 Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved Tired of looking in the cabinets and fridge for something fast that's actually good and healthy? We can help! Our new recipe e-book is gaining traction and will show you how to make simple meals that are packed full of taste and nutrition. "Quick & Tasty Vegan Recipes For Gourmet Budgeters" is not for people who like to take all day to cook. This is for those who like to get things done quickly, but with quality while on a low budget. All of our meals are vegan and soy-free! Most are also gluten-free and non-gmo. Imagine that! They also can be made easily and on a budget. If you live your life on the go like we do, these will really come in handy. We make a lot of these meals easily while camping in our RV too. "Quick & Tasty Vegan Recipes For Gourmet Budgeters" will show you how to make awesome healthy meals with simple instructions. "Quick & Tasty Vegan Recipes For Gourmet Budgeters" is now published! Order now to get your copy for download immediately. It's available in both .PDF and .DOC and you'll receive options for both as soon as you pay with the button below. 
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 Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved If you're looking for a vegan recipe that allows you to enjoy some great Asian-style cuisine vegan style - and without soy or gluten, here you go! Our soy-free Spicy Szechuan Stir Fry recipe is sure to please large families, vegans, transitioning vegans, and even non-vegans! Let us know what you think in the comments below! Ingredients:
Directions: Put the olive oil in a wok or large frying pan. Throw in everything else and mix it up. Cover, stirring occasionally until everything is moist and evenly heated. This should take about 25-30 minutes. Serve on a plate with a fork or chopsticks. Optional: Serve over rice or rice noodles. *Note: Some individuals with wheat gluten sensitivities may also have sensitivities to corn gluten. If that's the case, eliminate the baby corn from this recipe. All other ingredients are safe for those on a gluten-free diet, to the best of our knowledge. Please let us know if you believe our information is incorrect, so that we can adjust the recipe. Serves 8  Photo by caligula1995 via Flickr.com Need to add some easily-made comfort to your meal? According to my kids (and many others), my homemade cabbage hits the spot. Preparation is simple and it can be pretty much left alone to do its thing while you’re preparing the rest of the meal. You haven’t had cabbage until you’ve had this mama’s cabbage. I may be biased, but try it and find out! Ingredients:
Directions: Fill a large pot with all ingredients, except the salt. Fill to a couple inches from brim with water. Then, heat the mixture on high until it’s boiling. Turn it down to medium-low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add salt to taste, if desired. Boil for another 15 minutes. Note that if the water boils below the food during cooking, you should add more water as needed. Pairs well with: Mama’s Spicy Meatloaf Mama’s Country Soul Food Cornbread Mama’s Mashed Potatoes Mama’s Country Soul Food Green Beans and Potatoes Mama’s Wings Seven Ways Texas Style Smoked BBQ Ribs Southern Style Potato Salad *Note: Some of our older recipes were written before we went vegan. We plan to eventually update them all with vegan options, so if you see one that is not vegan, it will include a vegan version soon! Only SOME of our fabulous recipes are published on this journal. For more tasty tidbits, grab our very affordable recipe ebook, full of quick and tasty vegan recipes that don't suck!  It's party or Super Bowl time and you need snacks and appetizers to feed all those hungry people in your living room. Seven layer dip is a great way to fill up bellies. Many Super Bowl recipes are not vegan. This one is! This is one of those great party snacks that really could be a meal to some. I've tasted many varieties of the seven layer dip. Some have been good, some have been alright, some have been not-so-good, and none ever had anything really special that made me want more. So, I came up with my own Super Bowl or party dip: Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight). Ingredients for Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight):
Directions: The first step in making Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight) for your Super Bowl or other party is to make Mama's Spicy Guacamole. Leave some extra pico de gallo for one of the dip layers. This creates the eighth layer and is optional. You'll also need to heat up some refried beans. Adding in some salsa can create a nice flavor. Now that you have those two steps done, you're ready to make Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight). From this point, it's actually pretty easy. You will now need to get out a 9 x 12 glass cake pan. The bottom layer in Mama's Seven Layer Dip is the refried beans. Spread those across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some shredded vegan cheese and black olives atop the refried beans and put it in the oven for a couple minutes, until the cheese melts. Next comes the guacamole and then the vegan sour cream. After that, comes the salsa. If you want homemade salsa, follow the pico de gallo recipe, except at the end, place all the ingredients into a blender. Now take the pico de gallo, mix some shredded lettuce (or your favorite leafy greens) in and sprinkle that atop the other layers. You can also sprinkle some extra shredded vegan cheese and add some extra vegan sour cream to the top for effect. That makes the layer numbers change though, so if you're a perfectionist, go with the first option! That's it! Now serve with your favorite tortilla chips and eat! * This recipe serves 8, but can be doubled, tripled, etc. More Superbowl-worthy recipes on Life Successfully: *Note: Some of our older recipes were written before we went vegan. We plan to eventually update them all with vegan options, so if you see one that is not vegan, it will be vegan or include a vegan version soon! Only SOME of our fabulous recipes are published on this journal. For more tasty tidbits, grab our very affordable recipe ebook, full of quick and tasty vegan recipes that don't suck! Kid and Adult Tested and Approvedby Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff  This isn't your ordinary meatloaf recipe. I have tried many meatloaf recipes and some were good, but none were what I was looking for. A good meatloaf recipe seemed hard to come by (as did finding one without milk as an ingredient), so I had to make my own. It is a combination of my mom's meatloaf recipe and my own added adaptations. Some meatloaf recipes I tried would turn out dry or be lacking in flavor. Not this one. In fact, this meatloaf is pretty tender and also has a bold, somewhat spicy kick to it. To get the full effect of this spicy meatloaf recipe, be sure to follow the instructions exactly.
