leaves changing color and the black and white movies, it just felt like it was time to add a vegan classic to our little blog. Vegan pumpkin cheesecake is actually one of the first recipes I ever tried out on non-vegans back in my Olympia days when I worked at a domestic violence shelter as a sexual assault counselor. This recipe has evolved a lot since that first Thanksgiving cheesecake I brought for the families and residents in the shelter. That while I have fond memories of it, I am willing to admit was a pale shadow of this recipe. It's a much firmer and creamier pie. I've learned how to have a more logical head around pumpkin. I mean it's a fall tradition I respect but over the years my maturity has brought an understanding that sometimes you don't have to use the whole can**. I also have to admit the New Yorky style of this version's sweet almost cookie-ish crust makes it my favorite but you can also put this filling in a regular old pie crust and not sweat the spring-form pan. Either way, pumpkin cheesecake is awesome.

NYC gets Vegucated!

It's a scientific fact that for centuries, New York City has attracted a higher percentage of the most talented and creative people in the world than the original York (or as some might call it, Old York City). When we moved here, I have to admit I was both excited and intimidated by this. I mean if we're being honest here, I'm more Brooklyn than Manhattan, and sometimes I'm pretty sure the Manhatteners can spot it. How could they not? But tangents about my awkward nerdness and the social dynamics between these two neighboring boroughs aside, we were both excited about moving to New York because the few people we knew here were part of that talented and creative demographic I mentioned earlier who are busy doing some of the most amazing things to make the world a better place for animals. A lot of those spectacular people were at the New York City Premiere of Vegucated last week.

Veganistas Alex Jamieson and Marisa Miller Wolfson - Photo Credit : Jessica Mahady

It was a sold-out show with an audience of 500 beautiful people dressed for the red carpet in a city know for its fashion.  But people weren't just there to get their picture taken; this crowd came ready to see this new feature-length documentary that followed three meat-loving New Yorkers experimenting with a vegan diet for six weeks. I know I've been raving about this film a lot lately, but I just got so excited when they won the award for Best Documentary at this year's Toronto Independent Film Festival. It's the kind of film that everyone - even the most experienced activist and hardcore vegan - should see. It reminded me of the days when I first made the choice to go vegan, what it was like to become the kind of person who cared about what I ate, and realizing for the first time the implications of my eating habits on others.

I had the best looking date there.* Photo Credit : Jessica Mahady 

I won't lie. It won't be like some highschool yearbook that only shows the fun parts. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you might even blush a bit; but you'll be glad you took this trip down memory lane by proxy. Every vegan's story is different. Some people are like me, and decided in some kind of lightening bolt moment that they didn't want to contribute to the suffering of animals and went vegan on the spot. But for others it was a growing experience that took time and a little effort to find a way that worked for them. I think it can be easy to forget that journey when you've been vegan for years and your closest friends are vegans and activists. Watching Vegucated didn't just remind me why what we do is important, it also has some encouraging and inclusive messages that people at any stage in the vegan spectrum** can relate to. Plus, I couldn't be happier or prouder of my friend Marisa Miller Wolfson. I mean seriously, how many people can honestly say they're a documentary filmmaker? And no I don't count all those people who say it to get women into bed... that's why I added the 'honestly' part.

Vegans are so good looking - Dan Piraro and his lovely wife Ashley.

Back to the event! The food was remarkable! Brooklyn's own V-Spot served their infamous black bean empanadas. There was actually a pretty notable spread featuring food from quite a few of New York's Vegan Hot Spots like Candle Cafe, FoodSwings, Cinnamon Snail, and Verite Catering. Even Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallows to dip in a dark chocolate fountain. And of course we can't forget Smuttynose beer from City Swiggers and organic wine from Frey Vineyards. They even had some of my favorite frozen treats from Soy Delicious.  I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no one loves food like a vegan! You had to be brave and assertive to get the good stuff from the buffet table. If it wasn't for Dan, I'm pretty sure I would have starved.

