Pierogies

My husband and I love pierogies  but got burned out eating them after we got a bunch when they were on sale and we ate them too many times in a month...anywhoo back to my point... we normally make butter and onion sauce on the stove, I boiled his,  fry mine, and eat them with the onions and sour cream. However, neither of us have been wanting to eat them and we have 2 boxes of them.. SO... I decided to bake them hoping it would make them more appealing to us and IT WORKED!  Below is how I made them and another pierogi recipe of mine.

Baked Pierogies
*Preheat oven to 350 and place frozen pierogies in greased baking dish
* add cut onions, 4 tbsp of butter, pizza seasoning mix (oregeno, basil, marjoram, gran garlic), pepper, sea salt and layer shredded cheddar cheese on top
* bake for 30 minutes
* serve hot with sour cream on top


Lazy Pierogies
* Cut an onion and put in a small pot with 1/2 cup butter (cook til onions are soft)
* Make mashed potatoes (homemade or instant) 4 cups cooked
* cook 1/ 2 pound of egg noodles
* mix noodles, potatoes, and butter/onions together

~~~~ I first made this dish for my mom and I when I was a teen. My parents had ~~~~ not yet went grocery shopping so the cupboards were filled with odds and ins and I wanted to make lunch for my mom and I. I made this dish and my mother referred to it ~~~~ as lazy pierogies so that is what I have called it ever since. ~~~~

Stuffed Peppers

I decided to make stuffed peppers for my birthday eve dinner! This is the 1st time I ever made them. I couldn't find a recipe that I liked because I don't like meat, meat substitutes, or mushrooms. I also wanted a rice mixture so here is what I did...

I preheated the oven to 350. Then I washed, cut in half, and cleaned out 4 orange peppers. I placed them in a glass dish with a little tomato sauce in the bottom. Then I  cooked 1 cup white rice per instructions on the box. While the rice cooked,  I sauteed half an onion and a small  banana pepper in vegetable oil along with parsley and oregano. I mixed this in a bowl with the finished rice. Then I added a tbsp of minced garlic, a pinch of sea salt, dash of crushed mint, half a can of diced tomatoes (with juice), some tomato sauce to moisten the mix, shredded mozzarella cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese (the finished mixture is pictured above). I scooped the mixture into the8  pepper halves, then added more of both cheeses and sauce on top. I baked them at 350 for 50 minutes. They were DELICIOUS! I enjoyed making them and can't wait to do it again! 

Bob Evans

I have always LOVED Bob Evans colonial salad dressing... YUMMY! It is a must have everytime!!


When I was younger I ate their vegetarian meal option ...which was your choice of 4 side! It wasn't the best option but was worth it because of my love of the colonial dressing. 


Then  they had vegetable stir fry (at a lower price than the meat version! It was VERY DELICIOUS but then they took it of the menu! I was DEVASTATED! =(   I don't even remember what all was in it.I just know it was my 2nd favorite stir fry of all time (the 1st being the one made by my Daddy). 


After the stir fry was taken off, I was left with ordering sides a la carte. =(


 Then they started appetizers... they have county fair cheese bites, breaded garlic mushrooms (a vegetarian option but I don't like mushrooms), and fried green tomatoes (seasonal menu item).


They now have a vegetarian soup option, which I LOVE! It is their NEW Tomato Basil Soup! Here is the description of it listed on the Bob Evans website"
 "Roasted tomatoes and sweet basil are blended with onions, a touch of cream and a dash of pepper to update this classic soup. Topped with crunchy garlic croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese" 


It (along with the colonial dressing of course) make me want to eat their everyday! =) 

Burger King vs. McDonalds

I definitely prefer Burger King over McDonalds.


McDonalds has a large variety of salads but they are pre-made so if it comes with meat, it comes with meat. If I have to go to McDonalds, I order a Big and Tasty without meat. My pet peeve is they charge full price..so I order it with the meat on the side and give it to my husband to make his a double. 


Burger King has the same salad issue as mentioned above. When I go to BK, I order a Whopper without meat...it is also known as the Veggie Whopper. They have a different menu price for the Veggie Whopper which is less than a Whopper. =) Hooray for that!!! BK also has a sandwhich called the BK Veggie. I don't eat meat substitutes but it is a great option for those that do.


According to the BK website this is the description of the BK Veggie....
"A Morningstar Farms® Garden Veggie Patty, garden crisp vegetables, whole grains, and spices–all topped with lettuce, red ripe tomatoes, ketchup, creamy mayo, and served on a sesame seed bun. If there's one thing we know, it's burgers. Even Veggie burgers. No, especially... the BK VEGGIE® Burger. ®, TM, © 2009 Kellogg Co."