Being that we have a large household to satisfy, not every meal is enjoyed by every single family member. There is generally a complaint from someone about some ingredient contained in the recipe (or one that is missing). However, this meatloaf recipe has been requested by every family member at least a few dozen times. So, in our house, this meatloaf is a sure bet for avoiding complaints. Ingredients: - 3 pounds fresh ground beef (humane and organic) - 2 eggs (humane and organic) - 1 diced organic roma tomato - 2 diced organic green onions - 2 tbsp organic chicken broth - The following spice blend to taste: garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili powder, paprika - 2 diced organic carrots (for tenderness and flavor) - 1 diced organic potato - 2 slices of toasted bread (crushed) - Your favorite non-GMO BBQ sauce (optional) - Non-GMO Ketchup (optional) In addition to the ingredients, you will need a glass rectangle 9 x 12 cake pan and a large mixing bowl. Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. The first step in making your meatloaf is to place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Throw in all the ingredients, except for the BBQ sauce and ketchup. Mix it up by kneading the ingredients in with your hands. For the sake of those who will be eating this, be respectful and wash your hands before preparing this dish. Once all the ingredients have been well-blended, take your raw meatloaf concoction and place it inside the cake pan. Smooth out the raw meatloaf mixture so that it neatly takes up the whole pan. If your oven tends to cook quickly, cover the meatloaf with foil. Stick it in the oven for about an hour or until it is browned and there is no pink in the middle. Then, if desired, spread ketchup over one half of the meatloaf and BBQ sauce over the other. The reason for both is simply because everyone has a different preference here, so everyone is covered. You can also opt not to use either. If you use one or both of those, put the meatloaf back in for about 5 minutes and then take it out and serve. Be careful not to eat too much. Side Menu Suggestions: I suggest picking two of the items below as side dishes. In our house, these would be homemade as well. - Mama's Easy Country Soul Food Cabbage - Southern Potato Salad - Cornbread - Mashed Potatoes - Macaroni & Cheese - Green Beans & Potatoes - Southern-Style Greens *Note: In case frequent readers notice inconsistency, it is true that some household members no longer eat meat at all. But this is still used for those who do. by Candes King Meisenheimer
October is the start of the holiday rush for many families in America. It’s when things start to gear up just bit. Savvy shoppers are on their final leg of Christmas shopping, and party divas are putting in extra breakers to handle the electrical load that will soon be added to their breaker boxes. The last of the harvest is coming in in most places, and the days and nights are getting starting to get cold. We start to think about entertaining, and all that goes with it. Especially desserts. (The remainder of this article was formerly published at a site no longer in service.) by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff  Photo: Wikimedia Commons; Oddjob; Public Domain Texas definitely has some great barbecue food. You haven't had barbecue until you've had it in Texas. Until four years ago when we moved to Texas from Colorado, I'd never had Texas style BBQ. Ribs have always been one of my barbecue favorites so I had to try those first. To my surprise, these ribs were smoked, which was something I hadn't done before.
