At Home My Way

*This "recipe" is adjustable to ingredients you have available using leftovers or simple substitutions.  Lots of options here!   MEATLESS TACO SOUP 1 Tablespoon minced onion  (or 1/2 chopped fresh onion or 1 Tablespoon onion powder)  (whatever you have available) 28 oz whole tomatoes ( undrained ) (OR diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or sauce)  ( I used 28 oz of my favorite Cento San Marzano tomatoes. )  1 can corn ( undrained ) (OR 2 cups frozen corn, or leftover corn) 1 can rotel ( undrained ) (OR salsa works fine also!) 2 can black, kidney, or pinto beans ( undrained ) 1 packet of taco or chili seasoning  (OR 1-2 Tablespoon of chili powder which is what I used) Salt & Pepper according to preference Instructions: If using fresh onion, cook onion in a little oil in a large pot for about 10 minutes. If using minced onion or onion powder, just add with the rest of the ingredients.   Add the toma...

Do you like soft & chewy chocolate chip cookies?  I have found the recipe for you!  They happen to also be eggless and can be vegan if you want to use those options.  The key to the softness is the coconut oil.  Every time I use coconut oil in cookies, they turn out THE BEST! I've been really hating that so many bloggers bog my phone down with lots of chatter and ads before I can get to the recipe, so without much chatter, here's the recipe.  I will list a few tips for making cookies with coconut oil down below. Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Eggs & Vegan) 2/3 cup coconut oil (warm just slightly to soften-stirrable) 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated/white sugar 1/2 cup applesauce 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 cups chocolate chips (dairy free, if vegan) Directions : Warm measured coconut oil until not melted completely but s...

Need a yummy sweet bread (or muffin) to go with your morning coffee, but don't have any eggs?  I have a good one for you today! Last night I tried a recipe for an eggless pumpkin bread that was a complete SUCCESS! My niece makes mostly vegan or vegetarian dishes and I have enjoyed learning from her and making some really good food that doesn't use any animal products.  Am I a vegan?  No.  But, I have discovered that vegan dishes don't make me feel so stuffed and sluggish -and they are usually less expensive  to make!  I also love having a few vegan recipes up my sleeve for when I run out of eggs or need a meal and don't have any meat. This recipe for pumpkin bread turned out fantastic! Seems like pumpkin recipes always have increased amounts of eggs so I wasn't sure how this would turn out since it has no eggs??  But - it's perfect!   The texture is light; the crumb is fine.  It's really amazing!  I am only using this recipe...

This week I had a powerful craving for tomato soup!  Mmmm... I love the stuff. Being the eccentric little cooker that I am, I - OF COURSE -wanted to try my hand at homemade!  Surely my ingredients would be simpler and better for me than these (which are found on canned tomato soup)! INGREDIENTS TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, FLAVORING, CITRIC ACID, LOWER SODIUM NATURAL SEA SALT, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE. I searched around and found several variations of "copycat" tomato soup recipes.  Most called for canned tomatoes, some called for tomato paste, some even called for chicken broth.  My favorite canned soup had no chicken broth in it!  So, I kept looking. I ran across a recipe found on a blog that is new to me but which I LOVE called "Produce on Parade".  Lots of good recipes!  And vegan recipes at that!  I'm always on the lookout f...