Girlie Girl - Chloe Jo Davis -  Photo Credit : Jessica Mahady

We had great seats between Matt Rice from Mercy For Animals and the Cartoonist and longtime Animal Advocate Dan Piraro and his wife Ashley. If you've never met Ashley, you should know that she is probably one of the most passionate and exciting activists on the planet. Lord only knows how many animals she has saved just by being awesome. We got to see Chloe Jo Davis from Girlie Girl Army, which is always pretty much the definition of 'Vegan Treat', and catch up with more friends than I can name.

Between the film, the food and the friends - it was one of the first nights of hopefully many that reminded me why this is the best city on Earth.

If you haven't seen Vegucated yet -  The Let's Get America Vegucated! Autumn 2011 Tour is currently underway and might be coming to a theater near you soon! Click Here to find a screening near you!    



* The skirt is part of H&M's New Conscious Collection, and this photo is a great reminder on why I need to remember good posture. SIGH.

** The Vegan Spectrum - I like to think that inside everyone is a vegan waiting for their chance to get out. Some of those inner vegans are completely free to live and explore all aspects of a cruelty-free life with no exceptions and for others that vegan is only allowed out to enjoy a cute LOLcat... but I have a hope that even the furriest wearing, meatiest eating, heart-of-ice hunter will someday have that personal moment many of us have had that made being a vegan make sense and work for them. They'll let that inner vegan out and start making choices that reflect that innate compassion for animals so many of us started out with as children. I mean there are very few of us out there that were born vegan and if we can make this choice why can't they? I'm believer that there is always enough room in the Vegan Club and everyone is welcome.

Leftovers Edition Episode II - Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes

 It's starting to feel like autumn in Brooklyn. The trees on our street are starting to lose their leaves and I'm trading in my afternoon iced tea fix for a mug of Earl Grey. Hot. The other day Dan and I left our apartment to walk around the city and drink coffee by the fountain in Bryant Park. I'm even thinking of starting my triennial* Buffy & Angel marathon to celebrate the season change but have been distracted with the second season of the British Being Human while I bake and bake and bake. I know you're all judging the choice but sometimes it's nice to mix up your vampire television consumption.


Because our oven is full of baked goods and our stove top is crowded with pots of caramel and berry fillings... it's been hard to find the time and space to make a proper dinner. That's where all those leftovers come in handy and lord knows we have enough. We get a lot of questions about what we do to make those leftovers special and for tips on how to reinvent a dish. In particular, how to make the Ranch Mashed Potatoes I mentioned like a year ago. So here they are! Ta-Da! One of my very favorite ways to enjoy potatoes! Sorry for the delay.

I think if you're looking for an easy recipe to make your dinner a little more special, you've found it. The vegan sour cream does make them a bit creamier and I recommend getting some vegan bacon bits like Bac-Os to toss over the top because the smokiness and ranch really work. And if you're one of those folks who doesn't just live off potatoes... I recommend grabbing some Match Vegan Meats and making these "chicken fingers" and making a pot of smokey collared greens too. And if you're an over acheiver who really loves food and your friends, you'll toss all that on a piece of toasted baguette and pour a little gravy over the too. You'll have an open-faced sandwich that will win over the heart of even the meatiest of your loved one. I mean that sandwich is like the Kenny Rodgers of sandwiches**, little bit country - little bit rock & roll and a whole lotta awesome.


SIGH. Now I'm hungry. To the electric hand mixer!

Baked Buffalo Tofu Steaks with Ranch Dressing Dip

Can you think of anything more kick-ass American than ranch dressing? I mean, maybe pick up trucks or eagles... but you shouldn't eat those.

A while back we veganized Betty's Buffalo Wings and Ranch dressing. This was back in the beginning when The Betty Crocker Project was still new. We were still considered "newlyweds" then, and doing the best we could in our little submarine kitchen with a junky stove. Even though both those recipes turned out pretty awesome, I always kinda wanted to do something else with them. I've been playing around with today's recipes for a while in my head. They're super easy. The tofu is hot in all the ways people use the word "hot" in a non-ironic way, and the ranch dip has completely won me over to The Cult of Ranch.
 
