Recipes, projects & products that don’t suck.

Welcome potluck guests! Have you had to change your shirt from all the drool yet? Today I am participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, which is basically a string of 100+ blogs all linked together with “forward” and “back” buttons/links to guide you through an online plant-based progressive dinner, if you will. You’ll be taken through eight courses, with several bloggers participating in each course. You are currently in the first course, Appetizers, which will be followed by Beverages, Bread, Salad, Sides, Soups, Main Dishes and Dessert. You’ll find links to the previous dish/blog and the next dish/blog at the bottom of this post. Most often on 86 Lemons, I test other people’s vegan recipes and report to my readers, letting them know if it’s…

The theme of this post is QUICK! Not only because this meal (or appetizer) can be whipped up lickety-split, but also because I am racing against the clock to get my mile-long to-do list completed before we leave for our mission trip. Last week, a box of goodies from Wildtree came in the mail (I ordered and paid for them, this is not a paid review). I became familiar with this health-conscious company through a friend who reps their product. This portion of their mission statement pretty much sums up why I like their product: Wildtree offers the highest quality herbs, spices and culinary blends that are free of preservatives, additives, fillers and promote a healthier lifestyle. We believe in the value of making cooking…

I’m not really sure which teams are in the Super Bowl. Well, now I am. I just googled it. 49ers and Ravens. While I love to watch college football (Michigan Wolverines, in particular), pro football just doesn’t interest me much. But I do look forward to the clever commercials during the Super Bowl. And sometimes there’s a decent halftime show. Mostly I just like that the Super Bowl is a great excuse to get together with friends and munch on good food while feigning moderate interest in the game. And by good food, I don’t mean Doritos and Cheetos. I mean Creamy Artichoke Spinach Dip, Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats, Hummus with Toasted Pine Nuts, Veggie Quesadillas, Fresh Guacamole, Vegan Buffalo Bites and Mushroom &…

(Don’t let the length of this post/recipe scare you away. It really is easy and fairly quick to make.) I am so excited to share my new-found love of socca, the chickpea flour crêpe/pancake/flat bread from Nice, France. It is very easy to make, yet I felt like an accomplished baker when I saw the end result – it’s beautiful! Don’t worry, if you don’t like olives, you can leave them out. In fact, traditional socca (also known as farinata or cecina) is merely garbanzo bean flour, water, olive oil and black pepper (naturally gluten-free and vegan!). When I found this recipe on Tasty Yummies, I was initially drawn to the recipe title cuz I’m a sucker for Kalamata olives. Then I saw the mouth-watering photo…

Whether you need a super quick, last-minute, delicious appetizer for NYE or you are looking for healthy recipes to kick off the new year, I’ve got just the thing. It’s crazy-easy to make and the flavor is amazing. This vegan, gluten-free Classic Hummus with Toasted Pine Nuts recipe comes from Liz at The Lemon Bowl. Liz is co-creator of Taste of Michigan, the food bloggers event I attended back in October. Her blog is full great information and healthy recipes. During a KitchenAid demo, Liz made her hummus for us and we all relished the sample. I also became a little obsessed with the fancy new KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor with ExactSlice™ System. Lucky for me, Macy’s had a killer sale on Black Friday. Ever since it…