When you drive around Texas - at least here in Houston - there are vendors at the side of the road with their barbecue grills and smokers. When folks gather together, you can be sure that at least some of the food will be smoked. No, that doesn't mean burnt - unless Uncle Bob forgets about the food. Getting Started So, what do you need to prepare smoked BBQ ribs? For starters, you'll need a smoker grill. Pricing starts very modestly and can get pretty steep. There's a smoker for everyone's taste and budget. You're also going to need some coal and some flavored wood chips if you prefer. These help enrich the smoke flavor. This is kind of a no-brainer, but you need some ribs also. Head to the meat market and take your pick. As long as it's meat, it's Texas style. Then, you need to have barbecue sauce, right? In Texas, that's often prepared as a side, rather than used to baste the meat. Texas Style BBQ Sauce Homemade sauce is best, but if you buy, at least buy local for authenticity and freshness. This is enough sauce for one rack of ribs. Mix the following ingredients together in a blender: 16 ounces of tomato sauce, 5 green onions (scallions), 4 garlic pods, 1 tbsp of black pepper, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp sea salt. Once these ingredients are blended well, transfer them to a medium-sized saucepan and add ½ cup water and ¼ cup vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes or more, removing from heat once the sauce achieves your desired thickness. Stir frequently to keep the sauce from sticking to the pan. Texas style smoked BBQ Ribs To prepare the ribs, season them lightly with just a dash of pepper and wrap them in foil. Leave an unclosed gap at the top - maybe an inch wide and 3 or 4 inches long. This allows for moisture. Place the ribs in the smoker grill. After 30 minutes, you may need to add a little bit of water to your ribs. You can do this easily with a spray bottle. Repeat as needed. The ribs should smoke for about 6-10 hours. Depending on the cut of meat you get, increase the time as needed. Some may wish to apply the barbecue sauce right before the meat is done. Others may wish to set it aside and let everyone apply their own. Pair with one or more of these dishes for more Southern flavor:
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff  Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved What happens when you crave something sweet at night, but don't have the ingredients for your usual treats? Tonight I glanced in the cupboard to see what I could bake with what I had on hand. I had cookie-making ingredients, but was missing some of my usual add-ins. Then I realized I did have oats. "Hmm, what if I put these dried cranberries in there too?" I threw it all together and came up with a great cranberry oatmeal cookie recipe. There aren't any left, so apparently, the eight people in the house approve.
Ingredients:
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Many cookie recipes call for creaming the butter (or spread) and sugar first, but I'm very non-traditional. I'm also a risk-taker. So, sometimes my baking is a little haphazard, but it always comes out good. Just ask my live-in taste testers (aka my kids). If they'll eat it without a complaint, it's good. I just throw everything in the mixing bowl in whatever order I feel like at the time. Stir it all together until it's blended well. The consistency should be soft and easy to create a ball with. If it's too sticky, add a little bit of flour until you can work with it better. Now, take your cranberry oatmeal cookie dough and create small 4 inch balls and place them on the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Cook for about 15 minutes or until brown. I usually prefer my cookies soft. If you'd like more firmness in your cranberry oatmeal cookies, just cook them a touch longer. Once the cookies are done, let them cool on a plate or cooking rack and serve. Yield: About 3 dozen cranberry oatmeal cookies For different taste variations, add some cinnamon, nutmeg, or both. Note that my recipes are made in a high altitude environment, so no altering for that will be necessary. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff  Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved Tired of pancakes from a box - or worse, from the frozen food section? Mama's homemade buttermilk pancakes are easy to make and will satisfy the whole family.
Ingredients:
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients Blend together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar) in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Step 2: Whisk Eggs and Add Wet Ingredients Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl and mix in the other wet ingredients (melted butter and buttermilk). Step 3: Whisk all Ingredients Together Now slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until blended well. The mixture should be wet, but thick, with little to no lumps. Step 4: Melt Butter on Griddle or Pan Melt a small amount of butter onto a heated griddle or pan. A griddle should be heated at about 375F, while a frying pan should be on med-high. Step 5: Spoon Pancake Batter Onto Pan or Griddle With a spoon, pour buttermilk pancake batter onto the pan or griddle so that it forms a circle of the desired pancake size. Make enough for everyone. This makes around 20 small pancakes or 10 larger ones. Step 6: Serve as Desired Pancakes can be served with butter, syrup, fruit, whipped cream, or any other desired toppings. For healthiest options, eat them plain or with fruit. *Servings: 5, Prep Time: 10 mins, Cook Time: 20 mins, Recipe can be doubled if necessary *I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff  Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved Sometimes family get-togethers need a little spicing up. That's when I make my special guacamole dip. Friends and family have tried for years to get the recipe out of me, but to no avail. Now, I've finally gone and revealed it. Enjoy Mama's Spicy Guacamole Dip. But remember to use all organic and non-GMO ingredients for the full experience.