I know you're all dying to see the photos of delicious food and sharp-dressed vegans at Vegucated's NYC premiere, and all the sexy superhero costumes from Comi-Con... but I haven't gotten around to going through them and posting things. I know this is a huge blogger faux pas, but sometimes faux pas just happen and you just have to roll with it. I mean what would the world be like if every little faux pas stopped us from enjoying awesome things like Buffalo Tofu Steaks? Bad -- and not in the Bad means Good way -- that's what. So please accept these easy and delicious all-American recipes as my apology for being a bad blogger and for actually leaving my apartment for a few hours.

This weekend I also worked a bit on a gluten-free seitan recipe that will be coming soon... so if this isn't enough to win back your hearts... hopefully I can bribe you with that.

Ready to buffalo some tofu?

The Betty Crocker Project : Sesame Teriyaki Beef-less Skewers

One would think that resigning from your job would make life simpler. That afternoons would open up and every day would be like Saturday. This isn't the case. I mean at least not for me. Probably not for anyone who has projects they care about and talented friends who are making the world amazing.

My dear friend Marisa Miller Wolfson is one of those talented and dedicated activists for animals I'm talking about. She's the Esprit Créatif behind Vegucated, a feature-length documentary that follows three meat-loving New Yorkers while they adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. It hasn't just been a hit within our little animal loving community either. At this year's Toronto Independent Film Festival, Vegucated got a standing ovation and took home the award for Best Documentary. Tomorrow night is the NYC Premiere! This event promises to be the vegan event of the year in a city full of some pretty amazing vegans, and is the first of ten stops on The Let's Get America Vegucated! Autumn 2011 Tour. If you don't have your tickets yet, there is still time--but not a lot, so no more lollygagging. And who knows, maybe tomorrow night you'll spot a Shannon or two.

Living in an exciting city with beautiful, accomplished people can make it hard to have lots of time to cook. So I've been burning through a lot of Betty's 20 minutes or less type of recipes. This one is pretty much my favorite thus far, and goes great with some brown rice or on a split baguette. It's also a little fancier than it would seem considering how easy it is.

Even the most novice vegans and chefs are going to love this one. Start your ovens!

Salted Caramel Apple Whoopie Pies

So here it is. My first Monday as cookbook writer.

A million years ago when I lived in DC and was going through a really tough time in my life, I snuck away from my terrible situation and went to a photography exhibit of people on the morning of wonderful days in their lives... like the day after they learned they'd beat cancer or became parents. I'm pretty sure I recently saw a commercial for an insurance company who took the concept and featured people who had just retired. Don't worry, I'm getting to my point. This morning, I decided to take a photo of myself as I sat down to start writing--in my nightgown and my sweater with the little cherries on it. Although it's not a photo I'm ready to go public with, it's kinda lovely. I feel like I look 10 years younger and, although slightly terrified, I have a calmness that makes me wonder what I've been doing to myself these past few years. I'm not sure anyone else would even notice, because sometimes you have to be on the inside to actually truly know something. That brings me to these wonderful little American* baked treats.

See, the mystery behind the "Whoopie Pie" is not whether or not they were really invented by The Amish, or why they're the official baked treat of Maine, but this: why is it that you never see a photo of one that looks as delicious as the actual "pie"? I think it might just be one of those things you just have to live through to really understand, because unlike old-school caramel apples, it can be hard to see all the stuff inside that makes it special. 

This recipe is particularity elusive. See, in this one golden-brown baked treat, you have sweet and slightly spiced apples, 'buttery' and salted caramel frosting, and roasted peanuts. Now it may seem weird to some to add salt to your sweets, but this is one of those food trends I have fallen madly in love with. If you are even slightly hesitant, you can ease into your salted treats with a Chocolove Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate bar. They're my favorite.

But more chocolate later... let's make these treats with a silly name but the heart of gold!

The People Have Spoken! Brussels Sprouts in Sriracha Lime Sauce

Today is my last day at a job I've had for 6 years. Don't worry - I'm not going to get all emotional about leaving my job like some drunk 17 year old committing Promicide. I won't freak out and invite you into my anxiety attacks*. And if you're one of those folks hoping I'm going to write a tell-all post about what happens behind the scenes in the animal rights movement, I hope you'll find a way to forgive me. Maybe I'll polish off that bottle of sherry I've been hoarding since we made vegan Chicken Tetrazzini and who knows... I'll get all crazy pants on you. Who knows? History is full of sherry drenched confessions**. But please don't hold your breath.

