Review: Coloring "Eggs" for Easter with EggNots

Pictured are recently dyed EggNots.

My son has been begging to color eggs for Easter, so I told him to be patient while the "eggs" arrive in the mail.

Instead of buying eggs from the grocery store, I ordered mine from a company called EggNots. The company makes ceramic eggs for people with egg allergies or who have an aversion to coloring chicken eggs.

The ceramic eggs look just like chicken eggs and even come in an egg cartoon. The eggs are lightweight, so you have to hold them down in the dye.

I purchased a run-of-the-mill egg dye from the store, but the EggNots come with a recipe to make your own dye using food coloring, vinegar, and water.

My son and I had a blast coloring the EggNots. What's great is that they won't spoil, and we can save the eggs to hide for next year.

"Like" the company on Facebook because they occasionally offer sales on their product.

This is how the EggNots look when they arrive.

The "eggs" dye well. 

Recipe: Vegan Sloppy Joes

My finished Sloppy Joe, which is comprised of a homemade sauce mixed with Neat Meat Replacement's Original flavor. 

When I was younger, Sloppy Joes were a favorite meal in my household. My mom would buy a can of Manwich sauce and mix that with some cooked ground beef. As a sandwich, the mixture was sweet, tangy, and messy -- everything a kid loves.

I just saw a commercial on TV for the Manwich sauce, and I thought about making my family some Sloppy Joes for dinner. I made a sauce from ingredients I had around the house, and I used Neat Original Mix as the protein base (It's a product that's gluten-free and soy-free, and it can be prepared vegan-style by using an egg substitute, such as Ener-G).

Vegan Sloppy Joes

Sauce Ingredients: (You can double the recipe if you like your sandwiches extra saucy)

• ¼ c water
• ½ c organic ketchup
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sriracha (I used Sky Valley Organic Sriracha)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion (from spice aisle)
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Prepare the Original Neat Mix per the directions, and when the Neat is finished cooking (it will resemble ground-beef crumbles), turn off the stove and stir in the Sloppy Joe sauce. Serve on toast or buns. I didn't have any veggies around, but you can add some diced bell peppers, carrots, and/or celery that you sauteed separately in another pan. 

A closeup of the Neat mixture after it's been cooked and just after I stirred in the Sloppy Joe sauce. 

It's best to add the sauce to the Neat mixture at the very end so the Neat holds its form and texture, which is important if you want an authentic Sloppy Joe.

Recipe: Carrot Hot Dog

This doesn't taste like your typical soy-based vegan hot dog, but after a quick pan fry, the carrot become a brownish-orange and retains the salty, smoky flavor of the marinade. 

If you're looking for a fun meat-free meal to enjoy with your family, make some carrot hot dogs. You'll need to prepare these a day in advance because it's best to have the carrots marinate in the sauce for 24 hours.

Carrot Hot Dogs
(recipe from Clean Eating Veggie Girl)

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots peeled with the ends cut off
1/4 cup of soy sauce, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Aminos
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
A couple dashes of liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:
Add carrots to boiling water and cook for about 8-10 minutes. You want the carrots fork-tender but not mushy. Rinse the carrots under cold water when done and set aside. Whisk all the remaining ingredients and pour into a resealable plastic bag along with the carrots. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Every few hours (whenever you open the fridge to grab something), move the carrots around in the bag to make sure all parts of the carrots get in the marinade. When ready to eat, add the carrots and marinade to a large saute pan. Cook on low to medium heat for 10 minutes, rotating the carrots regularly. The marinade will reduce and begin to stick to the carrots. I cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes at the beginning to help warm up the carrots. Enjoy your carrot dogs in buns with your favorite toppings.

Recipe: Vanilla White Cake with Tahini Frosting

Tahini gives an interesting texture to this frosting.

I just discovered another great use for tahini (sesame seed paste), which usually makes an appearance in hummus.

But because tahini also is an ingredient in the delicious dessert, halva, I thought it would make an excellent frosting for my Vanilla White Cake. 

Tahini Frosting

Ingredients:

• 12-15 oz container of tahini
• Organic powdered sugar *
• Unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Blend a tub of tahini in a food processor for about a minute until it’s creamy (The texture gets light and fluffy when mixed in a food processor). Empty the contents into a bowl, and stir in 1 T of powdered sugar at a time until you get the level of sweetness you like. Thin out the frosting with 1 T of non-dairy milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency (For my cake, I had the frosting reach an icing-like consistency -- like what you'd pour over cinnamon rolls). Whatever spread is leftover you can eat ... it tastes like halva!

*You can use a liquid sweetener if you prefer.

Sweet White Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 c. of unsweetened dairy-free milk (if it’s sweetened, your cake will be slightly sweeter)
• 1 T of apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (alternatively, you can use whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 c. organic sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 c. oil or vegan mayo (I have used Just Mayo) **
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 T butter extract (it’s vegan)
• 1 T almond extract

** You might be able to swap the oil with 1/3 c. of applesauce (I haven't tried that yet)

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Combine milk and vinegar and set aside (this acts like buttermilk).

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Whisk mayo, water, and extracts into buttermilk mixture until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until lump-free. Pour batter into the pan.

Bake for 35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Once cool, spread on your frosting. 

As a topping, I’ve also blended frozen berries and added a little sugar. I poke holes in the cake so the fruity syrup seeps throughout.