Trick or treating is fun. Eating animal products isn't. I thought about handing out cash, but Marcus has reminded me that we aren't those people. If you find yourself in the same predicament (i.e. not able to hand out Washingtons) then you can hand out these and still be kind to all kinds!

Remember, Gelatin = made from animal bones and tendons, Carmine (in food coloring) = made from beetles, Lard = pig fat, and Milk Fat = fatty acids found in milk.

So earlier this week, I MADE CHEESE. Yes that all caps is my excitement because, well, I MADE CHEESE. And last night we made that amazing, meltable, gooey, savory, just the right consistency mozzarella cheese into pizza! It was so easy. The recipe is below and because I'm lazy, I clearly bought the crust and used a jar of Bertolli sauce we had in the pantry. 

Also, as much as I love Trader Joe's, I did not love this crust. Any suggestions on another frozen gluten-free crust??

PS - Ignore the burnt crust. That was on purpose. I like burnt things. I'm not weird, you're weird.

Andrea's I MADE CHEESE Pizza
Trader Joe's Cauliflower Crust (or any vegan/gf crust!)
Bertolli Tomato Sauce (or any tomato sauce. stir in some fresh chopped garlic and red wine!)
Mozzarella
Chopped Veggies or any Toppings

Do you live in Venice? Thousand Oaks? Ontario? Doesn't matter. Brave the traffic and go to Pura Vita. It's well worth it. The food is ridiculous, the wine list is expansive, and the staff is the loveliest group of people. We've been twice this week and if I have it my way, we'll make it at least three times. PS - these pics are from their insta @puravita_la but they're all the things we've tried so far. My pictures just didn't compare!

Definitely our new date spot! And any day spot...

So my husband, as amazing as he is, still caves and eats pizza here and there. And not the good kind pizza, but the gross one that a mommy cow suffered for. I can't fault him, it's all about progress and not perfection. But I think I finally found a way to get him off the pizza. I MADE CHEESE. Amazing, meltable, gooey, savory, the right consistency mozzarella cheese. Only took 15 minutes. Seriously. And made enough cheese for two pizzas or an entire box of Triscuits. Cheese and crackers is a nutritious full meal and I refuse to believe otherwise.

Recipe is below and credit goes to The Buddhist Chef! The one thing is I can't seem to cut the cashew flavor completely. So if anyone has any suggestions on how to do that I am all ears!

Buddhist Chef's Easy Mozzarella
1/4 Cup Cashews, soaked for 4 hours
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbsp Agar Agar Powder (see link for best company to order from!)
2 Tbsp Tapioca Starch
1 tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1 1/2 Cup Water

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for at least a few hours until they're soft.
2. Put the cashews (drained) and all of the other ingredients into a blender and blend.
3. Pour mixture into a pot and stir consistently until it's boiling. The sides will pull away from the pan.
4. Pour into two lightly oiled ramekins or bowl.
5. Regfrigerate for at least an hour or two before you use!