Tastefully SImple

So...I went to a tastefully simple party a few weeks ago and found out they are vegetarian friendly. The consultant told me that they use soy products so everything including the bacon bacon is veggie friendly! =)

Summer Cookouts

So many possibilities.... corn on the cob, grilled veggie kabobs, watermelon, the amazing amount of vegetarian salads and hors d'oeuvres. This 4th of July I am serving a variety of  hors d'oeuvres including some vegetarian options for me and another guest. Here are a few vegetarian hors d'oeuvre recipes....


*  Cheese-stuffed Cherry Tomatoes -
   1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese                                   2 Tbsp buttermilk    
   1 pk (4 oz) garlic and herb cheese spread (allouette)          36 cherry tomatoes                       
1) cut off tops of tomatoes, remover center, invert onto paper towel lined baking sheet to drain
2) mix cheese spread and buttermilk in processor until smooth, add cheddar pulse 2-3 times
3) place cheese mix into tomatoes
4) refrigerate at least 1 hour


* Artichoke Dip - Great with crackers
                1 can or jar of artichoke hearts                                   1 cup mayonnaise 
                1/2 cup minced garlic                                                  1 cup grated  parmesan cheese
1) preheat oven
2) drain artichokes, finely chop artichokes in food chopper
3) mix artichokes, mayonnaise, garlic, and cheese 
4) place mixture in a small, shallow greased baking dish (8x8)
5) bake at 350* for 35 minutes or until golden brown
6) Refrigerate to chill befor serving or serve warm

* Vegetable/Chip Dip - 
              1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip                           1 cup mayonnaise
              1 cup sour cream
1) mix ingredients together
2) place in refrigerator to chill before serving         

Green Peppers and Onions

I love the combination of green peppers and onions. In fact it is my favorite pizza toppings. I use sauteed green peppers and onions for many of my dishes. Here are a few...
* Peppers and Rice - Saute green peppers and onions then add your favorite vegetarian spaghetti sauce and pour over white (or brown is you prefer) rice. I like to add red, yellow, and orange peppers to this as well. I learned this delicious dish from my Mother-in-law. I usually cook chicken on the side for my husband.


* Goulash - Saute green peppers in onions and add to cooked pasta (such as elbow macaroni, or small shells) and add tomato sauce. I like to you Italian tomato sauce since it is already seasoned. You can add a beef alternative if you like. I add beef when making it for the meat-eaters in my life.


* Mexican wraps - Fill a tortilla with  sauteed green peppers and onion, rice and beans, avocado slices, and vegetarian black beans. Roll it up and top it with shredded cheese (I like to use Mexican blend), salsa, and sour cream. I put chicken pieces in them for my family and friends.

How do you like to use green peepers and onions???

Taco Bell

Today I had one of my favorite fast food dinners...Taco bell. They have a new meatless item on the menu!!! Okay, I'm sure it has been there a while but I just discovered it and tried it today. It is a 7 layer burrito.The items include cheese, seasoned rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and reduced fat sour cream. It was tasty! 


Taco Bell also offer other veggie items including cheesy bean and rice burrito, cheese wrap, bean burrito, fresco bean burrito, cheesy nachos, not to mention their fabulous sides. However, my favorite thing about Taco Bell is that they will make ANYTHING on there menu without meat. They do charge the same price for items with or without meat though. The magic Taco Bell word is "SUBSTITUTE". In years past I would get annoyed because they charged the same price for taking meat off and then charged me $0.25 extra per item to add beans. Then a nice cashier explain that if they substitute the item it doesn't charge extra. 


So my final conclusion is that Taco Bell is Veggie Friendly! 

About Me

I am a vegetarian because I am allergic to meat! You read that correct... allergic! It's okay through because I never liked the taste of meat products. In fact, I am the only vegetarian I know that doesn't eat tofu, soy, or any other types of meat alternatives. I also don't like seafood.


Since I don't eat meat or seafood, eating out can be both tricky and frustrating. I  created this blog to share my experiences with others and hopefully meet other vegetarians like myself. 


I live in Northeast Ohio. So the majority of the restaurants will be from this area. 


Reminder: This is my blog! So the posting are my experiences. Some things differ depending on location, server, and/or manager on duty!