Last night, I was trying to figure out what to post today. I was inspired by what is happening on Wall Street right now, and went to the social networking streets and asked the folks on Facebook and Twitter to vote. I wanted to know what you wanted. It was no surprise that people love Sriracha sauce. I mean, I love Sriracha, but some of you guys are pretty serious about your Thai hot sauce! It was also kinda touching to hear how many of you have brussels sprouts in your fridge right now. I've always loved these bitty cabbages. Every Fall, it's so exciting to see them show up in the produce section. This time of year they're at their best, and I can't stress enough that if you've only ever had brussels sprouts during any other time of the year... you need to fix that. I'm not a therapist or anything - but that's a problem.

This recipe combines all kinds of delicious stuff like garlic and lemon and kick-ass awesomely-easy. Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Cannellini Beans & Artichoke Heart Alfredo

When I was a little eater who had no idea what a calorie was and where cheese came from, I loved cream sauces. In 4th grade I even wrote a poem that I was very proud of about my favorite food: Fettuccine Alfredo. I wish I still had a copy of this literary masterpiece, or at least remember the good parts. I have a feeling it would be comedy gold now. What I do remember is my teacher making a joke to my mom that I should enjoy it while I could, because lord knows Italian women shouldn't be eating cream sauce after they turn 18 unless they've completely given up on themselves.

To be fair to this teacher who was suppose to be a female role model in my life, it was the 80s, when women all over the US were unfortunately starving themselves to be able to wear white spandex. But let's be honest - those kind of jokes are still around today. Which in my opinion is ridiculous. I mean, I'm vegan now, and I enjoy vegan alfredo sauce all the time completely guilt-free. Is it the healthiest sauce you can pour over some pasta and clean up with some garlic toast? Not really. But as far as 'guilty pleasures' go, it's pretty harmless - especially for those cows.

I didn't add any vegetables to this batch for the photo, but I recommend adding some zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, or carrots to make it more of a Pasta Primavera because vegetables are our delicious friends. Also, this recipe is unbelievably fast and easy. I mean if you can make a smoothie, you can make this sauce.

So I'll break it down like this: this recipe is awesome! Let's make some!

Vegan Rock-toberfest & The Betty Crocker Project!

I'm not German but I love love love Oktoberfests! I mean what's not to love? Polka dancing, pretzels, cheap random imported beers, sauerkraut, beer brats (vegan of course) and all kinds of other awesome-ness. When we were in Budapest we hid out from a biblical thunderstorm in a German-fest tent (not an Oktoberfest but it had the same vibe) and watched some pretty amazing accordion* accompanied karaoke. Of course in Budapest around May Day festivals aren't hard to find but it was one of the best nights we had there during one of the best weeks ever. This month we're going to be Deutsching it up with a handful of vegan recipes to help you rock-toberfest!

In America, we're used to our potato salad chilled and with more mayo than potato but in Germany there is a very popular dish called Kartoffelsalat that is actually a potato salad served warm and with bacon.We made our own tweaks of course on Betty's Recipe to make it our own vegan noms and so you can add this side to your party with some Roasted Vegan Black Pepper Beer Brats (recipe also included)! I know! two recipes in one day! It's OK to say "Hölle ja!" right now.

You would think in Germany they would call this "Das Gutes" but they don't. Silly Germans.

I know I promised news to explain my bad blogging habits lately so here ya go : I recently resigned from my job to focus on this blog and our upcoming book full-time. This is going to be my last week balancing working a full-time (plus) job and busting through The Betty Crocker Project! It's been a bit of a challenge wrapping up a job I've had for 6 years but it's time. I'm sure you don't want to hear about that though... you want to hear about the contests and guest posts we have lined up this month for Vegan MoFo but this isn't a time for spoilers... Now is when you need to open a bottle of your favorite Bier, put on some Hasselhoff and get on your Pleiderhosen**!

You ready to Rock-toberfest?