Samantha K Schmidt

Every now and then I get a serious carnivore craving. Today I was craving buffalo chicken, so I thought I'd try my hand at a vegetarian version. Ingredients: 1/4 cup of Barbecue Sauce 1/2 tablespoon of Hot Sauce 1 tablespoon grape jelly (optional) Chicken Substitute (I used Veggie Patch Nuggets) Directions: ~ Cook chicken substitute according to package directions ~ Meanwhile mix your sauces together in a shallow bowl ~ Toss the "chicken" in the sauce ~ Enjoy! This recipe is great because you can mix it up for different flavor. I prefer my buffalo sauce a little sweeter so I added jelly, you can leave it out for more spice. You can also water down the sauce to make a thinner coat. The choice is up to you.

One of my favorite things about summer is the delicious fruits that come into season. Berries are my favorite fruit, and I wait patiently every year for those delicious ripe edibles to find their way into my local grocery. Summer is also my favorite time to cook because all of my favorite recipes have strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I've already stocked my refrigerator in preparation for the upcoming week and I thought I would share two of my favorite summer meals. Bonus: These recipes are totally vegetarian! Berry Couscous ~ Bring two cups of apple cranberry juice to a boil ~ Pour over one cup of plain couscous ~ Cover and let sit for 5 minutes ~ Separate into four bowls. ~ Add your favorite berries, a dollop of yogurt, and a drizzle of honey. Strawberry Spinach Salad ~ Whisk 3 parts oil and one part balsamic vinegar in a bowl ~ Toss spinach, sliced strawberries, sliced almonds, and chunks of gouda in another bowl ~ Drizzle salad with the oi...

Last week I posted all about my vegan adventures. Although it has been a difficult journey I have learned so much along the way. Today I thought I would share some easy vegan meals with you. I don't have a lot of time to cook so many of these are straight from the frozen food aisle. If that's not your thing you may want to consider cooking your meals ahead of time. Many people cook all of their weekly meals on Sunday. However, if you aren't a big cook (or if you just aren't very good at it, like me) these meals will be your easy way out. Breakfast: Oatmeal with peanut butter and brown sugar Cereal and soy milk Breakfast smoothie with strawberries, peanut butter, soy milk or yogurt, and protein powder Snacks: Clif bar Carrots Banana Pita chips and hummus Lunch: PB&J or try an AB&J (almond butter and jelly) Gardein Chick'n Sliders (my current favorite) Tofu and Spinach Ravioli (I can't think of the brand that I usually get, but it...