Ingredients: 4 Large Haas Avocados (They are best when the outside skin is dark and they have a soft, but not mushy feel.) 4 ripened Roma tomatoes 1 bunch of green onions/scallions 3 Serrano hot peppers (They are green like jalapeños, but are longer and skinnier) Black Pepper (Crushed, in a shaker) Garlic Powder (Powdered in a shaker) Sea Salt Tortilla Chips Preparation: Making the Pico de Gallo portion of the recipe: Dice the tomatoes nice and small. Place them in a bowl. Next, you'll need to get the green onions. Cut off the green part right above the area that splits to branch off. Discard the green area you cut off. There will still be some green left on your onion. Then, hold it upright and slice it halfway down the middle. Then, holding it together, slice halfway down the middle in the other direction. Your top half should be split in fourths. Hold it together and chop it up that way. Then, repeat the process until the entire green onion is cut up. You'll need about 4 of these. Put it in with the diced tomatoes. Next, get the Serrano peppers. Slice off the top and bottom and discard those pieces. With the remaining middle sections, slice them much in the way of the green onions, only you'll need six sections. Once they are all cut up, dump them into the onion/tomato mixture. Blend those together and set them aside. Making the spicy guacamole portion of the recipe: Get out a separate bowl for your guacamole. First, cut the avocados in half, working the knife around the pit, but not trying to penetrate the pit. You should have the avocado as you can see in the avocado picture after pulling the sections apart. Do this to all four avocados. Now, pull out all the pits and discard them or save them to plant. Then, get a spoon and scoop out all of the avocado out of the skin and into the bowl. If you see any brown parts, do not use those parts. The part you use should be green and soft. Now, using a potato masher or a whisk, pound and smash the avocados until they are smooth. There should be no lumps at all. Now, you need to dump in the pico de gallo you just made. Next, add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. You will generally need more garlic than salt and pepper. Optional: Add fresh cilantro to taste Now, your guacamole is ready to eat. Enjoy! Servings: Well, that depends on how long it lasts. One person will usually eat enough for three! This recipe should generally serve 6-8. But again, people tend to eat more of this than they should. Storage: You should eat Mama's Spicy Guacamole Dip right away after preparing it. Don't count on leftovers, but if you happen to have any, refrigerate the guacamole in a sealed container. This usually only lasts 24-48 hours, longer if wax paper is placed in between the lid and storage container to create a better seal. Before sealing and refrigerating, you can use a couple squirts of lemon or lime juice as a preservative to help prevent browning. Try with the following recipes for the Superbowl or other parties:
*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network
by Rena McGee, Contributing Writer
One of my favorite snacks is crab puffs. They are extremely easy and fun to make. This recipe is mostly assembly so these measurements are not very exact and are easy to adjust. You are going to need: 1 Package of wonton wrappers (small ones) 8 oz. of cream cheese 1 can of crab meat (about 8 oz.) Oil Frying pan Tongs and/or a spatula Fork and/or spoon Assembly: First, combine crab meat with cream cheese. Mix until you have a fairly even consistency. Take one of your wonton wraps and put about a teaspoon of your crab and cream cheese mixture, and place it slightly off center on the wonton wrapper. Fold the wonton into a triangle and then fold the side corners of the triangle toward the center. (This is the way that I usually fold them. Feel free to experiment.) Cooking: Fill the pan with oil. There should be enough that the crab puff will be mostly submerged. It should be hot enough that the crab puff immediately starts sizzling. Set each crab puff into the oil folded side down. Fry for about thirty seconds on both sides. (You will know you need to flip the crab puff when the edges start to bubble and change color. Please do not go wandering off this is not something that can be left unattended.) When the crab puff turns golden brown on both sides, remove the crab puff and set it on a plate with a paper towel to drain. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Alternate versions: You can leave out the crab meat entirely or substitute with a can of shrimp or salmon. 
Rena is a freelance writer and blogger. She has published articles on many topics. She is a Phoenix Web Design Examiner with Examiner.com and has been published on Yahoo Voices.
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Lyn Lomasi is founder and owner of the Brand Shamans Content Community. Services include ordained soul therapy and healing ministry, business success coaching, business success services, handcrafted healing jewelry, ethereal and anointing oils, altar and spiritual supplies and services, handcrafted healing beauty products, and more!
Lyn is your brand healing, soul healing, marketing & content superhero to the rescue! While rescuing civilians from boring business practices and energy vampires, this awesomely crazy family conquers evil and creates change. They live among tigers, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantastic energies, teaching others to claim their own power and do the same. By supporting us, you support a dedicated parent, healer, and minority small business that donates to several causes. Profits from our all-inclusive store, Intent-sive Nature support these causes and our beautiful family! HIRE OR SHOP WITH LYN | CONTACT LYN Archives
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