Wow, it is amazing that we are already closing in on the end of Vegan MoFo. Here is recipe #19 with just one more to go.

This was an easy one for me. Sometimes it is hard to decide what to make, but this was a natural.

When I opened up our CSA share this week, there was a huge spaghetti squash. This was perfect timing as last weekend I had picked up three big bags of perfectly ripe Ontario field tomato’s. They had just been put on the “reduced” rack at the store. Home they went, to be roughly chopped together with onions, garlic, red peppers some olive oil and salt and pepper and then into the oven to slow roast for an hour or so. I then pureed this into a tomato sauce. I froze this in freezer bags holding approx 2 cups each. I now have about a dozen packages of…

Vegan MoFo Recipe # 20, and for the grand finale, Drum roll please,………. Coconut Vanilla ice-cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Fudge Cookies.

A fitting end to a wonderful month of vegan blogging. This is the first year for both my blog, and, for me to find out and participate in Vegan MoFo. I have had a wonderful (although sometimes exhausting) time. The best part for me is all the other fantastic blogs out there I have found (whoever came up with the randomofo is a genius).

I wanted to end the month with something special. As I have mentioned previously, I do  not have a sweet tooth, so tend to forget the dessert side of cooking, but back at the beginning of summer, I was as the Toronto Vegan Festival and had a coconut ice cream sundae that was sitting on a chocolate brownie. It was so good, I made a note to try to make it at home…

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. Growing up in Australia, we did not celebrate Thanksgiving, but living here, I just love this holiday.

The scenery at this time of the year is just beautiful. Where I live. in Northern Ontario, it is a vibrant mix of dark green, vivid red, burnt orange and bright yellow leaves all mixed in together and situated amongst rocky outcrops and pristine lakes.

While I joke that I hate the Fall because I know Winter is just around the corner (and I am definitely a Summer girl, give me a beach and sunshine and I am happy), the truth is, Thanksgiving weekend is truly magical here.

Last year I tried making a Tofu Turkey, which turned out OK, but not exceptional. This year I am making a Lentil Seitan Roast which is totally delicious. It is stuffed full of mushrooms, leeks, garlic and cranberries and then smothered…

Have you ever been tempted to go animal-free but wondered exactly what you’d eat or worried that you might not be able to keep it up? Well, Animal Aid’s Great Vegan Challenge could be just the thing for you. To take part, you pledge to go vegan throughout the month of November and you will receive a whole package of support, 100% free, including:

•  Advice on nutrition and vegan products
• Recipes and motivational tips sent regularly
• Access to an internet forum for swapping tips and stories
• A telephone hotline for any burning questions
• Information on exclusive events, offers and product give-aways

It’s open to anyone, anywhere in the world and last year almost 800 people took part from 17 different countries. This year, Animal Aid has teamed up with other organisations from around the world, so it really is an international event:

• Australia: http://www.veganeasy.org
• Canada: www.MercyForAnimals.ca
• Luxembourg: http://www.vegansociety.lu
• Estonia: http://www.taimetoidumess.ee/index.php?lang=en
• …….and elsewhere:…

The potato, derived from the Spanish word patata, is said to have originated in Bolivia and present-day Peru, and is the world’s fourth-largest food crop (source). A good source of Manganese, Potassium, and Vitamins B6 and C (source), baked potatoes have the potential to lower blood pressure, build cells, assist with and protect the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and even help improve athletic performance (source).

Twice-baked potatoes get their name from, you guessed it, being baked twice. Whether using the microwave or conventional oven, raw potatoes are first baked thoroughly in order to scoop out the inner flesh, mix it with various ingredients and then place the mixture back into the potato shells, baking a second time until the entire mixture is heated through. The result is a handy bowl-like potato that can simply be picked up and eaten without silverware.

Microwave Twice-Baked Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup regular unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese