Congratulations to Carol Keating for winning our next Dessert spot with her Tea Time Lemon Cream and Rhubarb Shortcakes... a gluten free vegan springtime twist of the classic strawberry shortcake!

Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 1 hour 45 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients:
    1 can coconut milk refrigerated overnight
    1 cup gluten free flour blend
    1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1 tbsp. sugar
    1 1/4 tbsp. 5/8 oz chilled Earth Balance® Buttery Spread soy free
    1 1/4 tbsp. 5/8 oz chilled Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread
    1/4 cup coconut milk see below
    2 lemons juice and zest / separate
    1/3 cup sugar
    1 tbsp.  agar agar flakes
    1 cup about see below remaining coconut milk
    6 tbsp. 3 oz Earth Balance® Buttery Spread soy free
    3 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb
    3 tbsp. of brown sugar

Directions:
Preparation of canned coconut milk:
Without shaking open chilled can of coconut milk and carefully remove 1/2 cup of the solids from the top. Whip the 1/2 cup solids with beaters for a few minutes until it resembles whipped cream and set aside in refrigerator. Pour the remaining solids and liquids from the can into a blender a smaller one is all that is needed and blend to combine solids and liquids again. Once blended remove 1/4 cup milk and set aside in the refrigerator to use in the shortcake part of the recipe. Set aside 1 additional tablespoon to brush on the tops of the cakes before baking. Pour the remaining milk about 1 cup into a small saucepan.

Lemon Cream:
Add to coconut milk in the small saucepan juice of two lemons the 1/3 cup sugar and the 1 tablespoon agar agar flakes. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Turn heat down to simmer and continue stirring over heat for an additional five minutes. Cool to 120 degrees. Pour into blender. Blend for a few minutes then with motor going add Earth Balance® Buttery Spread 1 tablespoon at a time. Finally add zest. Blend again then pour into container and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour until thick. Alternately this thickening can be expedited by placing in the freezer. After it has thickened fold in the coconut “whipped cream” that was set aside earlier. Keep refrigerated until assembly.

Shortcake Biscuits:
Sift together gluten free flour blend baking powder salt and sugar. Add chilled shortenings and blend with fingers until it resembles fine crumbs. Slowly add the 1/4 cup of coconut milk that was set aside earlier. Add a little a time and mix well with a fork after each addition. You may not need to use all the milk ... it depends on the flours in your blend and how humid your kitchen is. Watch closely. Only add enough milk until you notice it just start to come together. Err on the conservative side. Continuing to mix after you’ve stopped adding milk will very often bring the dough together. That is all you want to happen for the dough to come together in a nice soft ball and for it to “clean the bowl” in the process. Pat out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 2 inch circles. Roll remaining dough together and repeat until you get 6 biscuits in total. Brush with reserved 1 tablespoon of milk and dip tops in additional sugar. Chill in refrigerator while you make the rhubarb compote. When the compote is finished heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes. It sometimes helps to double pan these for the first 10-15 minutes so that they don’t get too brown on the bottom before they are completely baked. Bake until golden in color. Cool before assembling.

Rhubarb Compote:
Stir rhubarb and brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until the brown sugar is completely melted. Lower the heat and continue to cook stirring occasionally until rhubarb has softened and some of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

Assembly:
Slice cooled biscuits in half horizontally. Spread a generous spoonful of rhubarb compote on the bottom half. Top with a generous spoonful of lemon cream. Put the top half of the biscuit on the cream and finish with a decorative amount of cream and a little compote for color contrast.

Helpful notes: The amount of cream is more than you need for the six portions however I do this for two reasons; 1 I like to use the entire can of coconut milk once I open it and 2 the cream is simply divine as is and pairs with just about anything you can imagine so it’s worth it to have extra ... you will want it! The same is true for the rhubarb. The recipe makes more than you will probably use however it also is so delicious on so many other things that it is good to have some extra on hand.

Carol will receive: a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

What's your favorite spring time dessert? Let us know below and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®!

Congratulations to Carly Sitner for winning one of our two Dessert spots with her amazing Chicory Pudding Cake with Salted Butter Pecan Ice Cream & Bourbon Ganache!

Individual chocolate and chicory cakes served warm and overflowing with dark chocolate ganache infused with bourbon served with homemade butter pecan ice cream with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. If you can't find chicory near you use finely ground coffee or espresso beans. Prep is relatively quick and easy with all parts of this recipe; the only time spent is waiting for components to chill.

Prep time: 35 minutesCook time: 10 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings: 6

Ingredients:
    2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks
    3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks
    1/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk original
    1/4 cup organic cane sugar
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    1 tbsp. bourbon
    9 ounces soft silken tofu
    3/4 cups organic cane sugar
    1 tbsp. chicory or coffee granules
    9 ounces Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    1 1/2 cups 58-65 dark chocolate chunks
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
    6 tbsp. Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk original
    1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
    3/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk original
    1 cup coconut milk
    1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
    1/2 tsp. arrowroot
    1 tbsp. vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp. fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
    1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
To make the bourbon ganache:
Combine the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl and set aside.

In a small pot combine the Soy Milk and sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Whisk to combine until smooth.

Add the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and bourbon and whisk until smooth. Chill until the ganache has hardened.

Preheat the oven to 425. Grease 6 ramekins and place on a baking sheet.

Combine the tofu sugar and chicory in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Combine 9 oz Earth Balance® Buttery Spread with 1 1/2 cup chocolate and place in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir to combine and melt.

Stir the chocolate into the tofu mixture then add the flour.

Use a melon baller or a small spoon to scoop out 6 marble sized balls of ganache.

Scoop cake batter into each of the ramekins half way up. Place the ball of chilled ganache in the center and top with more batter filling to the top. Bake for exactly 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.

To make the Salted Butter Pecan Ice Cream:
First make butterscotch. Melt 2 tbl of Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in a small pan and add 1/2 cup brown sugar. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Gently pour in the Soy Milk while stirring reduce the heat to medium cook for 7 minutes more. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and salt. Chill in the fridge until cold.

To make the Butter Pecan Ice Cream:
Combine 3/4 cup Soy Milk with 1 cup of coconut milk in a small pot. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and arrowroot. Whisk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add 1 tbl vanilla and 1/4 tsp fleur de sel. Chill until completely cold.

Pour the ice cream base and chilled butterscotch into your ice cream machine and churn into soft serve consistency.

Add the pecans and mix to combine. Transfer to a sealed container and freeze until solid.

Serve the cake warm with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of melted bourbon ganache.

Carly will receive: a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

SLC Veganista receives our congratulations this afternoon for taking the next spot in the Entree competition with her Chick'n & Dumplings!

Here's what she told us about her dish:
"A vegan version of a favorite comfort food Chicken & Dumplings. It's very filling and is a meal in itself. Add whatever veggies you like/have on hand potatoes peas carrots corn green beans celery mushrooms etc…. Though you can use dried herbs fresh herbs make this dish stand out brilliantly sage oregano parsley thyme basil rosemary tarragon etc…. There are many different brands of chicken-style seitan available on the market some with broth/gravy and others without. If the seitan you've purchased is in gravy or broth feel free to use that as part of your liquid component. You may also opt to make your own seitan and use that instead."

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients:
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    6 potatoes of choice red or Yukon Gold are best but any will do-cubed
    1 small red white yellow or green onion diced
    1/2 cup total mixed fresh herbs of choice-parsley oregano thyme basil sage rosemary tarragon
    1 16 oz pkg chicken-style seitan of choice chopped into bite-sized pieces
    1 10 oz bag frozen mixed veggies peas carrots corn green beans
    4 cups vegetable broth or hot water mixed with 2 vegan chicken style bouillon cubes
    1 RECIPE Dumplings see below
    2 cups unbleached flour
    1 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk plain unsweetened  
    4 tsp. baking powder
    1 pinch of salt

Directions:
For the Soup:
Melt Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in a large stock pot.

Add potatoes & onions. Sauté until lightly browned.

Add vegetable broth/ water with bouillon cubes may also use broth powder or the kind that comes in a jar.

Cook on medium high heat until potatoes are tender.
Add chicken style seitan and frozen veggies. You may also add other veggies that you may have on hand and/or like better.

For the Dumplings:
Make your dumplings by mixing together flour salt and baking powder in a bowl making sure everything is well-incorporated.

Make a well in the center and fill with Earth Balance® unsweetened plain Soy Milk you don't want any unplanned for surprises on your taste buds especially if you accidentally use vanilla Soy Milk instead of plain unsweetened

Mix wet with dry making sure everything is well mixed.

Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter into the soup it will be moist & sticky at first

Cover the stockpot with a lid and reduce heat to low simmer

Allow to simmer about 10 minutes or until the dumplings have cooked completely through. Do not lift the lid while cooking.

Serve hot & enjoy!

SLC Veganista will receive:  a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

Congratulations to Virtually Vegan Mama who is one of our two winners in the Entree category with her delicious Spaghetti Squash Cakes Avocado Jalapeno Aioli Peanut Butter Mole Beans Mexican Slaw!

These spaghetti squash cakes have a sweet natural flavor and crunch that is complimented by the spice of the avocado jalapeno aioli. The peanut butter mole beans have a delightfully rich and creamy flavor. The Mexican slaw leaves your palate with a refreshing raw delight to complete this dish.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hourTotal time: 1 hour 15 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients:
    1 medium spaghetti squash halved lengthwise seeds removed. You will need 3 cups shredded to make the cakes
    1/2 cup vidalia onion diced
    1 tbsp. garlic minced
    15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
    15 ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
    4 ounce can diced green chilies
    1/2 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes
    1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
    1 cup celery thinly sliced
    1 cup carrots peeled and thinly sliced
    2/3 cup quinoa flakes
    2/3 cup panko
    1 tsp. canned chipotle sauce
    1 tbsp. raw cacao powder
    1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
    1 1/2 lime juiced
    1/2 of an avocado
    1/4 cup cilantro
    1/4 jalapeno
    1 cup no salt added or low sodium vegetable stock
    1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
    1/2 tsp.  ground cumin
    1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Sticks
    1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread
    1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Natural Peanut Butter
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Organic Soymilk
    1/2 cup plus 6 tbsp. Earth Balance® MindfulMayo
    1 sea salt to taste
    1 black pepper to taste

Directions:
For the squash cakes makes 8 cakes:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash cut sides down on a non-stick baking sheet. Roast until tender about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl. Allow to cool thoroughly. Once cooled add quinoa flakes panko 6 tbsp Earth Balance® MindfulMayo chipotle sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. With your hands form mixture into 8 equal cakes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp Earth Balance® Coconut Spread. Add cakes to skillet and fry 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown lowering heat if necessary.
   
For the Peanut Butter Mole Beans:
Heat 1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Sticks over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; add onions and sauté stirring often for 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low if it starts to burn. Add green chilies 1 cup vegetable stock and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook on low for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add mixture to a food processor or blender with cinnamon cumin 1/4 tsp Earth Balance® Natural Peanut Butter raw cacao powder maple syrup and whole peeled tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium sauce pan. Add pinto and black beans. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook uncovered on medium-low for 5 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

For Mexican Slaw:
Combine Cabbage Celery Carrots and juice of 1 lime 1/4 tsp cumin and stir. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.

For Avocado Jalapeno Aioli:
Combine1/2 cup of Earth Balance® MindfulMayo 2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Soymilk ½ an avocado juice of ½ a lime ¼ cup of cilantro and a 1/4 jalapeno in a food processor and puree until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour. Serve.

To serve:
Place two cakes on a plate and drizzle with avocado jalapeno aioli. Serve with a side of peanut butter mole beans and Mexican slaw.

Virtually Vegan Mama will receive:  a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

What's your favorite Mexican inspired dish? Let us know in the comments for a chance to win today's FREE Earth Balance® coupons in our Everyday Giveaway!

Congratulations going out this time to Christine L. for being our next Beverage Category winner with her crowd pleasing Vegan Butter Beer! Eat your heart out Harry Potter!

Ingredients: serves 6
2 tbsp. brown sugar
36 ounces dark vegan beer
1/2 tsp.  ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbsp. Earth Balance® Soy Garden Buttery Spread
1 cup Earth Balance® Organic Vanilla Soymilk
1 pint dairy-free vanilla ice cream room temperature

Directions:
Pour the beer into a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Stir in ground nutmeg ginger and cinnamon.

Stirring often bring the liquid to a boil.

Turn down the heat and let liquid simmer for 10 minutes while stirring to avoid frothing over the pot. Remove the pot from heat.

Stir in Earth Balance® Soy Garden Buttery Spread whisking until melted. Return pot to low heat.

Add room temperature dairy-free vanilla ice cream and Earth Balance® Organic Vanilla Soymilk stirring until the mixture is well combined.

Pour into glasses and serve.

Christine will receive: a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

Congratulations to Sammi McLean who is one of our two winners in the Beverage category with her Blue Basil Smoothie! This is a healthy smoothie that gives you both a veggie and fruit kick! It's tasty unique and can be prepared in seconds.

Ingredients:
1 cup spinach
4 large basil leaves
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 sliced rings of pineapple plus some juice
1 banana
1 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soymilk

Directions:
Combine ALL ingredients in a blender
Blend until smooth
Serve!

Sammi will receive:  a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

What unique ingredients do you like to include in smoothies? Let us know in the comments for a chance to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

Congrats to Lisa Martinez for being our next winner in the Appetizer & Side Dish category with her Smoky Chickpea Soup!

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients:
    2 cups cooked chickpeas
    1 tbsp. canned chipotle diced optional
    1 can fire roasted tomatoes pureed or left whole if you want a chunkier soup
    1 tsp. toasted cumin seeds or 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    1 tbsp. besan gram chickpea flour you can sub flour or omit
    1/2 tsp. ground coriander optional
    2 garlic cloves minced
    1/4 cup leeks minced or diced onion
    1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery® Spread melted
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:
For Roasted Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of melted Earth Balance® Buttery Spread over 1 cup of chickpeas season with salt & pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan & roast for 35 minutes or until lightly browned & crunchy.

Meanwhile toast coriander & flour in a dry pan until fragrant. Set aside.

Heat the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread or oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add garlic & leeks stirring until garlic is lightly browned & leeks are wilted.

Add coriander-flour mixture & cook until fragrant less than a minute stirring frequently.

Add tomato puree chipotle & cumin seeds & stir. Add about 2 cups of water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add remaining cup of chickpeas. Season with salt & pepper if needed. Add more flour if you want a thicker soup.

Garnish with chopped roasted chickpeas & cilantro. You can also add a dollop of Earth Balance® MindfulMayo for extra creaminess.

Lisa will receive: a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

What's your favorite kind of soup? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance® in our Everyday Giveaway!

Congratulations to Marly McMillen Beelman who is one of our two winners in the Best Appetizer & Side Dish category with her Mushroom Risotto Balls!

An earthy blend of mushrooms and brown rice risotto baked into bite-size balls and garnished with hummus and minced yellow peppers. This would be an elegant appetizer to serve at your next party.

Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 17 minutes Total time: 1 hour 2 minutes Servings: 30

Ingredients:
    2 cups mushrooms porcini or shitake
    2 tbsp. olive oil
    1/2 cups shallots thinly sliced
    2 garlic cloves minced
    3 cups vegetable broth
    1 cup red wine
    1 cup white wine
    1 tsp. dried thyme
    1/2 tsp. pepper
    1/4 cup onion chopped
    1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice
    8 tbsp. Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Stick 1 stick
    1/2 cups Nutritional Yeast Flakes
    1 tbsp. Hummus optional
    1 tbsp. Yellow bell pepper minced optional

Directions:
Sauté the shallots and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Once the shallots are tender add the chopped mushrooms 1 cup of the vegetable broth the red wine white wine thyme and pepper. Give it a quick stir and let the mixture come to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes to give the ingredients a chance to get acquainted. Hold onto that saucepan -you're going to need it in a minute.

Place a strainer over a medium-sized saucepan and pour the mushroom mixture into the strainer reserving the liquid in the smaller saucepan. Place the mushroom mixture in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.

Add the rest of the vegetable broth to the mushroom liquid and bring it to a boil before reducing the heat. You don't need to simmer this any longer it just needs to stay warm.

Now it's time to get out that saucepan from Step One and add the chopped onion with 1/2 stick of Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Stick. Once the onions are tender add the rice and stir and cook for a few minutes.

This risotto is ready for a little heat so turn it up a little and add one cup of the mushroom broth. You're going to want to stir pretty much continuously to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the liquid is absorbed into the rice add more of the broth. Once you run out of broth use hot water to continue the process until the rice begins to get tender. I think brown rice takes a little longer than white rice but it should take around 30 minutes total.

Once the rice is tender add the mushroom mixture the rest of the Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Stick and nutritional yeast flakes. Stir well.

Heat your oven to 400F and spray a baking pan with a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. Using a cookie dough dispenser scoop risotto and drop onto the prepared pan allowing an inch or so between each.

Bake the Risotto Balls for 10 minutes on one side then turn them over and bake for another 7 or so on the other side.

Garnish the risotto balls with the creme from coconut milk vegan cream cheese or Spinach Hummus and minced yellow peppers.

Marly will receive: a 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products an Earth Balance® gift pack and a copy of the book 'Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps' by Kim Barnouin.

Welcome back to a very special week here at Made Just Right™. All this week we'll be announcing the winners from our recent Spring to Life Recipe contest and sharing their delicious recipes with you! Get ready to enjoy the best of the best starting with our two winners in each category appetizers & side dishes beverages entrees and desserts our special prizes winners and then finally our Grand Prize winner!

Before we delve back into the contest we’re excited to announce lots of winners from last week’s Everyday Giveaways as well as our Mom Energy book contest courtesy of Ashley Koff. Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day! To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. That's how much we love to hear from you! Click here for more info...

The winners from last week are:
Anastasia Campos
Pam Baugh
Darla Shepherd
SaRah sunshine
Patricia Soza

Next up are the winners of the Mom Energy books:
Tammy Hamilton
Yvette Brooks
Kelly Klepfer
Lynette Cruz
Crystal Creamer

Congratulations to all of the winners! We will contact you soon to follow up.

Stick around for all the delicious Spring to Life winning recipes heading your way starting later this afternoon!

We love contests obviously! What kind of giveaways would you like to see here on Made Just Right? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®  products!

How about a fresh recipe to head into the weekend with that's as delicious as it is good for you? That's exactly what we've got today in this veggie packed gluten-free salad from Sarah over at the Veggie Kids blog. No stranger to putting together nutritious plant-based meals for her family Sarah is an inspiration to all of us looking to raise happy & healthy vegan families.

We've also got one last opportunity for you to win a copy of the book Mom Energy by Ashley Koff at the bottom of this post. Don't miss your chance to win!

Ingredients: makes about 8 servings
1 large head broccoli
3/4 medium head cauliflower
1/2 cup Vidalia onion diced or use any onion you have
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup carrots shredded
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes or use cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup Earth Balance® MindfulMayo
2 Tb. agave nectar
2 Tb. apple cider vinegar
sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut the broccoli and cauliflower heads into bite-sized florets.  Rinse and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Place those in a large bowl.  Add in the onions raisins carrots and sun-dried tomatoes.  Carefully mix everything together using a large spoon.

In a separate medium-small bowl whisk together Earth Balance® MindfulMayo agave nectar apple cider vinegar salt and pepper. 

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss until completely coated. 

This salad is best when it's chilled and marinated for at least one hour prior to serving.

Thanks for the recipe Sarah! You can find many more of Sarah's mom and kid-approved recipes at: http://veggie-kids.blogspot.com

To enter to win a copy of Mom Energy by Ashley Koff answer the following question in the comments below: What if any were your favorite vegetables when you were a kid?

You have until May 13th to enter; winners will be announced next week. Good luck!

Photo courtesy of Kind of a Draag

Continuing our coverage of celebrities who follow plant-based diets country singer Carrie Underwood recently announced that she's adopted a vegan diet. Citing her love for animals and the long-term health benefits of cutting out meat as her reasons for going vegetarian the former “American Idol” star is now cutting out animal products all together.

In a recent interview with her in Women’s Health Magazine Carrie speaks candidly about the positive results she's seen in her skin; results that she attributes to her plant-based diet. As a long time acne sufferer Carrie told Women’s Health Magazine:

"I also never knew how much dairy can mess with your skin; my cystic acne really cleared up after I stopped eating it. I’m still learning the ins and outs of what I can and can’t eat but so far I’m loving it. And of course drinking a lot of water helps too."

Have any of you on plant-based diets noticed an improvement in your skin since having removed dairy from your diet? Any other physical changes or improved health worth mentioning? Discuss with us in the comments below... we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

Check back later this afternoon for one more chance to win a copy of Ashley Koff's  book Mom Energy!

Here’s the perfect kid-friendly brunch or breakfast recipe from our Member of the Month Trina Jaconi Biery from your Your Vegan Mom. The best thing about this recipe is that it’s not just for kids… grown-ups will want to devour these handheld goodies too!

Here’s what Trina had to say about it:
The mundane meets the unexpectedly festive in one perfect brunch dish!  I have to thank Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookbook from 1959 for the inspiration for this recipe.  Right there in the Easter spread on page 31 there is a recipe for toast cups with eggs baked inside that leaves me wanting to serve everything in a vessel of oven crisped bread. But for now this scramble will meet your brunch needs.  It's easy and delicious and I could see this becoming a simple savory breakfast on the go staple. 

Makes: 12 appetizer or 6 light main dish servings
Takes: 30 minutes 20 active

Ingredients:
    12 slices soft whole wheat bread crusts removed
    4 tablespoons Earth Balance® Buttery Spread divided
    1 spring onion with the tops finely chopped or 3 green onions
    2 smallish carrots shredded
    1 medium zucchini shredded
    1 19-ounce package medium-firm tofu I mostly use the pink one from Trader Joe's for scrambling.
    1/4 cup tofu seasoning blend recipe below
    1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:
To make the toast cups:
Heat the oven to 325.  Lightly spread the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread on your bread squares and gently smoosh into the cups of a muffin tin.  If your bread is too stiff - you'll know when it doesn't smoosh nicely - cover a stack of buttered slices and stick them in the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds or until soft working in 2 or 3 batches Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown - they will crisp up more as they cool.

To make the scramble:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt 2 tablespoons of the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread.  Add the white parts of the onion and the carrot.  Cook for about 2 minutes until soft and fragrant.  Stir in the zucchini.  Season with a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.  Add the green parts of the onion and cook just until wilted and smelling delicious.  Crumble the tofu into the pan.  Add the seasoning mix and a bit of dill.  Smash the seasoning into the tofu and vegetables cooking and stirring.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary.  If your tofu is very wet let most of the liquid cook off.  Otherwise you're done with this part.

To assemble: Place a dollop of scramble in each toast cup and serve.

Toast cups and scramble can both be made a day ahead.  Reheat the scramble and proceed.

Basic Tofu Seasoning Blend
Ingredients: makes about 2 cups
    2 cups nutritional yeast
    1 teaspoon paprika
    1 teaspoon onion powder
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 teaspoons salt
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Place all ingredients in a jar.  Shake.  Use as needed.

Delicious!

What's your favorite breakfast or brunch dish? Let us know in the comments and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

The lucky winner from the month of April is Trina Jaconi Biery… congratulations Trina and thanks for being a part of our community! We really appreciate the delicious recipes you have contributed to Made Just Right™!

Trina is the mastermomma behind the blog Your Vegan Mom. We interviewed her about her experiences as a plant-based mom raising vegan kids and we came away with some great info and helpful tips as well...

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How long have you been on a plant-based vegan diet?
About 15 years.

What are your main reasons for being vegan?
The whole shebang - health environment kindness.  There is more than one mindful way to eat but a plant-based diet is what works for our family.  I was vegetarian for a long time before I became vegan for the usual teenage girl reasons about cute animals but then my burger-swilling dude decided to try veganism after listening to a radio program.  I sort of peer-pressure tried it too and it stuck.  I felt so much better.  It's so easy to rely on cheese as your main protein source as a vegetarian young adult.  I lived on pizza and quesadillas and diner grilled cheese sandwiches.  So figuring out what to eat meant learning about nutrition and really getting busy in the kitchen.  Inverting the stereotype I was actually anemic before I became vegan.

Have you encountered any difficulties in raising your kids as vegans?
I have been surprised at how often it's not hard.  Because we've moved around a bit we're on our third pediatrician and every single one has been completely supportive.  When I get questions they're mostly in the honest curiosity vein as opposed to the befuddled horror vein.  I know that we're lucky because we live in Southern California and mostly hang around with open minded sorts but people really seem more and more interested in eating this way at least part time.  Also people are nice to us because I make a point of always packing awesome snacks to share!  

Do you have any tips to share for other moms out there looking to raise their children vegan?
Always have cupcakes in the freezer.  It is always some kid's birthday and it's way better to slyly whip a cupcake out of your purse than explain to a well-meaning parent in front of your cake-deprived kid why we don't eat eggs and dairy.

Also supplement with smoothies.  You can pack a lot of food into a blender that an active five-year-old will happily suck down with a straw.  But get that same kid to sit still and carefully chew that same quantity of fruit and seeds and Swiss chard?  Totally not going to happen.  Again it's a supplement - obviously sitting down to non-blended meals together is important too! 

What's your favorite mid-week meal to prepare for your family when time is limited?
We call it mid-week pasta.  While your water is boiling you finely chop whatever greens you have in the fridge I use the food processor so that the two-year-old won't pick them out. and some garlic and/or onions Last week we used a couple spring onions - green and white parts went in the processor with the greens..  In a large skillet you sauté the vegetables in some olive oil or Earth Balance.  When the pasta is just about ready you add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup nutritional yeast a big dollop of miso and a heaping spoonful of almond butter.  Add the pasta and about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan and swirl it all around.  The mingling of the nut butter and the pasta water and the miso and the nutritional yeast will make a creamy insta-sauce that just beautifully coats the pasta.  Taste for salt.  And maybe squeeze some lemon over the whole thing.  Or serve with wedges of lemon - I find giving kids something simple to do at the table as squeeze a wedge of lemon over their bowl of pasta can really make them more into it.  But this is generally a meal that they're into regardless. 

Thanks so much for asking!  You know I started writing my blog five years ago this Mother's Day! because I love talking about this.  I am evangelical about good food.  Cook it! 

---
Thanks so much for sharing with us Trina! Don't forget to visit Trina's blog for her recipes mom tips and more: www.yourveganmom.com

Do any of you have tips that other parents raising kids on a plant-based diet might find helpful? Share with us in the comments below and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

We're also still giving away copies of Ashley Koff's book Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged so don't miss your chance to enter to win below the video.

There's nothing better than sharing the joy of cooking with family!

For a chance to win a copy of Mom Energy answer the following question in the comments below: Have you picked up any cooking or kitchen tricks from your mother or grandmother? Share them with us in the comments below and we'll pick one of you to win a copy of Ashley Koff's book.

You have until May 13th to enter; winners will be announced next week. Good luck!

Shitake mushroom photo by Jariceiii

We hear a lot about "superfoods" these days but what exactly is a superfood? A superfood is one that provides a huge amount of nutritional benefits while having no negative side effects. The Oxford English Dictionary defines superfoods as “food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being”.

The Ecorazzi blog recently released their own list of the top vegan superfoods. They include:

Goji Berries
Quinoa
Amaranth
Sweet Potatoes   
Pomegranate   
Mangosteen
Mustard Greens
Swiss Chard
Turmeric
Kiwi   
Mushrooms   
Chia Seeds   
Flax seeds
Dark Chocolate   
Cacao

Do you include any of these superfoods in your diet? Have you noticed any significant changes or benefits from eating them? What other superfoods would you include in the list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance® in our Everyday Giveaway!

Photo courtesy of Certified Su

Today we are sharing a recipe by Ashley Koff dietitian and author of Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged. We're giving away copies of her book all this week! Enter to win by answering the question at the bottom of this post!

Ingredients: makes 2 servings
2 Tbsp favorite Earth Balance® nut butter Natural Peanut or Almond Butter
2 Tbsp chia seeds
15-20 ounces purified water Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk or your favorite unsweetened nut /seed milk
2 cups frozen fruit like organic strawberries
2 scoops rice or hemp protein powder Plant Fusion Sun Warrior Manitoba Harvest

Directions:
Add liquid water/milk to blender first next add chia seeds protein powder and nut butter. Blend until creamy. Add frozen fruit. Blend to desired consistency. Pour into two mugs.

Optional prep: the night before or minimum 10 minutes before making the smoothie pour water or nut / seed milk into the blender base and toss in chia seeds. Stir and let sit.

Optional faster fix: replace items with 1 bottle Mama Chia and 8 ounces of purified water

For more information about Ashley Koff RD her book and her other projects visit her website at: http://www.ashleykoffrd.com

To enter to win a copy of Mom Energy answer the following question in the comments below: What natural plant-based foods do you like to eat to maintain your energy?

You have until May 13th to enter; winners will be announced next week. Good luck!

Mother's Day is this coming Sunday so we've brought one of our mom experts on board for the week Ashley Koff. We'll be featuring some of Ashley's expert tips as well as recipes to help moms and anyone really! to protect their energy. You may remember Ashley from our interview with her last year on Making Wise Food Choices as well as from our giveaway of her book Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged. We are pleased to have her back with us to share more of her helpful info as well as for another round of book giveaways! We'll be giving away copies of Mom Energy all this week so be sure to stick around for your opportunity to win... including your first chance at the bottom of this post! But first a bit about Ashley...

Ashley Koff is an internationally-renowned registered dietician who is on a mission to help people get healthy by bringing quality eating into every home. With television appearances print and online contributions Koff’s goal is to educate the public on “Qualitarianism”; the philosophy founded on choosing to eat the highest quality food available. By choosing organic over non-organic non-GMO over GMO preservative and artificial ingredient-free foods and beverages the body gets what fuels it optimally while avoiding what can harm it. Committed to helping consumers healthcare practitioners and the media Koff has traveled the world identifying products that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and created The Ashley Koff Approved AKA Lists a tool to help people identify products that meet a high standard of nutrition and marketing integrity.

Named among the Top 10 Registered Dieticians in the US by Today’s Dietician Magazine and Best of LA’s “Nutritionist/Dieticians” by CitySearch three years running Koff appears regularly on national television programs and is the lead expert for the Huffington Post Living’s ‘Total Energy Makeover’ with Ashley Koff RD.  Koff is also frequently featured in national publications and is a contributing editor for Natural Health Magazine the dietician for espnW and presently sits on the advisory board of Fitness Magazine.  She maintains a private practice regularly lectures is a spokesperson for several national brands and has been a nutrition consultant on the sets of many TV shows.

Koff was educated at both Duke and New York Universities and trained at LAUSC and Columbus Children’s hospitals. She was a dietician at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she continues to serve as a frequent guest lecturer.  She also lectures at prestigious universities across the country.

For more information about Ashley Koff RD her book and her other projects visit her website at: http://www.ashleykoffrd.com

For your first chance to win a copy of Mom Energy answer the following question in the comments below: What is your top tip is for making wise food choices?

You have until May 13th to enter; winners will be announced next week. Good luck!

We'd like to send out a huge THANK YOU to all who entered their recipes in the Spring to Life contest! The contest has now closed and the exciting task of judging has begun. Who will win? Stay tuned as we will be revealing the winners all next week!
 
Since today is Meatless Monday we thought we'd highlight some of the delicious plant-based meals that have been submitted by Made Just Right™ members to our Recipe Gallery. This week take a look at:
 
Creamy Pesto Pasta by Jennifer Lord
Vegetarian Lasagna by Hidemi Walsh
Nut Loaf by Beverley Robb
Amazing Stuffed Peppers by Dani Bryant
 
Speaking of our members Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day to our registered users. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The Everyday Giveaway winners from last week are:
Ruby Smith
DJBWA
lisa hochstetler
Nicole Moskites
Wolverine
 
Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.
 
Are you doing or eating! anything special for Meatless Monday? Let us know in the comments below and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!
 
Check back later today and all this week for our special content leading up to Mother's Day. We'll be giving away copies of Ashley Koff's book Mom Energy all this week! Stay tuned!

One more Spring to Life Recipe Contest reminder! The contest ends this weekend so you have until this Sunday night May 6th to submit your  recipes for a chance to win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending cash a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!

You can submit as many recipes as you want and we're even giving a year's supply of Earth Balance® to the person who submits the most recipes! We'll do the same for the person with the best photo as well as the most creative recipe.

You can find more information about the entire contest here and if you need help we've got a forum thread set up where you can ask questions as well. If you still need assistance use the "Help" link at the bottom of this page to email our tech support team.

All of the recipes we've received so far look great – we can’t wait to see more! Good luck everyone!

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow so we turned to our most trusted traveler and global cuisine expert Carolyn Scott-Hamilton aka The Healthy Voyager for an appropriate dessert with which to celebrate the occasion. She came through with a fabulous veganized flan recipe that’s got us joyously shouting out "Olé”!   

Here’s what Carolyn had to say about her flan:
"Think of this as a Latin cheesecake of sorts. A custardy caramely crust free Latin cheesecake! If you’re looking to satisfy a sweet tooth flan may just be your best friend.”

Ingredients: Makes 6 to 8 servings
For the glaze:
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
Pinch of cinnamon ginger or nutmeg depending on your taste
1/4 cup water
For the custard:
2 cups Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk or plain soy creamer for a thicker custard
2 teaspoon agar agar powder or flakes
1/2 cup silken tofu pressed and drained about 4 to 6 ounces
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:
To make the glaze: Place the sugar spice of choice and water in a small pot over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and bring to a rapid boil. Lower heat simmer and cook until sauce becomes thick caramel like and coats back of spoon. Pour into the bottom of 8-inch cake pan.
 
To make the custard: While glaze is cooking place the Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk or soy creamer in a medium pot and stir in the agar agar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low for about 5 minutes or until the agar agar has dissolved stirring often. If using flakes it may take a bit longer so be patient.
 
Put the tofu cream cheese sugar vanilla salt and the soy milk/agar mixture in a blender and blend until very smooth. Be mindful of blending hot liquid as it can spill out and burn you if you overfill the blender.  Place a kitchen towel over the lid and press down with your hand to keep it secure. A hand or stick blender may be good for this if you have one.
 
Pour mix into cake pan on top of the syrup cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours. To remove slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake pan and lightly shake side to side. If the flan doesn't loosen dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for about 15 seconds then turn over onto a plate so the glaze at the bottom of the pan is now the top of the cake!
 
Cook’s Note:
Make individual flans in a muffin/cupcake tin. Same instructions as filling the cake pan just 6 smaller times over.

Be sure to visit The Healthy Voyager website for many more of Carolyn's globally inspired recipes and tips: http://healthyvoyager.com

Have you ever tried flan before? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win FREE Earth Balance® in today’s Everyday Giveaway!

Our brave zombie fighter is back in action... in the kitchen!  This time The Vegan Zombie takes on making vegan brownies a skill that will certainly come in handy if zombies ever decide to make an appearance!

Our favorite quote from the video:
"I have a reason to believe that hydrogenated oils are the leading cause of the zombie apocalypse so I really like to stay away from those... that's why I use the Earth Balance® shortening!"

Check out the video below and then you too will be able to list “vegan brownies” as part of your survival skill set!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrAC9lejszc

You can follow The Vegan Zombie at:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZombieGate
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theveganzombie
Facebook: http://facebook.com/zombiegate
Website: http://theveganzombie.com

Do you like cooking along with cooking videos or do you prefer to use cookbooks? Or both? Let us know your preferred cooking style in the comments below for a chance to win today’s FREE Earth Balance® coupons in our Everyday Giveaway!

One of our favorite vegan chefs Chloe Coscarelli will be featured in an upcoming live video broadcast on May 7th at 2pm. People can submit questions to Chloe using the Twitter hashtag chatSS. She'll answer some pre-submitted questions in the beginning and then address some live submissions during the course of broadcast. This is your chance to ask a successful vegan chef some of your pressing questions! Tune in to the live broadcast on the day of at: http://www.ustream.tv/simonandschuster

We'll let you in on a little secret as well... in the upcoming week's we'll be featuring some of Chloe's recipes here on Made Just Right™ along with a giveaway of her book Chloe's Kitchen. Stay tuned for that coming your way soon!

In the meantime you can find out more about Chef Chloe at her website:
http://chefchloe.com

You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

To inspire you to create your own desserts for our Spring to Life Contest here is one of last year’s winning submissions from Nikki Haney aka The Tolerant Vegan. Her vegan Apricot Lemon Cupcakes have dried apricots baked into zesty lemon cupcakes. Nikki uses applesauce and vegan yogurt to keep the cupcakes nice & moist and the apricots add sweet chewy goodness -- and Vitamin A! This is a simple recipe with beautiful results! Will your treats be one of the winning entries this year?

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup vegan white sugar
6 cups vegan confectioner's sugar
1 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread softened
4 ounces unsweetened apple sauce
4 ounces dairy-free lemon yogurt
4 tsp. grated lemon zest
9 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 cup dried apricots finely chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 35F.

2. To make the cupcakes whisk together the all-purpose flour baking powder and salt in a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the refined sugar 1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread apple sauce yogurt 2 tsp grated lemon zest 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon extract.

4. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low-medium speed.

5. Add in the apricots and stir by hand until they are evenly distributed in the batter.

6. Pour the batter into a cupcake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly.

7. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before topping them with frosting.

8. For the frosting: combine the confectioners' sugar 2 tsp grated lemon zest 6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread in a large bowl and mix on low-medium speed for 1 minute. Try a bite and if you want the frosting to be even more sour add in more lemon juice one tablespoon at a time.

9. Top your cupcakes and eat!

What is your favorite kind of cupcake? Do you have a favorite frosting or any special ingredients you add? Let us know and you can win a coupon for FREE Earth Balance in our Everyday Giveaway!

There’s only a few days left to enter your dessert masterpieces in our Spring to Life Contest for a chance to win a trip for 2 to San Francisco 1000 in spending money and much more! You can find all the details and how to enter at: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

The Dessert Category in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest ends this Sunday May 6th. Don’t forget to upload your recipes! You can find all the Contest info & rules here: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest
 
We’re picking 8 winners who will win a year’s supply of Earth Balance® and 1 grand prize winner to win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!
 
Here are some helpful instructions and tips:
You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ in your Made Just Right™ profile and clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’ and follow the prompts.
 
Don't forget to hit 'Submit' after you've entered your recipe and photo! You cannot edit your recipe after you hit submit so make sure your recipe looks exactly the way you want it and that your picture has been attached before you submit it.

Here are instructions for uploading a photo with your recipe:
Photos are required so make sure you've taken one of your dish before submitting your recipe.
 
1. First you need to connect your Flickr account to your Made Just Right™ profile. If you don't already have a Flickr account you can set one up for free at www.flickr.com
2. Log onto Made Just Right™ go to your profile and click ‘Edit my profile’.
3. Choose the option ‘External Accounts’ in the right-hand column.
4. Follow the connection steps to connect your Flickr account.

How do I submit a photograph with my recipe?
1. Click ‘Add a Photo or Video’ at the top of the Recipe form and an ‘Add a Photo’ window will pop up.
 
2. Select a photo that’s already in your Flickr account from the ‘Flickr’ tab you must have a Flickr account to do this or upload a file from your computer and it will automatically upload to your Flickr account.
 
3. Click ‘Add Media’ in the bottom-right corner of the pop up window.

If you have trouble using the method above to add photos:
We now have an alternative way to add photos. For more info visit:
http://www.madejustright.com/post/spring-to-life-recipe-contest-update

Good luck everyone!

We'd like to apologize to those of you who are unable to upload photos with your recipe submissions. We are working around the clock to resolve this issue but in the meantime we've updated our rules. If you are unable to upload photos with your recipe please upload the photos directly to your profile instead; your recipe submissions will still be qualified once you add the photos to your profile page.

Below are instructions for how to add your photos to your profile. Of course we love to see your beautiful creations in the recipe gallery so if you are still able to attach your photos please continue to do so. Here are some helpful hints: http://www.madejustright.com/faq

If you have tried the regular method for adding photos but the Flickr uploader isn't working for you here is an optional method for submitting your photos:

1. Add your recipe then save and submit it like usual.

2. Go to "My Profile" –the link is at top right of the page.

3. From the profile menu click on “Photos”

4. Click "Upload Photos" on the right side of the page.

5. Look on the right where it says "Or create a new photo album". Directly underneath in "Album Name" enter the title "Spring to Life Recipe Contest 2012". You can add a description below or just leave the description box empty. You have now created a Spring to Life album to add your photos to. If you are adding more than one photo the next time you can upload directly to this new album that you’ve now created

6. On the next page that comes up click on "Select File". Locate the photo on your computer then click "Upload File".

7. Once your photo has been uploaded find its page and click "Edit Caption" below the photo. Put the name of your recipe into the caption field and save it. We will now be able to match your recipe up to your photo.

If at any time you need help you can either post in our Spring To Life Contest Forum or contact our tech support team with specific issues by clicking on the "Help" link at the bottom of this page to send an email... one of our representatives will get back to you as soon as possible.

We appreciate your patience while work to resolve this issue and apologize for any frustration it may have caused. Please keep in mind that our Spring to Life Contest closes this Sunday May 6th. It's not too late to enter good luck to all!

Today we’re happy to share another guest post from Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free. Perfect timing for you gluten-free bakers out there getting ready to submit your own recipes to our Spring to Life Contest! Don’t forget the final date to enter your recipes is this coming Sunday night May 6th!

Take it away Jules!
"Most of my recipes requiring flour use my Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour as the only flour click here for a list of locations to purchase to avoid the expense and frustration of having to find buy and store multiple gluten-free flours for different recipes. Every so often though a recipe comes along that requires something my flour doesn’t have – grit. Recipes like graham crackers and pecan sandies are supposed to be gritty so we have to resort to adding gritty rice flour to create that classic taste. You can certainly make this recipe without running to the store to get rice flour just use an equal amount of my All Purpose Flour but expect a smoother tasting cookie."

Ingredients: makes 2 dozen cookies
    3/4 cups Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks room temperature
    1/2 cup brown sugar packed
    1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
    2 Tbs. non-dairy vanilla yogurt e.g. So Delicious® Coconut or Soy Yogurt
    1 large egg substitute e.g. Ener-G® gluten-free Egg Replacer prepared
    3/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour
    1/4 cup white rice flour or Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour for smoother texture
    1 cup pecans finely chopped leave some pieces larger for texture

Directions:
Cream the Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla non-dairy yogurt and egg replacer beating until light and thoroughly mixed. Finally mix in the flours and chopped pecans.

Refrigerate the dough until cold at least 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F static or 325 F convection.

Scoop tablespoons of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet flattening the balls of dough slightly. The final product will look very much coming out of the oven like it did going in so make it pretty!

Bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked through and slightly browned baking longer makes crispier cookies. Cool for 5 minutes slightly before removing from baking sheet.

This recipe and over 149 more also available in my new cookbook Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy!

Thanks so much for the delicious recipe Jules!

How many of you out there are gluten-free cooks or bakers? Let us know in the comments whether or not you cook or eat gluten-free. We’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®!

How to use Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks instead of butter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grnjax06l7o&feature=youtu.be

How to use Earth Balance® Coconut Spread instead of butter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KokZWuecYmc&feature=youtu.be

How to use Earth Balance® Shortening Sticks instead of traditional shortening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K794sQC0M2w&feature=youtu.be

You can find many more baking tips and gluten free recipes at Jules' blog: http://blog.julesglutenfree.com

Share your own dairy & egg free baking substitutions & tips with us in the comments below! We'll pick one of you win today's Everyday Giveway for FREE Earth Balance®!

Today we are bringing you another winning recipe from last year’s Spring to Life Recipe Contest. As you can see all kinds of recipes have the potential to win even a dessert like this one from Kaylee of Rockton Illinois which requires no baking. Find out how to enter your own recipes into this year’s competition by visiting: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

Kaylee’s Decadent Date and Pecan Brownies are vegan unbaked gluten-free and probably the healthiest tastiest brownie recipe we’ve seen in quite a while! They are simple to make and will satisfy just about any chocolate craving.

Kaylee says of her recipe:
"This is for serious chocolate lovers: I love brownies but often times they are either too sugary or not chocolaty enough for me. This recipe is intensely rich with chocolate without over-doing the sweetness. What's more important this recipe is made of a base of nuts and dates -a welcome break from flour and sugar laden desserts. Enjoy this dessert made of nothing but good-for-you natural and whole ingredients!"

Ingredients:
2 cups raw pecans
2 cups chopped and pitted Medjool dates
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk
1/2 cup heaping cocoa powder
3 tbsp. coconut oil melted
1 pinch sea salt
1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Natural Peanut butter or Natural Almond Butter according to preference

Directions: 
1. Place pecans in a food processor and pulse until broken up. Then add dates and pulse about 10 times.

2. Add in cocoa powder agave and salt and process until crumbly and fully incorporated.

3. Press into a 9x9 inch pan firmly and place in fridge.

4. Place the maple syrup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk and cocoa powder into a blender and process until mixed. Add in the sea salt the coconut oil and the Earth Balance® nut butter and process again.

5. Pour the "glaze" from the blender over the brownies smoothing with a spatula. Place in refrigerator to set.

6. Once set cut into 9 squares. Cut each square into triangles. Serve!

Are you a chocolate lover like Kaylee? Share with us what your all-time favorite chocolate treat is for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

The dessert portion of the Spring to Life Recipe Contest has begun! Share your original vegan dessert recipes for a chance to win exciting prizes! You have until this Sunday night May 6th to submit your recipes before the judging begins!

Weekly Prizes:
Made Just Right™ will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
A copy of Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin
One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

Grand Prize:
In addition to the prizes above Made Just Right™ will select one lucky participant to also win:
Roundtrip airfare for 2 to San Francisco
A 2-night stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel
1000 in spending money
5 course dinner at Millennium restaurant

Special Prizes:
More opportunities to win! Made Just Right™ will also select 3 contestants from all submissions to win in the following categories:
-Best Photo
-Most Recipes Submitted
-Most Creative Recipe
Special Prize Winners will receive: A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.

You can submit as many recipes as you like from now through May 6th!

For contest details and how to enter CLICK HERE. For complete contest rules visit SPRING TO LIFE CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe or photos visit the MADE JUST RIGHT FAQ. If you have questions or need help you can post in our SPRING TO LIFE FORUM for assistance.

To get started visit your Made Just Right™ profile page. You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ and then clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’. Don't forget to upload your photos as well!

Good luck everyone!

And while we're on the topic of winning below are the winners of our Everyday Giveaway from last week. Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The Everyday Giveaway winners are:
Daphne White
Nicole Moskites
M.E.0Y6
JMyers666
Erica Leadford

Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.

Tell us what your all-time favorite dessert is and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway… leave your reply below and you might see your name up here as a FREE Earth Balance® winner next week!

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We couldn’t resist sharing one more excellent entrée from our latest Member of the Month Allison Rivers Samson. She created this recipe for her "Veganize It!" column in VegNews Magazine. Better than traditional shepherd's pie this version is deeply comforting and deliciously rich with herbs veggies and savory gravy. It's the perfect centerpiece for any meal.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups yellow potatoes diced cooked and mashed
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk unsweetened
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons barley flour
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked French lentils drained well
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons tamari
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine mashed potatoes with Earth Balance® Buttery Spread 1 teaspoon salt and Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat add oil and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms carrots and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir until absorbed. Stir in marjoram celery seed thyme paprika remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute and then stir in broth. Continue to stir frequently until the mixture comes to a slow boil. Stir in lentils parsley Worcestershire tamari and peas then remove from heat.

Transfer mixture to a deep pie dish or a 9 x 13-inch casserole. Spread the reserved mashed potatoes on top of the vegetable mixture in the dish. Use the tips of a fork to rake across the top of the mashed potatoes making a rough surface to facilitate a brown crispy top. Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are browned. Serve hot.

Voilà! This pie is so delicious it will be gone in no time. If you have a big family or are feeding a crowd Allison recommends cooking up a double batch!

For more details and photos visit Allison’s blog at:
http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2011/03/07/monday-yumday-shepherds-pie

And don’t forget this Sunday April 29th is your last chance to submit your own entrées into our Spring to Life Recipe Contest! Don’t miss out on your chance to win a trip for 2 to San Francisco with an eco-friendly hotel stay and 1000 spending money in your pocket! Find all the details and get started on your way to winning at: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

What would you do with it if you won 1000 to spend as you please? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®! It’s not a thousand bucks but it’s almost as good!

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As the deadline for entree week in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest draws near we thought we'd compile the best cooking tips from our archives for some last minute inspiration. We've gathered a number of resources together based on our own research as well as from suggestions by the helpful Made Just Right™ community and put together the following list with info that well help get you well on your way to putting together your perfect main course dishes.

Let these useful links be a guide and stepping stone for your own creations! Don't forget to submit your own entree recipes into the contest by this coming Sunday night April 29th for a chance to win a trip for 2 to San Francisco with a stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel 1000 in spending money a 5-course dinner at Millennium restaurant and more! Click here for details and to enter...

Top 10 Cooking Tips:

Vegetables Roasted to Perfection
Casserole Cooking Tips
Tips for the Stovetop – Searing
Tips for the Stovetop – Frying and Sautéing
Frying Frenzy
All About Moist-Heat Cooking
Get Fired Up For The Meatless Grill
How to Reduce a Sauce
Make the Perfect Cut
Cooking Beyond the Stove Top

Share some of your own best cooking tips with us in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

Here’s another delicious entrée from our latest Member of the Month Allison Rivers Samson. She created this recipe for her "Veganize It!" column in VegNews Magazine. Unlike most vegan mac 'n cheese recipes this one is free of nutritional yeast and can even be made soy-free if using soy-free Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and gluten-free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon sea salt
8 ounces macaroni
4 slices of bread torn into large pieces
2 tablespoons 1/3 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
2 tablespoons shallots peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
In a large pot bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a food processor make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons Earth Balance® Buttery Spread to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan add shallots potatoes carrots onion and water and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.

In a blender process the cashews salt garlic 1/3 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread mustard lemon juice black pepper and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.

In a large bowl toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.

Yum! This dish would be the perfect thing to bring to a potluck or dinner party. We hope you’ll give it a try! For more details and photos visit Allison’s blog post at: http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2010/09/13/monday-yumday-mac-n-cheese

What’s your favorite veganized comfort food? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and one of you will be picked to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

The Entrée Category in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest ends this Sunday April 29th Desserts portion of the contest starts next week. Don’t forget to upload your recipes! You can find all the Contest info & rules here: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest
 
Remember you can upload as many recipes as you want in as many categories as you want. We’re picking 8 winners who will win a year’s supply of Earth Balance® and 1 grand prize winner to win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!
 
Here are some helpful instructions and tips:
You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ in your Made Just Right™ profile and clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’ and follow the prompts.
 
Don't forget to hit 'Submit' after you've entered your recipe and photo! You cannot edit your recipe after you hit submit so make sure your recipe looks exactly the way you want it and that your picture has been attached before you submit it.

Here are instructions for uploading a photo with your recipe:
Photos are required so make sure you've taken one of your dish before submitting your recipe.
 
1. First you need to connect your Flickr account to your Made Just Right™ profile. If you don't already have a Flickr account you can set one up for free at www.flickr.com
2. Log onto Made Just Right™ go to your profile and click ‘Edit my profile’.
3. Choose the option ‘External Accounts’ in the right-hand column.
4. Follow the connection steps to connect your Flickr account.

How do I submit a photograph with my recipe?
1. Click ‘Add a Photo or Video’ at the top of the Recipe form and an ‘Add a Photo’ window will pop up.
 
2. Select a photo that’s already in your Flickr account from the ‘Flickr’ tab you must have a Flickr account to do this or upload a file from your computer and it will automatically upload to your Flickr account.
 
3. Click ‘Add Media’ in the bottom-right corner of the pop up window.

Good luck everyone!

We’ve got a delectable entrée to share from our latest Member of the Month Allison Rivers Samson. She created this recipe for her "Veganize It!" column in VegNews Magazine. It's full of deep smoky flavors and is perfect for dinner anytime as well as being great for leftovers. With chunks of onion and rich portabello mushrooms the texture is reminiscent of Mom's meatloaf-- complete with the tomato topping --but deliciously devoid of animal products.

Instructions:
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons tamari divided
1 tablespoon dark agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons garlic minced and divided
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread divided
1 cup onion chopped and divided
1 cup portobello mushrooms diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup celery diced
1/2 cup carrot finely diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked French lentils
1 1/2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley minced
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the tomato paste 2 tablespoons tamari agave liquid smoke and 1 tablespoon garlic. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat add 2 tablespoons Earth Balance® Butter Spread and 1/2 cup onions. Sauté 5 minutes. Add the portabello mushrooms and sauté for 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons Earth Balance® Butter Spread to the skillet and sauté the celery carrot remaining 2 teaspoons garlic salt and pepper over low heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a food processor pulse the rice and lentils 10 times then transfer to a large bowl. In the food processor pulse cooked vegetables Worcestershire sauce remaining tablespoon tamari mustard parsley arrowroot and 1/3 cup of the tomato topping 10 times then add vegetable mixture to rice and lentils. Fold in reserved sautéed onions and mushrooms breadcrumbs and the 1/2 cup chopped onions.

Press half of the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and spread the top with half of the tomato topping. Then press the rest of the mixture into the pan and coat with the remaining tomato topping. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes until top is browned. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before serving.

For more details and photos of this dish visit Allison’s blog at: http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2010/09/27/meatloaf-remixed

What’s your favorite dinner leftovers to turn into lunch? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

Don’t forget to submit your own entrée recipes into our Spring to Life Contest! The Grand Prize winner will win a trip for 2 to San Francisco 1000 spending money and much more! Click here for details and to get started…

The lucky winner from the month of March is Allison Rivers Samson… congratulations Allison and thanks for being a part of our community! We really appreciate all of the delicious recipes you have contributed to Made Just Right™!

About Allison:
Allison Rivers Samson is a creative and respected chef who has crafted delectable high-end vegan food for over fifteen years through her award-winning company Allison’s Gourmet the premiere and most prestigious vegan sweets resource. Additionally she has taught cooking classes and food demonstrations and is wellknown for her acclaimed “Veganize It!” column in VegNews Magazine. In 2011 “Veganize It!” was awarded “Favorite Column” in VegNews Magazine’s popular Veggie Awards reader’s poll.
 
Allison’s Gourmet has been featured in Vegetarian Times The Wall Street Journal The San Francsico Chronicle VegNews Magazine Bust Magazine Kiwi Magazine Condé Nast Traveler Healing Lifestyles & Spas Energy Times Yogi Times The Puget Sound Business Review and countless outlets on the web. 

She lives in Nevada City California with her vegan husband and their daughter also vegan!. Find out more about Allison and her delicious gourmet chocolates at:
http://www.allisonsgourmet.com and http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com

Check back later this afternoon for a delicious recipe from Allison for a remixed vegan meatloaf and more recipes from her later on this week!

We'd love to hear from you out there! Tell us what you enjoy most about visiting this website and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for free Earth Balance®!

The grand prize winner of last year’s Spring to Life Recipe Contest was Deva Mirel with her vegan recipe for Spicy Peanut Tamarind Rice Noodle Salad. It was everything we were looking for in an entrée -- creatively appealing full of delicious healthy vegetables and packed with protein from both tofu and peanut butter. Coconut oil adds a nice sweet twist to it but you could also use sesame peanut or olive oil too. Mmmmm!

About her recipe Deva says:
“Perfect for cooling off on those hot days this main course salad hits sweet spicy and salty notes while keeping it fresh with an assortment of fresh and blanched vegetables. To add an extra dose of whole grains to your day substitute brown rice for rice noodles.”

Ingredients:
1 package of rice noodles or 28 ounces brown rice
1 block of firm tofu cubed
1 cup asparagus tips
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup daikon thinly sliced and cut into half inch strips
1 cup trimmed green beans cut into one inch lengths
1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
2 Kirby cucumbers sliced into thin rounds
1 medium sized fennel bulb thinly sliced
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup Earth Balance® Natural Peanut Butter
2 tbsp. tamarind paste
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sucanat whole cane sugar
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 fresh green chilies
1/2 tsp. course ground black pepper
2 fresh ginger
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tbsp. white sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Marinate daikon with a splash of vinegar separate from the vinegar listed above.

2. Marinate tofu with a splash of soy sauce separate from the soy sauce listed above.

3. Cook rice noodles or brown rice according to package directions. Set in refrigerator to cool.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling add asparagus broccoli and green beans to blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and submerge vegetables in cold water. Drain and refrigerate.

5. Heat a cast iron skillet. When hot add 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Add tofu and pan fry until browned. Remove tofu splash with soy sauce and refrigerate. While skillet still hot toss in sliced fennel. Sauté for a few minutes on high heat until browned but still crisp. Remove from pan and refrigerate.

6. Wilt the spinach by heating in a hot pan with a little water. Refrigerate.

7. To make the dressing combine vinegar sesame oil water sucanat tamarind paste Earth Balance® Natural Peanut Butter chili ginger and black pepper in a glass jar and blend with stick blender.

8. To assemble salad combine all cold ingredients except for spinach. Toss to incorporate dressing.

9. Lay a bed of wilted spinach on the plate. Scoop a serving of salad onto the bed of spinach.

10. Dry roast sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle over salad as garnish. Serve with lime wedge.

Do you ever have salads for dinner? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

Don’t miss out on your chance to be this year’s Spring To Life Recipe Contest grand prize winner! You can submit your entrées into the contest all this week through Sunday and you can begin uploading your dessert recipes starting next week! The winner will get a trip for 2 to San Francisco 1000 in spending money and more! More details and rules at: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale is on all this week!

What Is the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale?
From April 21 through April 29 groups from across the world will hold vegan bake sales. Each participating group gets to choose its venue what to sell and how it uses the proceeds. Everyone is invited to participate! You can hold the bake sale on any day during the period- or on more than one day if you like.

In the first three years of the event participating groups raised over 100000 for a variety of causes. This year perhaps 150 or more bake sales spanning six continents will likely raise another 50000 for their causes.

WHY participate?
-It's a fun way to introduce people to the joy and tastiness of vegan foods.
-Raise money for your cause.
-Be part of an event that will publicize the many benefits of an animal-free diet.

HOW do you participate?
-Plan to hold a vegan bake sale sometime between April 21 and April 29.
-Let the world know by signing up at the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale website.
-Hold the bake sale!

For more information on how to hold your own vegan bake sale or how to find one near you to participate in or shop at visit the official website at: http://www.veganbakesale.org

Are any of you out there planning to attend or participate during Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale week? Let us know your tasty plans below and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance coupons!

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Now that it’s Entrée week in our Spring to Life Contest we’re going to share some recipe inspiration with you. This delicious Italian style entrée by Carly S was one of the winners in the contest last year and you can see from the recipe below why this showstopper of a dish left our judges so impressed.

Impress your own guests or dinner date with these handmade raviolis stuffed with baby spinach hazelnuts shallots & garlic served with creamy basil infused cream sauce and a crispy gremolata of chanterelle mushrooms fresh parsley and breadcrumbs. Garnish with fresh basil and toasted hazelnuts for the perfect gourmet finish.

Ingredients:
For ravioli:
    2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    1 shallot minced
    3 garlic cloves minced
    5 ounces baby spinach
    1 tsp. sea salt
    1/2 tsp. black pepper
    1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
    1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
    1/4 cup vegan mozzarella like Daiya
    4 tbsp. chopped toasted hazelnuts divided
    4 large basil leaves chiffonade
    30 vegan wonton wrappers
For the cream sauce:
    2 cups Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk Unsweetened
    1/2 cup packed basil leaves whole
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    3 tbsp. All Purpose flour
    1/2 tsp. sea salt
    1/4 tsp. black pepper
For the chanterelles:
    1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 cup chopped chanterelles
    1/4 tsp. sea salt
    1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
    2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
For the basil infused oil:
    1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
    1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 pinch red pepper flakes
    Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
First assemble the ravioli:
In a sauté pan heat the oil and shallots over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add garlic and toast 1 minute. Add 5 oz. spinach and toss to cook down. Season with salt pepper and nutmeg. Cook until spinach has completely cooked down then remove from heat.

Combine the spinach mixture with 1/4 cup panko vegan cheese and 3 tbl. hazelnuts and combine.

Lay 15 wonton wrappers down moisten the edges with water and spoon mixture in the center. Top with another wrapper and moisten again to secure seal. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook ravioli in batches 3 minutes each or until the pasta is cooked through. Garnish with remaining 1 tbl. hazelnuts and chopped fresh basil.

To make basil cream sauce:
Bring the Soy Milk just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup basil leaves and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes then remove and discard basil leaves. In a small bowl melt the 2 tbsp. of Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and whisk in flour to a paste. Bring the Soy Milk back to a simmer and add the roux. Whisk until smooth and thick season with salt and pepper.

Chanterelle Gremolata:
In a large sauté pan melt the 1 tbsp. of Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and oil. Add the chanterelles and sauté over medium high heat until the edges are crisp and brown 5-7 minutes. Add the salt and breadcrumbs and cook until the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings.

For the basil-infused oil:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small blender and puree until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Top the ravioli with basil cream sauce gremolata and basil oil for a lovely presentation!

Now it’s time to bring out your own best vegan entrees recipes snap some appetizing photos and then enter them in our Spring to Life Contest! You could win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending cash and more! Entrées being accepting from now through this Sunday April 29th so don’t miss your chance to win! Click here for all the details...

What’s the fanciest dish you’ve ever cooked? Tell us about in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win FREE Earth Balance coupons!

The Entrée portion of the Spring to Life Recipe Contest has begun! Share your original vegan entrée recipes for a chance to win exciting prizes!

From today through April 29th we are accepting your Entrée recipes!
The Dessert portion of the contest starts next week!

Weekly Prizes:
Made Just Right™ will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
A copy of Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin
One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

Grand Prize:
In addition to the prizes above Made Just Right™ will select one lucky participant to also win:
Roundtrip airfare for 2 to San Francisco
A 2-night stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel
1000 in spending money
5 course dinner at Millennium

Special Prizes:
More opportunities to win! Made Just Right™ will also select 3 contestants from all submissions to win in the following categories:
-Best Photo
-Most Recipes Submitted
-Most Creative Recipe
Special Prize Winners will receive: A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.

You can submit as many recipes as you like from now through May 6th in the following categories and time slots:

April 23rd - April 29th: Entrées
April 30th - May 6th: Desserts

For contest details and how to enter CLICK HERE. For complete contest rules visit SPRING TO LIFE CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe or photos visit the MADE JUST RIGHT FAQ. If you have questions or need help you can post in our SPRING TO LIFE FORUM for assistance.

To get started visit your Made Just Right™ profile page. You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ and then clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’. Don't forget to upload your photos as well recipes submitted without photos will not be eligible.

Good luck everyone!

And while we're on the topic of winning below are the winners of our Everyday Giveaway for the last two weeks Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The Everyday Giveaway winners are:
Marian Hale
melissa a
Terri Cole
Breezy Beckler
Jessica Watson
Trina Jaconi Biery
Paul Aubert
Terree Cloth
T. Nimmer
Andrew Berardy

Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.

Tell us what your all-time favorite main entrée is and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway… leave your reply below and you might see your name up here as a FREE Earth Balance® winner next week!

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This vegan take on a boozy classic is sure to take your cocktail hour to the next level! You can also substitute with chocolate Soy Milk for an even richer and more flavorful mix. Drink responsibly and don’t forget to share!

Ingredients:
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. coffee liqueur Kahlua is vegan!
1 1/2 oz. Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk regular vanilla or chocolate

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and mix well. Serve on the rocks.

Do you have any favorite veganized cocktail recipes to share? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®! If you’ve got a picture to go with your recipe be sure to enter it in our Spring to Life Recipe contest now accepting Beverages all this week!

Earth Day is this weekend so we thought we’d discuss a little bit about the benefits to the planet when more people go vegetarian & vegan. It’s true giving up meat and dairy is not only good for you but also for the planet for a variety of reasons.

Factory farms used up a huge amount of water and fossil fuels. Fewer factory farms working to produce meat & dairy ultimately results in reduced water consumption and a reduction of the need for fossil fuels.

Furthermore emissions from animal agriculture contribute to more greenhouse gases than all the trucks and cars on the planet combined according to a study conducted by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The main source of greenhouse gases produced in animal farming is livestock manure which is rich in both methane and nitrous oxide – two highly potent greenhouse gases. The Vegetarian Society estimates that livestock produces 37 percent of the total methane and 65 percent of the total nitrous oxide generated by human activity. If you’re looking to cut the carbon footprint your dinner plate is one of the best places to start.

For more reasons why vegetarianism is good for the planet check out this article over at: Earth911.com

On that note Earth Balance® will be present at both the upcoming NYC & Chicago Green Festival’s. Here’s a list of the dates and featured speakers that will be appearing:

NYC April 21st
1. Marisa Miller Wolfson
2. Bart Potenza Candle 79
3. Jeffrey Smith
4. Victoria Moran
5. Tara Stiles
6. Alex Jamieson
 
Chicago May 5th
1. Marla Rose Chicago VeganMania
2. Karyn Calabrese
3. Eric Sharer RD
4. Jeffrey Smith
5. MK Seipke Harpo

We hope to see you there!

Are you taking part in any Earth Day events or festivities this year? Tell us about it in the comments for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

Today we’re sharing a ridiculously easy-to-make Pumpkin Pie Milk Shake that’s just bursting with comforting flavors. Brought to us by the ever-inventive Trina from Your Vegan Mom she’s put her usual creative spin the simple concept of a milk shake making it not only vegan but also 100 delicious.

You’ll want to plan ahead for this one as it does involve a bit of soaking and freezing though once you’ve got everything prepared the shake will come together in minutes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
Enough Earth Balance® Soy Milk to cover the pecans and make 1 1/2 cups soak overnight
1 cup pumpkin puree frozen in ice cube trays
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons black strap molasses
A pinch of salt
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve.

Easy! This recipe will make 3 cups of shake which is about 2 large servings or 3 to 4 smaller ones. It really is so tasty plan ahead for serving seconds!

And now for the Everyday Giveaway: leave a comment letting us know what your favorite flavor of milk shake is and we’ll pick one of you to receive coupons for free Earth Balance® products!

The Spring To Life contest is now accepting your drink recipes all this week! You could win 1000 a trip for 2 to San Francisco with a stay in an eco-friendly hotel and more! Click here for more info…

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Milkshakes are the ultimate drink when it comes to comforting refreshing treats. What could be better than a thick creamy shake in a frosty glass? There are many non-dairy alternatives to make your vegan shake as rich and satisfying as ever. Let’s look at some of the delicious options…

Malt powder. This is what gives a malted and some shakes that rich flavor that is slightly reminiscent of chocolate but milder. Malt powder is a germinated grain usually barley and is vegan. It has no added sugar but the sugar or syrup from your other shake ingredients should be enough. You can order malt powder online or buy at some specialty stores. Lookout for malted milk which is not vegan.

Soy Milk. Soy milk does not have as high a fat content as coconut milk which is nice if you’re trying to cut down on fat grams. And there are a number of flavor options such as vanilla chocolate sweetened and unsweetened so you can play with your favorites. Check out Earth Balance® Soy Milks the next time you’re at the store for an organic non-GMO and delicious Soy Milk whose ingredients you can trust.

Nut butters. Peanut butter and almond butter taste terrific in shakes and both go particularly well with the malt powder flavor. Nut butters thicken a shake adding protein and nutrients such as calcium iron and magnesium. Earth Balance® makes both peanut & almond butters so get and enjoy some today!

Flavor extracts. Vanilla maple almond lemon peppermint cinnamon cocoa powder... there are many flavor extracts you can use to add tantalizing twists to a shake. Purchase flavor extracts that are all natural with no synthetic or imitation flavors or mysterious ingredients.

Do we have you craving a milkshake now? What other ingredients do you like to add to your dairy-free shakes? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments section… we’ll pick one of you to win FREE Earth Balance® coupons in today’s Everyday Giveaway!

We hope these tips have been helpful in developing your own beverage recipes for our Spring To Life contest now accepting drink recipes all this week! Click here for more info…

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Horchata is the name of several kinds of traditional Latin American beverages made from ground almonds sesame seeds rice or sometimes even barley. While the classic style recipes often involve soaking overnight and repeated filtering and straining this simplified version skips quite a few steps while retaining a similar and just as delicious flavor. You can adjust the amounts of vanilla and cinnamon to your liking.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
5 cups water
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Add the uncooked rice and water to blender blend on high until rice is ground up.

2. Allow the rice and water to sit for a minimum of three hours.

3. Strain the rice out and keep the rice water liquid. Pour in the Soy Milk vanilla cinnamon and sugar and mix well.

4. This can be served cold over ice or heated for a warming treat.

What's your favorite kind of drink to make with Soy Milk? Let us know in the comments for a chance to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

You have until this Sunday to enter your beverage recipes in to the Spring to Life Recipe Contest. Enter today for your chance to win a 1000 a trip to San Francisco and more! Click here for details.

Hi everyone the Beverage Category in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest ends this Sunday April 22nd Entrées portion of the contest starts next week. Don’t forget to upload your recipes! You can find all the Contest info & rules here: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest
 
Remember you can upload as many recipes as you want in as many categories as you want. We’re picking 8 winners who will win a year’s supply of Earth Balance® and 1 grand prize winner to win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!
 
Here are some helpful instructions and tips:
You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ in your Made Just Right™ profile and clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’ and follow the prompts.
 
Don't forget to hit 'Submit' after you've entered your recipe and photo! You cannot edit your recipe after you hit submit so make sure your recipe looks exactly the way you want it and that your picture has been attached before you submit it.

Here are instructions for uploading a photo with your recipe:
Photos are required so make sure you've taken one of your dish before submitting your recipe.
 
1. First you need to connect your Flickr account to your Made Just Right™ profile. If you don't already have a Flickr account you can set one up for free at www.flickr.com
2. Log onto Made Just Right™ go to your profile and click ‘Edit my profile’.
3. Choose the option ‘External Accounts’ in the right-hand column.
4. Follow the connection steps to connect your Flickr account.

How do I submit a photograph with my recipe?
1. Click ‘Add a Photo or Video’ at the top of the Recipe form and an ‘Add a Photo’ window will pop up.
 
2. Select a photo that’s already in your Flickr account from the ‘Flickr’ tab you must have a Flickr account to do this or upload a file from your computer and it will automatically upload to your Flickr account.
 
3. Click ‘Add Media’ in the bottom-right corner of the pop up window.
 
Who would you take with you if you win the weekend trip to San Francisco? Will you be making it a romantic getaway with your special someone or will you bringing your best friend along to help you explore the sites? Let us know in the comments below... we'll pick one person from all who respond to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

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Blueberries are considered a superfood because they’re packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. Blueberries are also very high in potassium and vitamin C. They are known to help lower the risk of heart disease and cancer and are also anti-inflammatory. Doesn't the old saying go: "a 1/2 cup of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away"?
 
We found this great smoothie recipe that was whipped up by Jennifer over at her wonderful blog Virtually Vegan Mama. Not only does this delicious smoothie take full advantage of the health promoting benefits of blueberries and acai but it also makes the most of their lovely berry flavor and combines them with other powerful and yummy! immunity boosting fruits.

Here's what Jennifer had to say about her recipe:
 "I threw in some frozen Acai berry which adds a rich berry-cocoa flavor that is a lovely compliment to the sweet slightly tart flavor of the blueberries. This smoothie is packed with flavor and valuable nutrients. While drinking this smoothie imagine all the wonders it is doing for your body like fighting free radicals with powerful antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of some diseases."
 
Ingredients Serves 2:
1 cup unsweetened Earth Balance® Soy Milk
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen pineapple
½ cup fresh apple chopped
1 3.5 oz. packet unsweetened frozen acai
Handful of fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon flaxseed
Optional -if you like beets add 1/2 cup raw or cooked beets into this smoothie. So good and it really makes the color pop!
 
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth and serve. It’s nutrient-rich and delish. Enjoy!
 
What do you do to help boost immunity and stay healthy? Tell us your best health promoting tricks in the comments and you might win today's Everyday Giveaway for free Earth Balance® products!

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Thick chilly smoothies are a terrific treat. So healthy and easy and all you need is a blender and some fruit. Smoothies are high in fiber unlike juice and have many calories and nutrients enough to make a whole meal.

Here are 8 Tips for Great-Tasting Smoothies:

1. Get rid of the tough stuff. Remove skin peels pits and tough fibrous portions of produce before blending. You can also strain your smoothie after blending to remove some of these extraneous parts. A wire mesh strainer not a plastic one works best for that.

2. Use frozen fruit. You will not need to add ice if you use frozen fruit in your smoothie. Plus the result will be icy and thick without ‘watering down’ as it cools while you’re drinking it. Slice different fruits mangos bananas peaches cantaloupe strawberries pineapple or blueberries put them in the freezer and pull out anytime to make a smoothie.

3. Add a liquid. You can make a smoothie using only frozen fruit but try adding Earth Balance® Soy Milk almond or peanut butter to the blender for some variety. Vegan ice cream yogurt or cream cheese also make for a nice creamy smoothie.

4. Put the liquid in first. This handy tip from Alton Brown is so simple but makes so much sense. Adding the liquid part of your smoothie first is much easier on your blender when you add the frozen fruit later.

5. Blend on low first then high. If your blender has speeds first blend on low to chop up the big pieces and gradually turn to a higher speed as the ingredients become more blended.

6. Try eating it instead of drinking it. You can make a lovely chilled fruit- or vegetable-based soup in the blender too. However if you’re making a soup don’t freeze the fruit or vegetables first. You don’t want ice chunks in it.

7. Experiment with unusual combinations. Add a little bit of broccoli spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie – you won’t taste it but you will get the benefit of added nutrients.

8. Drink it slowly. It’s easy to gulp it in a few swallows but smoothies pack a lot of food and calories. Treat your blended drink as you would a meal take slow sips and set your glass down between those sips. This way your body will have a chance to know when it is full and you won’t eat or drink too much.

Mmmm who feels like drinking a sweet cold smoothie right now? What are your favorite ideas for smoothies? Have some tips to share? Don’t forget to leave them here for a chance to win free Earth Balance!

Use these tips as a springboard for your own drinkable creations and don't forget to enter them this week in the beverage portion of our Spring To Life Contest! The grand prize winner will win a trip for two to San Francisco a stay in an eco-friendly hotel and 1000 in spending money! Find all the details and enter today at: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

This afternoon we’re sharing a recipe from Amanda Prince who writes The Sunny Vegan a blog with lots of creative and mouth-watering recipes. These strawberry cheesecake smoothies are just the thing for a refreshingly fruity break any time of the day.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup ice cubes crushed if possible
3 tablespoons simple syrup
3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk vanilla
Vegan cookies or graham crackers for topping

Directions:
Combine berries and ice in blender and pulse until smooth. Add simple syrup cream cheese and Soy Milk and blend again until smooth. Pour into serving glasses 4 servings and top with crushed cookies.

Thanks for the great recipe Amanda!

What are your favorite ingredients to put in smoothies? Share them in the comments section for a chance to win free Earth Balance®!

And don’t forget the beverage portion of our Spring to Life Contest runs all this week… enter your recipe today for a chance to win a 1000 a trip to San Francisco and more! Click here for details.

The Beverage portion of the Spring to Life Contest has begun! Share your original vegan drink recipes for a chance to win exciting prizes!

From today through April 22nd we are accepting your Beverage recipes!
The Entrées portion of the contest starts next week to be followed by Desserts!

Weekly Prizes:
Made Just Right™ will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
A copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin
One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

Grand Prize:
In addition to the prizes above Made Just Right™ will select one lucky participant to also win:
Roundtrip airfare for 2 to San Francisco
A 2-night stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel
1000 in spending money
5 course dinner at Millennium

Special Prizes:
More opportunities to win! Made Just Right™ will also select 3 contestants from all submissions to win in the following categories:
-Best Photo
-Most Recipes Submitted
-Most Creative Recipe
Special Prize Winners will receive: A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.

You can submit as many recipes as you like from now through May 6th in the following categories and time slots:

April 16th - April 22nd: Beverages
April 23rd - April 29th: Entrées
April 30th - May 6th: Desserts

For complete contest rules visit SPRING TO LIFE CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe or photos visit the MADE JUST RIGHT FAQ. If you have questions or need help you can post in our SPRING TO LIFE FORUM for assistance.

To get started visit your Made Just Right™ profile page. You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ and then clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’. Don't forget to upload your photos as well recipes submitted without photos will not be eligible to win.

Good luck everyone!

The Appetizers & Side Dish submission window in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest ends this Sunday April 15 at 11:59 pm EST so don't forget to upload those original plant-based Earth Balance® recipes in order to win!

One grand prize winner will receive a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!

The Entrées Category starts Monday April 23rd. Remember you can upload as many recipes as you want in as many categories as you want... there's even a prize for whoever submits the most recipes a year's worth of FREE Earth Balance®!

Check out our Spring To Life Contest Page for details HERE.

Have you entered a cooking contest before? Let us know all about it in the comments because we’ll also be picking a winner from all the responses today to get a coupon for FREE Earth Balance®!

Happy cooking and good luck!

Our Spring to Life Recipe Contest is in full swing! All this week we are accepting your submissions for Appetizers & Side Dishes... does your recipe have what it takes to win?

Feast your eyes on this awesome example of a fabulous appetizer by Made Just Right™ member Amy Gorski a whole new take on onion rings! These beauties are baked not fried! The zip of the lime really makes its presence known in the tangy yet sweet barbeque sauce. YUM!

Ingredients:
1 Onion sweet or yellow- large
1/3 cup Whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. Arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 cup Yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup cilantro chopped packed
1/4 cup Whole wheat bread crumbs plain
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black pepper
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk
1/2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 Onion diced
2 Garlic cloves minced
7 ounces Crushed tomatoes canned
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp. Fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Chili powder
1/4 tsp. Liquid smoke
Zest of one lime

Directions:
For the Onion Rings:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk and Apple cider vinegar. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

In a shallow dish combine whole wheat flour arrowroot powder and garlic powder.

In another shallow dish combine cornmeal cilantro whole wheat bread crumbs salt pepper and olive oil.

Whisk the Soy Milk mixture into the whole wheat flour/arrowroot powder mixture.

Slice onion into 1/2" to 3/4" rings and separate.

Dip each ring into the whole wheat flour/Soy milk Mixture first then coat in cornmeal and bread crumb mixture- being sure to press the breading on well.

Lay the rings in one even layer and bake for 10 minutes on one side flip and bake for an additional 5.

For the Chili Lime Barbeque Sauce:
In a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic- cook covered for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes sugar lime juice salt chili powder liquid smoke and lime zest and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce for 15 minutes stirring frequently.

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Here’s another example of a winning side dish from last year’s Spring to Life Contest! Does your recipe have what it takes to win this year?

Randolf Sears took home a prize with this delicious Whole Grain Pasta with Creamy Avocado White Wine Sauce. The rich but healthy pasta sauce combines avocados and vegan cream cheese with a white wine onion mix for creamy mouth-watering results. You could use this yummy sauce with any type of grain pasta tofu or your favorite veggies.

Ingredients:
16 ounces Whole Grain Pasta can substitute gluten-free too
4 Avocados
8 ounces of Vegan Cream Cheese
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or more to taste
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1 Medium Sweet Onion
1 Garlic Clove minced
1/2 cup Dry White Wine I love using a New Zealand S. Blanc
1 Small Tomato roma diced
1 cup Vegan Cheese Italian
1/4 cup Pine Nuts

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. Combine avocado vegan cream cheese cayenne pepper basil black pepper and salt in a bowl. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.

3. Sauté onion and garlic in Earth Balance® Buttery Spread until translucent. Add white wine and increase heat to medium. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Remove from heat and combine with avocado mixture.

4. Pour sauce onto pasta and garnish with shredded vegan cheese pine nuts fresh tomatoes and enjoy with a nice glass of white wine!

What is your favorite pasta sauce? What do you add to it for flavor? Leave your comments for a chance to win free Earth Balance® in our Everyday Giveaway!

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Canapés are elegant appetizers that are arranged so you can pick them up and eat them gracefully with your fingers. A canapé becomes an ‘amuse-bouche’ if you can eat it in one single tiny bite.

Amuse-bouche is French for ‘mouth amuser.’ Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten put it well when he said "the amuse-bouche is the best way for a great chef to express his big ideas in small bites."

Here are some tips and tricks for creating lovely canapés and amuse-bouches:

-Use an array of flavors. Canapés and amuse-bouches should delight your taste buds with an exciting array of flavorful ingredients. They are a creative arrangement of several different ingredients that complement and/or contrast with one another.

-Make sure the ingredients are the highest quality possible -try to use food that is fresh and organic to preserve flavor and purity of taste.

-Experiment with different oils. If you’re sautéing or searing vegetables whole grains or beans try using coconut avocado or grapeseed oil instead of extra virgin olive oil. You can also infuse your oil or Earth Balance® Buttery Spread with fresh herbs or garlic prior to cooking with it. Check out this "Herbed Butter" recipe for a great example.

-Find creative forms for food. Use a food processor to combine ingredients and change their shape and form. Roasted red peppers make a vivid sweet sauce when blended and a tiny dollop of roasted garlic purée brings a new height of flavor to a canapé or amuse-bouche. You can also try mincing your fruit or vegetables or slices them into elegant strips or cubes.

-Use tools to make neat shapes. A melon baller cookie cutter pastry cutter fork tines the bottom of a glass… you can use all of these things to make attractive shapes or designs with the ingredients in your canapé.

-Try some specialty foods. Hit the farmers market or a specialty supermarket to find new and interesting ingredients. Tiny purple tomatoes that are as sweet as grapes giant butter beans micro greens dozens of varieties of olives golden oyster mushrooms baby zucchini… there are lots of eye-catching and delicious options.

-And if you feel like splurging buy white or black truffles one of the world’s greatest delicacies and vegan too!. They are expensive at approximately 50 for three ounces but a little bit of truffle goes a long way in flavor and taste. People are quick to say they are worth every cent you pay for them.

Do you have some great ideas for canapés and amuse-bouches? We’d love to hear about them – share them in the comments below and you could win a coupon for a free Earth Balance® product!

Don't forget to enter your appetizer & side dish recipes in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest before this Sunday night to win the grand prize trip to San Francisco along with 1000 spending money and other fab prizes! For more info and contest details visit: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest

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Made Just Right™ member Connie created this recipe as a substitute for chopped liver at her family's Passover table. Everyone loved it! Give this one a try even if you don’t celebrate Passover the bold yet elegant flavors will have you coming back for more!

Ingredients: approximately 10 servings
1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread With Olive Oil
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 ounces of lentils cooked
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 cup chopped walnuts toasted

Directions:
In a large frying pan over medium heat melt the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic oregano and pepper and sauté for 1 minute more.

Add cooked lentils soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Heat through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a food processor chop walnuts until they resemble fine crumbs. Add mixture from frying pan and puree until smooth.

Line a bowl with plastic wrap. Pack mixture into bowl and refrigerate overnight or until cooled.

When ready to serve invert bowl onto plate and remove plastic wrap. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with matzos chips or crackers.

Do you have any tricks or tips for veganizing traditional Passover dishes for a more plant-based holiday? Share with us in the comments and we’ll pick one commenter to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

Hi everyone the Appetizer & Side Dish Category in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest ends this Sunday April 15th Beverage portion of the contest starts next week. Don’t forget to upload your recipes! You can find all the Contest info & rules here: http://www.madejustright.com/spring-contest
 
Remember you can upload as many recipes as you want in as many categories as you want. We’re picking 8 winners who will win a year’s supply of Earth Balance® and 1 grand prize winner to win a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!
 
Here are some helpful instructions and tips:
You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ in your Made Just Right™ profile and clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’ and follow the prompts.
 
Don't forget to hit 'Submit' after you've entered your recipe and photo! You cannot edit your recipe after you hit submit so make sure your recipe looks exactly the way you want it and that your picture has been attached before you submit it.

Here are instructions for uploading a photo with your recipe:
Photos are required so make sure you've taken one of your dish before submitting your recipe.
 
1. First you need to connect your Flickr account to your Made Just Right™ profile. If you don't already have a Flickr account you can set one up for free at www.flickr.com

2. Log onto Made Just Right™ go to your profile and click ‘Edit my profile’.
 
3. Choose the option ‘External Accounts’ in the right-hand column.

4. Follow the connection steps to connect your Flickr account.

How do I submit a photograph with my recipe?
1. Click ‘Add a Photo or Video’ at the top of the Recipe form and an ‘Add a Photo’ window will pop up.
 
2. Select a photo that’s already in your Flickr account from the ‘Flickr’ tab you must have a Flickr account to do this or upload a file from your computer and it will automatically upload to your Flickr account.
 
3. Click ‘Add Media’ in the bottom-right corner of the pop up window.
 
What activities would you be most excited for if you won the weekend trip to San Francisco? What would you like to do while exploring the "city by the bay"? Let us know in the comments below... we'll pick one person from all who respond to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

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Have you come up with your winning side dish or appetizer yet for our Spring to Life Contest? If you win the grand prize you could soon be enjoying a trip to San Francisco staying in a swanky eco-friendly hotel and painting the town red with 1000 spending money in your pocket!

Get inspired with one of last year’s winning Spring to Life appetizer recipes by Mimi Clark. She came up with these scrumptious Vegan Baked Mini Samosas with Cilantro Mint Chutney. We loved her lighter version of the classic samosa and spicy chutney accompaniment.

Mimi says:
"Whenever I order samosas at an Indian restaurant I usually eat the inside and discard the fried dough exterior. That inspired me to create this light and crispy baked miniature version of samosas with a tangy cilantro mint chutney that won't make you feel the least bit deprived!"

Ingredients: Serves 6
1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. or more seeded minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 pound potatoes peeled diced steamed 10 minutes until fork-tender
1/4 cup shelled boiled edamame or frozen peas defrosted
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
24 8" x 8" vegan spring roll wrappers can be found at Asian markets cut diagonally into 2 triangles
Additional 4 tsp. melted Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1 tbsp. of cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tbsp. of water
For the chutney:
1 cup cilantro
1 cup fresh mint
2 tbsp. minced onion
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1 tsp. toasted crushed cumin seeds
2 tbsp. fresh juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt or to taste
2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk original

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the samosas:
Heat Earth Balance® Buttery Spread over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add cumin seeds and toast for 2 minutes or until they darken slightly.

3. Add ginger pepper coriander and turmeric. Stir to combine.

4. Add potatoes and coat with spices. Add edamame or peas and salt. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Add cilantro or parsley and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes or longer if not making immediately.

6. To assemble:
Fold each spring roll triangle in half with the tip of the triangle at the top. Bring the right points to the center and gently crease. Bring the left points across the right points and tuck in the flap to form a pocket. Place 1 tbsp. of filling in the pocket. Bring the top flap down and seal any openings with a dab of cornstarch or arrowroot and water solution. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. If not using immediately freeze samosas on baking sheet. Defrost at room temperature when ready to bake. Brush baking sheet and samosas with melted Earth Balance® Buttery Spread. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly brown around the edges. Makes 24 mini samosas. Serve with Cilantro Mint Chutney.

7. For the chutney:
Place chutney ingredients in a food processor or blender gradually adding enough Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk to achieve the consistency of a dip. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Refrigerate.

Yum! Have you ever tried a samosa before? Tell us about it or even let us know about your favorite type if Indian dish… we’ll pick one person who comments to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

You know we love giving away free Earth Balance! All you have to do is share your thoughts with us in the comments of our posts and we randomly select one of you to win each day in our ‘Everyday Giveaway’!

Here are the Everyday Giveaway winners from last week! Thanks for sharing your comments everyone!

Mindy Zuckerman
Paul Aubert
Tzippy
Nancy Brush
layla bowen

In honor of our current Spring To Life Contest now accepting submissions! we’d love to hear about your favorite appetizers and side dishes. What are your some of favorite starters to make during spring? Share your tips and tricks with the community today and you might find you’re a winner when we announce who won the Everyday Giveaway’s next week!

And don’t forget to enter your appetizer & side dish recipes in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest! One grand prize winner will receive a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending money a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises! Click here for all the details...

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To get you inspired to enter our Spring to Life contest we will be featuring some of the winning recipes from our previous contest. Last year’s first winner in the Side Dish category was Jennifer Strohmeyer who writes the Virtually Vegan Mama blog. We loved Jennifer's method of toasting the quinoa first in this delicious recipe for Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup.

Jennifer says:
"This soup is smoky spicy creamy and unbelievably fresh tasting with layers upon layers of flavors. Toasted quinoa adds a wonderful nuttiness. Roasted red peppers and caramelized red onions give the soup a natural sweetness that deepens the flavor of this soup."

Ingredients: serves 4
4 cups of no or low sodium vegetable stock
28 ounce of can no or low sodium fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 medium red onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 poblano pepper roasted
1 red pepper roasted
1 jalapeno 1/2 of seeds removed and finely diced
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 avocado cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 limes cut into wedges for serving
1 tbsp. Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Spread

Directions:
1. Roast peppers over a gas flame on your stove turning with tongs until skin is evenly charred. Transfer to a plastic bag close and allow to steam until cool to the touch. Peel the charred skin by hand. Once peeled cut away the stems seeds and veins. this can be done the day before to save time.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Spread in skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions and stir. Keep stirring until the onions start to stick and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable stock. Repeat this step stirring often for 30 minutes deglazing pan every so often with a small amount of vegetable stock. Cook onions for 30 minutes or until onions are a dark in color with the desired caramelized flavor.

3. While onions are caramelizing cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside. this can also be done the day before if you want.

4. In a stock pot add vegetable stock fire roasted tomatoes garlic jalapeno paprika coriander cumin bay leaves cinnamon and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in caramelized onions and continue to cook uncovered for 5 more minutes remove bay leaves.

5. Add cooked quinoa to non-stick skillet and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

6. To serve ladle soup into bowls and top with toasted quinoa diced roasted peppers diced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Have you cooked with quinoa before? Tell us all about it in the comments section for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance® coupons in our Everyday Giveaway!

Related Posts:
Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup
Vegan Miso Soup
Spring Pea Soup
Cream of Dandelion Soup
Puree of Sunchoke Soup

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Earth Balance and Made Just Right™ are celebrating the arrival of spring with our annual Spring to Life Recipe Contest. Share your original recipes for a chance to win exciting prizes!

The first week of the competition has begun!
From today through April 15th we are accepting Appetizer & Side Dish recipes!
The Beverage portion of the contest starts next week!

Your recipes should be your own original creations and contain one or more Earth Balance® products including any of the buttery spreads nut butters soymilk or MindfulMayo® Dressing & Sandwich Spread. The recipes must be plant-based vegan and free of any animal products no dairy eggs meat etc....

Weekly Prizes:
Made Just Right will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:
A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
A copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin

One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

Grand Prize:
In addition to the prizes above Made Just Right will select one lucky participant to also win:
Roundtrip airfare for 2 to San Francisco
A 2-night stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden hotel
1000 in spending money
5 course dinner at Millennium

Special Prizes:
More opportunities to win! Made Just Right will also select 3 contestants from all submissions to win in the following categories:
-Best Photo
-Most Recipes Submitted
-Most Creative Recipe

Special Prize Winners will receive: A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.

Our Earth Balance judges along with guest judge former model and author of Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps Kim Barnouin will evaluate recipes based on appeal 50 ease of preparation 25 and creativity 25. You can submit as many recipes as you like from April 9th through May 6th in the following categories:

April 9th - April 15th: Appetizers & Side Dishes
April 16th - April 22nd: Beverages
April 23rd - April 29th: Entrées
April 30th - May 6th: Desserts

We will announce the 8 weekly winners the 3 Special Prize winners and the 1 grand prize winner the week of May 14th 2012!

For complete contest rules visit SPRING TO LIFE CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe or photos visit the MADE JUST RIGHT FAQ. If you have questions or need help you can post in our Spring to Life Forum for assistance.

To get started visit your Made Just Right™ profile page. You can upload a recipe by selecting ‘Recipe’ and then clicking ‘Add a New Recipe’. Don't forget to upload your photos as well recipes submitted without photos will not be eligible to win helpful hints on how to upload photos can be found here.

Not a member yet? Click the 'Sign Up' link at the top of the page for easy & free registration. Hope to see you there with recipes to share!

Good luck everyone!

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These Cadbury style “eggs” were made vegan by Made Just Right™ member Amanda Tran. They taste just like the originals only better!

Ingredients: makes 24 servings
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
3 cups organic powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 bag vegan chocolate chips
2 tsp. Earth Balance® Natural Shortening Sticks
24 lollipop sticks
2 candy molds in egg shape
Vegan yellow food coloring

Directions:
Cream the corn syrup and Earth Balance® Buttery Spread together. Sift in the sugar and incorporate. Once the sugar is incorporated mix in the vanilla.

Take 1/3 of mixture and add yellow food coloring until it is the desired color should look like egg yolk.

Put both mixtures in fridge to chill.

For chocolate outside:
Heat chocolate in a double boiler or use a ceramic bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until smooth stirring in between each interval. Add 2 tsp shortening to thin it out a little bit mix well.

Coat the insides of each mold and use a spoon to push the chocolate up the sides. Once the molds are filled place them in the fridge so the chocolate hardens. Once they are hard about 10-20 minutes pop them gently out of the molds.

Put a little of the white and yellow cream onto one of the egg halves.

Put the matching half on top of the filled one and use melted chocolate to fuse them together. You can insert the lollipop sticks at this point optional to enjoy these candies on a stick! Place back in fridge to chill until ready to eat.

Are you cooking up any plant-based Easter treats this year? Let us know what you’re making for the holiday in the comments below. We’ll pick one of you to win FREE Earth Balance® coupons in today’s Everyday Giveaway!

We all love celebrating holidays with family and friends. For many of us however the holidays that center around celebrating with traditional meat & dairy based foods can pose some real challenges for those on plant-based diets.

Tell us how you navigate the kitchen and dinner table on Easter Passover or any such holiday where you might be made to feel as if you are the lone herbivore at the center of everyone’s attention. Do you make an exception for such gatherings? Maybe you’ve encouraged other family members to jump on the meat-free bandwagon? How does your family respond to your dietary choices?

Share your stories and tips with us here and you could win a coupon for free Earth Balance®!

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Make this easy sweet treat a day or two ahead. After the chocolate has set simply store the matzo bark in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve. Recipe used by permission from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients: makes 2 dozen piece
6 about 6-inch x 6-inch lightly salted matzo crackers
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread melted
1/4 cup Vegan Cane Sugar
3/4 cup Vegan Semisweet Chocolate Chips melted
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios or crushed peppermints

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange matzos on 2 large baking sheets in a single layer breaking some in half to fit.

In a medium bowl whisk together Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and sugar and use all of it to brush tops of matzo.

Bake rotating trays halfway through until sugar is lightly browned 15 to 20 minutes.

Set trays aside to cool completely. Using a fork drizzle matzo all over with chocolate and then immediately sprinkle pistachios or peppermints over the top.

Briefly chill the trays in the fridge until chocolate is set and then break or cut into 24 pieces.

Do you celebrate Passover? What are you favorite foods associated with this holiday? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

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The first category in the Spring to Life Recipe Contest this year is Appetizers & Side Dishes! We'll start accepting your submissions on Monday April 9th... so get ready to share your original recipes for a chance to win exciting prizes!

One grand prize winner will receive a weekend trip for two to San Francisco round-trip airfare included a stay at the centrally located eco-friendly Orchard Garden Hotel five-course dinner at Millennium restaurant one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants 1000 in spending cash a copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin a year supply of Earth Balance® products plus some additional surprises!

Your recipes should be your own original creations and contain one or more Earth Balance® products including any of the buttery spreads nut butters soymilk or MindfulMayo® Dressing & Sandwich Spread. The recipes must be plant-based vegan and free of any animal products no dairy eggs meat etc....

Our Earth Balance judges along with guest judge former model and author Kim Barnouin will evaluate recipes based on appeal 50 ease of preparation 25 and creativity 25. You can submit as many recipes as you like from April 9th through May 6th in the following categories:

April 9th - April 15th: Appetizers & Side Dishes
April 16th - April 22nd: Beverages
April 23rd - April 29th: Entrées
April 30th - May 6th: Desserts

Weekly Prizes
Made Just Right will select 2 recipes from each category for a total of 8 winners. Each winner will receive:

    A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
    An Earth Balance gift pack featuring Earth Balance gear
    A copy of the book Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin

One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

Grand Prize
In addition to the prizes above Made Just Right will select one lucky participant to also win:

    Roundtrip airfare for 2 to San Francisco
    A 2-night stay at the eco-friendly Orchard Garden hotel
    1000 in spending cash
    5 course dinner at Millennium restaurant

Special Prizes
More opportunities to win! Made Just Right will also select 3 contestants from all submissions to win in the following categories:

    Best Photo
    Most Recipes Submitted
    Most Creative Recipe

Special Prize Winners will receive:
    A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.

We will announce the 8 weekly winners the 3 Special Prize winners and the 1 grand prize winner the week of May 14th 2012! For specific questions about how to upload your recipe visit the MADE JUST RIGHT FAQ.

We hope to see you here on Monday with your amazing recipes to share! Good luck!

The Made Just Right™ Team

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Today we have an Easter treat for you a guest post from one of our favorite gluten free bakers Jules Shepard from Jules Gluten Free! Take it away Jules!

So it’s nearly Easter and I’m all about cake right now so I got to thinking that Easter cupCAKES would be just right! I just used my base cake recipe and used all natural food coloring to dye some coconut flakes and frosting… used gluten-free jelly beans Surf Sweets brand are vegan! and GF sprinkles and this fun Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit ropes yep- GF & vegan! Or try licorice! for the handles adorned a few with Peeps vegan alternative: Try the ‘Easter Peepers & Skippers” from Sweet and Sara and I suddenly had some of the cutest little cakes I’ve ever made! Super easy super cute and super yummy! Have fun making and eating them!

Ingredients:
3 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbs. gluten-free baking powder
1/4 cup non-dairy powdered milk like Vance’s DariFree™ Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
2 cups granulated cane sugar
4 Tbs. arrowroot powder
4 Tbs. applesauce
2 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
1 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk

Note – to make a delicious chocolaty version of this cake simply add the following ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Replace the 1 cup of Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk listed with 1 1/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Chocolate Soy Milk

This recipe only includes the cake portion for delicious frosting ideas see the ‘Related Posts’ down at the bottom.

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F static or 325F convection. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust entire surface lightly with Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour. To make cupcakes oil or line cupcake pans with cupcake papers Makes approximately 28 cupcakes.

Whisk together the flour powdered non-dairy milk arrowroot powder baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks and sugar and beat well with your mixer’s paddle attachment until the mixture is very light and fluffy approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the applesauce and vanilla and beat a bit more. Slowly add the Soy Milk alternating with the flour mixture and beating in between the additions. Beat until smooth and pour into the prepared pans.

For cakes bake for 30 minutes turning the pans half-way through if using convection setting; for cupcakes test after 20 minutes for doneness. To test the cakes for doneness insert a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of each cake and be sure it comes out clean with very few crumbs attached.  The cakes will also begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Add time if necessary to fully bake the cakes.

When done turn off the oven and leave the oven door open to let the cakes cool slowly there for 5 minutes or so then remove the cakes to a cooling rack. After 15-20 minutes of total cooling time gently invert the cakes to remove them from the pans then flip gently back onto the cooling rack until fully cooled.

Frost the cakes only when fully cooled or in the alternative you may wrap the cakes with wax paper or plastic wrap and seal inside freezer bags to freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.

Top with frosting of choice and decorate with vegan & gluten-free candies!

For more of Jules’ delicious gluten free creations visit her blog at: http://blog.julesglutenfree.com

What’s your favorite treat to enjoy around Easter? Let us know in the comments and we’ll pick one person from all who reply to win today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance coupons!

Related Posts:
Classic Buttercream Icing
Holiday Cookies with Bettercreme Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Citrus Cupcakes with Sweet Basil Buttercream Frosting
Tips for Cake Baking from Batter to Frosting

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Earth Balance's new award-winning MindfulMayo® Spread is delicious on sandwiches but did you know it works great in dressings and sauces as well? Try this Asian style spin on traditional coleslaw for a burst of flavors complimented by the smooth & creamy tang of the MindfulMayo®. The recipe is vegan as well as both gluten and cholesterol free with a full 8 grams of protein per serving!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Earth Balance® MindfulMayo® Dressing & Sandwich Spread
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. wasabi paste to taste
Juice and zest of one lime
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
salt to taste
5 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 Tbs. black sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Place first six ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.

2. Pour dressing in a large bowl. Add cabbage carrots green onions cilantro peanuts and sesame seeds. Toss to coat evenly.

This might be one of the easiest salads you could ever put together!

What other healthy plant-based dishes do you like to whip up in a snap? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win today’s FREE Earth Balance® coupon in our Everyday Giveaway… your comment is your entry!

Related Posts:
Green Garlic Dip
Vegan Waldorf Salad Wrap
Grandma's Chocolate Mayo Cake
Coconut Samosas with Lemon Curry Mayo
Tofu Egg Salad Sammie

The 2nd Annual Spring to Life Recipe Contest starts next Monday! Earth Balance and Made Just Right™ are celebrating plant-based lifestyles and the arrival of spring with the Spring to Life Recipe Contest. Share your recipes for a chance to win some exciting prizes!

The competition will run from April 9-May 6 and cooks nationwide can enter their best plant-based recipes made with Earth Balance® products for the chance to win the grand prize; a trip for two to San Francisco with eco-friendly accommodations at Orchard Garden Hotel dinner at popular vegan restaurant Millennium 1000 in spending money and more!!!

We will be revealing all the info and rules next week but for now start thinking about your best recipes. We’ll be accepting recipes in these four categories: Appetizers & Side Dishes Beverages Entrees and Desserts. We'll also be looking for exceptional photos to go with your recipes so start cooking up a storm document your recipes snap some gorgeous pictures and get ready for yet another exciting competition! Full details will be up next Monday April 9th so stay tuned and come hungry!

Do you have any tips to share for coming up with award-winning recipes? Let us know your recipes secrets and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

Great news! All of the new Earth Balance MindfulMayo® Dressings & Sandwich Spreads are now Non-GMO Project Verified! While all Earth Balance® products are 100 free of GMOs we're very pleased to announce that all the new Earth Balance® mayo's are now carrying the Non-GMO Project verification right on the label!

MindfulMayo® is now available in stores nationwide in Original Flavor Organic Original and Olive Oil. Do you love using mayo on your sandwiches as a dressing and in a bunch of your favorite recipes but the stuff mayo’s made of doesn’t agree with you? Problem solved. Dollop mix and smear your way to spread-happy euphoria with light tangy 100 plant-based MindfulMayo®.

What are GMOs?
GMOs genetically modified organisms are organisms that have been created through gene-splicing biotechnology also called genetic engineering or GE. This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another creating combinations of plant animal bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding.

Say NO to GMO!
There are thousands of processed foods stocking store shelves that contain genetically modified organisms or GMOs. These products don’t only harm our environment but they also have detrimental effects on our own health.

Earth Balance® believes in genetic diversity predictable consequences environmental protection and agricultural methods that work in harmony with nature. And it’s for all these reasons that they choose to partner with the Non-GMO Project; a non-profit collaboration of manufacturers retailers processors distributors farmers seed companies and consumers that works to educate consumers and industry professionals about the harmful effects of GMOs.

All Earth Balance® products are made with non-GMO ingredients. They are constantly working toward getting as many products verified as possible and you can rest assured that no GMOs will ever find their way into an Earth Balance® package!

Are you concerned with GMO's in the food supply? Is this an issue that is important to you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance® coupons in our Everyday Giveaway!

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Today is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day! Whoever came up with this holiday is a genius! To celebrate how about a yummy baked twist on the classic PB&J sandwich? Make in individual tart pans for the kids or in large tart pan to share with the kids at heart. Those with peanut allergies can try substituting with a suitable alternative such as sunflower butter.

This recipe was submitted to us by Kim J who was one of the winners in our Holiday Bake-Off with her Pumpkin Cheesecake Filled Gingersnaps so you know that whatever she comes up with has got to be good!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Creamy Peanut Butter
3 cups frozen strawberries thawed or fresh strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.

To make the crust:
Add 2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar and baking powder to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Add the Earth Balance® Creamy Peanut Butter and Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and pulse to combine. It should look like coarse crumbs.

Divide the dough into 6 individual 4 inch tart pans or 1 10 inch tart pan. Press the dough around the sides first and then press the dough in the center.

To make the filling:
Slightly mash the thawed strawberries or slice the fresh strawberries if using and combine with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Pour into tart pans.

Place tart pans on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes for individual tarts or 40 - 50 minutes for a larger tart.

How will you be commemorating Peanut Butter & Jelly Day? Leave us your PB&J ideas in the comments below for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance® coupons in our Everyday Giveaway!

Related Posts:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bon Bons
Peanut Butter Ganache Pie
Creamy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cup Pie
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

The spring holidays are nearly here and we couldn't be more pleased... there are so many great things to eat around Easter and Passover! This week on Made Just Right™ will be all about celebrating these delicious spring holidays with plant-based versions of traditional recipes that you can bring to your family gathering or enjoy any time.

How about some adorable Gluten Free Easter Basket Cupcakes? Or maybe you are in the mood for Vegan Cadbury-style "Eggs"? Celebrating Passover? We've got you covered there too with a recipe for Vegan Chopped "Liver" it's made with lentils! and even a decadent dessert treat; Chocolate Covered Matzos! We can hardly wait!

We've also got some great news to share about the most recent Earth Balance® products to earn the certified Non-GMO label as well as an announcement later this week about our next big contest! That's right it's almost time for our 2nd Annual Spring to Life Contest and the prize this year is awfully sweet... this is one competition you're not going to want to miss!

And while we're on the topic of winners five lucky Made Just Right™ members have earned FREE Earth Balance® coupons! Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The winners from last week are:
Melissa McElroy
Alyssa Parker
Veganfoodie
Loretta Kane
J. Ruth Brandeberry

Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.

Do you have any plans to cook for Easter or Passover this year? Let us know what you'll be whipping up in your kitchen and we’ll pick today's Everyday Giveaway winner from the replies... the winner will get a coupon for FREE Earth Balance®!

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“On a recent trip to North Carolina I ran into my blueberry biscuit nemesis BoJangles BoBerry Biscuits and I said forget it... I will learn how to make vegan BoBerry Biscuits at home!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoRXPvGdz64

Ingredients:
For BoBerry Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup raw sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Almond Milk very cold
6 tablespoons Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
3 ounces dried blueberries
For Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F. In a large bowl sift together self-rising flour raw sugar baking powder and salt.

Stir in almond milk. Once the almond milk is absorbed add 5 tablespoons of Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in small chunks as well as the dried blueberries.

Fold Boberry biscuit dough until Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and blueberries are well distributed. Work quickly; you do not want the buttery spread to begin to melt. Place dough on a baking sheet by the spoon full and bake for 7 - 12 minutes until golden brown. Once they are done paint with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted Earth Balance® Buttery Spread.

For glaze: In a small mixing bowl combine powdered sugar water vanilla extract and lemon juice. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the biscuits.

Find The Sweetest Vegan at:
http://TheSweetestVegan.com
http://Facebook.com/sweetestvegan
http://Twitter.com/sweetestvegan

Do you have any favorite veganized recipes that you love as much if not more than the regular version? Tell us all about it below for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®

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It's the moment you've been waiting for today is the day that we reveal who won our first ever Pinterest contest!

Contestants were asked to create an "Earth Balance Favorites" board on Pinterest. The boards were required to feature at least 10 recipes from Made Just Right™ along with as many any other plant-based recipes that contain at least one Earth Balance® product from anywhere else on the internet. We judged the boards based on creativity... basically we were looking for how appetizing well curated and interesting the boards were.

We had a very tough time picking just one winner because so many of the entries went above and beyond our expectations. Ultimately only one lucky person could win the Grand Prize a year's worth of Earth Balance® along with a professional grade Blendtec Blender! and that person is... Veronica Demtchouk!

Congratulations Veronica! From out of hundreds of entries we picked your board as the soy-cream of the crop so to speak because we found your recipes choices variety and overall deliciousness of your board to be top notch. There will be an email coming your way soon with info on how to claim your prizes.

You can take a look at Veronica's winning "Earth Balance Favorites" board at:
http://pinterest.com/MyEatsAndTreats/earth-balance-favorites/

While we're at it we simply couldn't resist picking a couple more winners!

We really enjoyed Jolene Sugarbaker's board with over 378 awesome Earth Balance recipes pinned to it!

We also really appreciated all the detailed descriptions that Merry Graham added to all of her recipe pins.

Both of these two ladies will be receiving a six month supply of coupons for free Earth Balance! Congratulations to all!

Big thanks to all who participated! We hope you will continue to add to your “Earth Balance Favorites” Pinterest boards as there is nothing we love more than sharing delicious plant-based recipes with the rest of the foodie community out there. Rest assured this won’t be our last Pinterest contest!

If you haven't already be sure to sign up with Pinterest and then follow us at http://pinterest.com/madejustright for our daily pins of new interesting and delicious recipes!

Do you have a favorite pinner or board to share from Pinterest? Share them with us in the comments below even if it's your own! and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance coupons!

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An entire quiche might just be too much for one or two people... but Teeny Vegan Quiches that's another story! They make fantastic snacks and are terrific as lunches on the go take them to work or school- granted they taste better warm but they are OK cold too. Teeny Vegan Quiches are super for appetizers at those fancy cocktail parties and will be the talk of the next vegan potluck! Many thanks to SLC Veganista for submitting this recipe to our gallery.

Ingredients:
    12 ounce Extra Firm Silken Japanese-Style tofu
    12 ounce Extra Firm Regular Chinese Style tofu
    1/4 cup Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk unsweetened
    2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes or powder
    1 tbsp. cornstarch
    1 tsp. tahini
    1/2 tsp. onion flakes
    1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
    1/2 tsp. turmeric
    1/4 tsp. paprika
    1 pinch Salt & Pepper to taste
    1 cup Veggies of choice chopped small
    1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    2 cups unbleached flour
    1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions:
FOR THE CRUST:
Prepare pastry crust by cutting flour Earth Balance® Buttery Spread & salt together until small pea-sized balls begin to form.

Slowly add in ice cold water 1 TBSP at a time until a smooth stretchy ball forms shouldn't need the entire 1/2 c of ice water but you never know.

Chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out thinly & cutting into small circles to fit the tart pans.

Place dough circles in tart pans pressing up against the sides to get a proper fit. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork then set aside.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
 
FOR THE FILLING:
Over medium heat sauté veggies of choice and set aside. Veggies can include anything that you want-onions garlic bell peppers; lightly steamed spinach kale or other leafy greens are fantastic in quiche; Olives and artichoke hearts are delicious too.

In a food processor or blender add silken tofu Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk nutritional yeast cornstarch tahini onion flakes turmeric paprika & salt and blend until smooth & creamy. Transfer tofu mixture into a large bowl.

Drain off any excess liquid from the extra firm regular tofu and pat dry. Crumble extra firm regular tofu into the blended tofu mixture and stir gently to combine. The regular tofu chunks will add texture to the quiche. Add in veggies and stir to combine.

Spoon quiche filling into prepared tart pans then place in preheated oven and bake at 350F until the tops are golden brown.

Quiches are done when a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean- about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven and size of tins you are using to bake the quiches in. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

We love quiche around here and could eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner! What are your favorite quiche fillings? Fill us in below and you will automatically be entered into our Everyday Giveaway for a chance to win FREE Earth Balance®!

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Sample the spectrum of fruits and vegetables!

Scientists are regularly reporting new health benefits associated with fruits and vegetables. People who eat more generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases including strokes type 2 diabetes some types of cancer and perhaps heart disease and high blood pressure.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is a worthwhile goal. Eating a variety of different colors of fruits and vegetables every day is a new way of thinking about meeting that goal.

Below are just some of the benefits of eating from the full color spectrum of fruits and vegetables by color:

RED:
Red fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigments called "lycopene" or "anthocyanins." Lycopene in tomatoes watermelon and pink grapefruit for example may help reduce risk of several types of cancer especially prostate cancer. Lycopene in foods containing cooked tomatoes such as spaghetti sauce and a small amount of fat are absorbed better than lycopene from raw tomatoes.

Anthocyanins in strawberries raspberries red grapes and other fruits and vegetables act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Antioxidants are linked with keeping our hearts healthy too.

Examples of the red group:
Red apples Beets Red cabbage Cherries Cranberries Pink grapefruit Red grapes Red peppers Pomegranates Red potatoes Radishes Raspberries Rhubarb Strawberries Tomatoes Watermelon

ORANGE/YELLOW:
Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables are usually colored by natural plant pigments called "carotenoids." Beta-carotene in sweet potatoes pumpkins and carrots is converted to vitamin A which helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Scientists have also reported that carotenoid-rich foods can help reduce risk of cancer heart disease and can improve immune system function.

One study found that people who ate a diet high in carotenoid-rich vegetables were 43 percent less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration an eye disorder common among the elderly which can lead to blindness.

Carotenoids also may be good for your heart. One study found that men with high cholesterol who ate plenty of vegetables high in carotenoids had a 36 percent lower chance of heart attack and death than their counterparts who shunned vegetables.

Citrus fruits like oranges are not a good source of vitamin A. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and folate a B vitamin that helps reduce risk of birth defects.

Examples of the orange/yellow group:
Yellow apples Apricots Butternut squash Cantaloupe Carrots Grapefruit Lemons Mangoes Nectarines Oranges Papayas Peaches Pears Yellow peppers Persimmons Pineapple Pumpkin Rutabagas Yellow summer or winter squash Sweet corn Sweet potatoes Tangerines Yellow tomatoes Yellow watermelon

GREEN:
Green fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigment called "chlorophyll." Some members of the green group including spinach and other dark leafy greens green peppers peas cucumber and celery contain lutein. Lutein works with another chemical zeaxanthin found in corn red peppers oranges grapes and egg yolks to help keep eyes healthy. Together these chemicals may help reduce risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration which can lead to blindness if untreated.

The "indoles" in broccoli cauliflower cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against some types of cancer. Leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli are excellent sources of folate a B vitamin that helps reduce risk of birth defects.

Examples of the green group:
Green apples Artichokes Asparagus Avocados Green beans Broccoli Brussels sprouts Green cabbage Cucumbers Green grapes Honeydew melon Kiwi Lettuce Limes Green onions Peas Green pepper Spinach Zucchini

BLUE PURPLE:
Blue/purple fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigments called "anthocyanins." Anthocyanins in blueberries grapes and raisins act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. They may help reduce risk of cancer stroke and heart disease. Other studies have shown that eating more blueberries is linked with improved memory function and healthy aging.

Examples of the blue/purple group:
Blackberries Blueberries Eggplant Figs Juneberries Plums Prunes Purple grapes Raisins

WHITE:
White fruits and vegetables are colored by pigments called "anthoxanthins." They may contain health-promoting chemicals such as allicin which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may help reduce risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. Some members of the white group such as bananas and potatoes are good sources of the mineral potassium too.

Examples of the white group:
Bananas Cauliflower Garlic Ginger Jicama Mushrooms Onions Parsnips Potatoes Turnips

The preceding information was written by Julie Garden-Robinson Ph.D. L.R.D. Food and Nutrition Specialist for North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture and is being shared on the Creative Commons license.

How are you doing as far as eating a variety of colored fruits & veggies go? Do you have any tips to share with us for including a wider variety of colors in our diets? Let us know in the comments below and we'll pick one winner from the replies to win our Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance!

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This is a delicious tofu & pasta dish submitted to our recipe gallery by Mighty Vegan. We love that it calls for a healthy amount of nutritional yeast for an extra boost of B Vitamins. You could change up the vegetables to use up what's in your fridge. Along with broccoli and peppers as used in the recipe mushrooms and fresh tomatoes would be good too.

Ingredients:
    1 block of tofu pressed between 2 plates to remove the excess water
    1/4 cup tapioca flour
    1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    2 tbsp. flax meal
    1 tbsp. lemon zest
    1 tsp. sea salt
    1/2 tsp. black pepper
    2 tbsp. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    2 lemons juiced
    2 tbsp. organic sugar or agave
    1 package quinoa pasta
    2 tbsp. olive oil
    1-2 heads of broccoli
    1 yellow pepper deseeded and diced into on inch pieces
    1 orange pepper deseeded and diced into on inch pieces
    2 tbsp. of olive oil
    1/4 cup chopped onion
    1 clove of garlic finely minced
    1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
    1 tbsp. spelt flour
    2 cups Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk unsweetened
    1/2 cup raw cashews
    1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
    1 tsp. sea salt plus more to taste

Directions:
For tofu:
Once your tofu is removed of the excess water cut it into 7 or 8 pieces. Mix the tapioca flour nutritional yeast flax meal lemon zest salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread it out on a flat plate. Press the tofu into the flour mixture making sure to coat all sides. Heat the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in a flat pan and cook the tofu until it is a golden brown about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. If you want a glaze over your tofu remove the tofu from the pan and add the lemon/agave mixture to the hot pan then add the tofu back in for just a minute on each side. Remove.

For vegetables:
In the meantime heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the vegetables until they are somewhat tender about 7-10 minutes. Cook the quinoa pasta according to the directions.

For basil cream sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil adding the onion and garlic once hot. Stirring often cook until the onion is soft and fragrant about 5-6 minutes. Add the fresh basil and cook until it is wilted and bright green about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. In the same saucepan heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk in the flour using a wire whisk and cook for a little less than 1 minute or until the flour smells slightly toasted but is not burned. Gradually add the Soy Milk stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened. Add the basil mixture to the pan stirring until well combined. Remove from heat and set aside. In a blender process the raw cashews until the mixture resembles very fine powdery crumbs. Add the basil mixture nutritional yeast and sea salt and process until creamy. Return to the saucepan and heat until desired temperature and consistency adding more soy milk or sea salt to taste. Serve warm.

Assemble:
Spoon out some of the quinoa pasta onto your plate and top that with vegetables. Lay the tofu off to the other side of the plate and cover it all with the basil cream sauce and enjoy!

Do you have any suggestions for tasty ways to eat more nutritional yeast? Share your tips with us in the comments below and we’ll pick one winner for today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

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Vegetables and fruit do so many fantastic things for us… but there’s that little issue of Vitamin B12 the one nutrient we cannot obtain from any plant. And we need it. This water-soluble vitamin is essential to our bodies as it helps maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells and is needed to make DNA.

In a 100 plant-based diet there is no natural source of Vitamin B12 which is abundant in shellfish meat fish and dairy products. However according to the Mayo Clinic “the human body stores several years’ worth of B12 so nutritional deficiency of this vitamin is extremely rare”. B12 is an easy vitamin to incorporate without animal products as most cereals and a number of vegan foods are fortified with B12. Earth Balance™ Soy Milks for example provide 50 of the recommended dietary allowance in a one-cup serving.

Some brands of nutritional yeast a vegetarian and vegan favorite often referred to as “nooch” are fortified with B12 as much as 150 in one serving. Nutritional yeast should not be confused with brewer’s yeast and not all varieties are fortified with B12 so seek out the Red Star brand or make sure the brand you are using contains added B12. Some varieties may also include whey Red Star does not so vegans should make sure to avoid any that contain added dairy.

Not only does nutritional yeast provide a variety of healthy nutrients it’s also delicious! Later this afternoon we’ll feature a recipe that uses nutritional yeast an excellent source of vitamin B12 all packed into an extra tasty dish!

The government recommended dietary allowance for B12 is 2 to 3 micrograms mcgs per day while Jack Norris R.D a plant basied dietician suggests from 4 to 7mcgs. It is not recommended to rely solely on fortified foods to get the full needed amount of B12 and for those on vegan diets a daily supplement is strongly suggested.

How do you get your Vitamin B12? Do you take supplements use fortified foods? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll pick one winner for today’s Everyday Giveaway to receive coupons for FREE Earth Balance®!

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Our friend Connie Veilleux from the always informative Daily Forage Gluten Free blog recently tried the new Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread and she really enjoyed it. She posted a great review of the product on her website that we are rather proud of so we thought we would spread the good news! Here’s what Connie had to say about it…

“Why am I bringing you a product review of vegan margarine” you may be asking “when this is a gluten-free website?” That’s a great question. And I have two responses. First many celiacs and those with gluten intolerance are also intolerant of dairy. If this is the case for you implementing a dairy-free approach to your lifestyle can be important and bring favorable results. And as many of you know we practice a dairy-free lifestyle here along with eliminating gluten. Second I take great excitement in sharing with you products that we find truly valuable and make life for the gluten-free-goer and dairy-free in this case easier and definitely more delicious.

I was fortunate to receive some “free product” coupons for this Coconut Spread and I must say the coupons sat on my desk for a couple of months. I honestly was hesitant to try a coconut product because I’m not a big fan of coconut flavor in my food with the exception of shredded coconut in my oatmeal cookies that is. But I kept hearing the buzz about this spread. I finally decided that since I love the Earth Balance® Natural Buttery Spread I’d better at least give this Coconut Spread a try before sending it to the judge and jury. Well deliberations were not out for long ... this stuff is great!

I started my product review with experimentations in some of my tried and true recipes like Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cinnamon Rolls making equal substitutions for the called-for margarine measurements with Organic Coconut Spread instead. The results were perfect in both cases. Each recipe resulted in excellent performance and taste. In fact I think both might have been slightly improved. And the concern I had with a coconut flavor being imparted into the recipe did not happen. Though there was an only slightly sweeter flavor a wonderful complement to the cookies the essence of coconut wasn’t there. This was a positive attribute in my opinion. The dough for the cinnamon rolls and my homemade biscuits were lighter and flakier than the originals. There was a declaration that those were the best biscuits I’ve made since going gluten-free. Loved hearing that! I can’t wait to try it on roasted veggies or in an Asian stir-fry.

So let’s look at this Coconut Spread’s credentials:
-Plant Based / Vegan
-Lactose-Free
-Gluten-Free
-USDA Certified Organic
-Made with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
-Casein-Free
-Non-GMO Project Certified
-Soy-Free

With such positive results we’ll be using Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread in many of our upcoming recipes. Be sure to watch for it!

Thanks for sharing your review with us Connie! You can find more of Connie’s product reviews gluten & dairy free recipes and much more at: www.dailyforage-glutenfree.com – she’s also on Facebook and Twitter.

Have any of you out there tried the Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread yet? What do you think about it? Share your mini-reviews with us in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you win a coupon good for any FREE Earth Balance® product including of course the Coconut Spread! Haven't tried it yet? Then let us know how you think you'd use it on your first try!

We have exciting news to share this morning! Many of you come to Made Just Right™ on a regular basis for our great recipes healthy tips & plant-based lifestyle info. What some of you may not know is that we are an extension of the Earth Balance® family and there is a ton of great nutritional info as well as product information over at the Earth Balance® main website.

We are very pleased to announce that the Earth Balance® website just got a major overhaul and now there's a wonderful new site that's both easy on the eyes as well as easy to get around on to find just what you’re looking for! We invite you to visit the new website at: http://www.earthbalancenatural.com

Once there you'll find all the info you could possible want regarding the Earth Balance® line of Products Cooking Baking and Pairing tips Plant-Based Diet Allergies & Ingredient Info and even delicious Recipes!

Along with you we here at Made Just Right™ comprise the Earth Balance® community so we are so happy to see such a beautiful website for one of our most beloved line of products. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

Let us know what you think of the new website in the comments below! We'll pick one commenter to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance!

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Check out this great recipe submission below from Mickey Walker one of the winners in our Holiday Bake-Off… this time it’s not a dessert she’s serving up but a unique and delicious new use for Earth Balance® Buttery Spreads.
 
This herbal butter is about to change everything! It's not limited to using on vegetables as it is very versatile and could be used on your favorite biscuits or rolls pasta rice or my favorite here roasted vegetables. I got a fresh selection from my farmers market this morning and used what was just in for spring but I'm already looking forward to using this on sweet corn and winter squashes as the year goes on. Enjoy and have fun experimenting with this lovely condiment for your favorite side dish!

Ingredients:
    1 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
    1 tbsp. Fresh Dill chopped fine
    1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley chopped fine
    1/2 tsp. Fresh Thyme chopped fine
    1/4 tsp. Fresh Garlic minced fine
    1/4 tsp. Lemon Zest Meyer Lemon preferred
    2 tsp. Lemon Juice Meyer Lemon preferred
    1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
    1/4 tsp. Black Pepper ground
    1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
    English Peas
    Baby Fingerling Potatoes
    Asparagus
    Spring Onions

Directions:
To make the herbed butter put the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in a bowl and let it slightly soften to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. With a wooden spoon stir in all of the herbs and seasonings listed dill through onion powder. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Tear off a sheet of parchment or wax paper about 10" long and spoon the herbed butter into a sort of log shape in the center keeping it a few inches from the edges. Slightly shape it into a log and place it in your freezer to firm up. After about 15-20 minutes once firm remove it from the freezer and at this point you should be able to roll it easier into a nice log shape. Put it back into the refrigerator until ready to use to keep infusing and firming up.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and blanch the peas and asparagus for 1-2 minutes until slightly tender. Remove from the water and "shock" in a bowl of cold water. Drain and set aside. Using the same pot of water steam the fingerling potatoes until tender. Place the peas asparagus potatoes and sliced spring onions in a roasting pan and sprinkle with a little salt pepper and olive oil. Roast under a broiler until the vegetables start browning and blister slightly.

Serve vegetables immediately and place the herbed butter onto a long serving dish and cut several slices for people to help themselves. Once put on top of the vegetables the herbed butter will melt and flavor everything in it.

Mmm what a delightful topping for vegetables!

What’s your favorite way to dress vegetables? Share your faves with us in the comments for a chance to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

Another week and another round of delicious plant based recipes & info coming your way! This week we have the winners of our recent contests to announce as well as some exciting announcements to share.

We're really enjoying the coming of spring and depending on where you live you might be starting to see not only the weather change too but also the availability of fresh fruits & vegetables. We'll be bringing you some tasty spring treats this week such as Roasted Spring Vegetables with Herbed "Butter" Lemon Tofu & Vegetables with Quinoa Pasta & Vegan Cream Basil Sauce Vegan Quiches and scrumptious Berry Biscuits!

We'll also be digging into some nutritional information with a post on nutritional yeast an ingredient featured in a number of the recipes mentioned above as well as take a look at how it can be beneficial to eat from all the colors of the rainbow... stick around to find out what the various colors in fresh produce are actually good for.

But first we have some winners to announce!

The winner of our Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps book giveaway is:
Madelyn Vonderau
Many thanks to author Kim Barnouin and her team at Harper Collins for sponsoring this contest!

5 lucky Made Just Right™ members have also earned themselves FREE Earth Balance® coupons! Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The winners from last week are:
Kim Block
Kitsa Tsivoulas
Kelly OConnor-Salomon
Kasandra Griebel
Susan Benson

Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.

We'll also be announcing the winner of our big Pinterest contest this Friday... stick around until then to find out who won!

Let us know in the comments below what your favorite spring fruits or vegetables are and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®! The more you comment on our posts the greater your chances of seeing your name up here as a winner next week!

We’ve now reached the final leg of our Pinterest contest the last day to enter is this Sunday March 25th. The Grand Prize winner will get a professional grade Blendtec Blender a year’s supply of Earth Balance® coupons and an Earth Balance® cutting board!

For a reminder of how to enter read all the info here:
http://www.madejustright.com/post/earth-balance-pinterest-contest

For even more Pinterest inspiration here’s where you can find a few more of favorite pinners:

VegNews: http://pinterest.com/vegnews
Ginny Messina: http://pinterest.com/ginnymessina
Vanessa Rees: http://pinterest.com/vkrees
Engine2Diet: http://pinterest.com/engine2diet
Namely Marly: http://pinterest.com/namelymarly

Now that you’ve seen some great Pinterest board ideas we hope you’ll be inspired to share your own with us. You have until Sunday to curate your own "Earth Balance Favorites" board in order to win. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Good luck!

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A couple weeks ago we featured an entire week of informative guest posts by vegan dietitian Jack Norris R.D. We received so many great questions for Jack in the comments that we thought we’d have him back to answer some of them for you.

Laryssa Wirstiuk asked:
How can I make sure that I'm getting enough iron and how do I know when I'm not getting enough iron? This is something that concerns me because my non-vegan friends are always reminding me that I could be missing important nutrients despite my effort to eat a diverse and nutrient-rich diet.

Answer: Generally if you feel fine then you are probably getting enough iron. If you feel fatigued or have other symptoms of iron deficiency then you should check with a doctor to see if you have iron deficiency. The real trick to improving your iron levels on a vegan diet is to consume vitamin C and avoid coffee and tea at meals. This is because what matters more for plant iron absorption is not how much iron you are getting but how well it is absorbed. Vitamin C is a strong iron absorption enhancer and coffee and tea have iron absorption inhibitors.  You can read more here: http://veganhealth.org/articles/iron

Melissa McElroy asked:
How can I get more protein without eating a ton of soy? I feel like I eat way too many usually processed soy products per day.

Answer: All legumes products are good sources of protein as is quinoa. Legumes include beans peas lentils and peanuts.

Beth Mickens asked:
A close co-worker and I talk a lot about our differences in diets. While she is a devoted Paleo I am a devoted vegan. Her and I are both very informed about both diets and continuously debate about what diet is best for our bodies. While we both agree a gluten-free diet low in carbs and higher in protein and fat seems to be ideal I'm really interesting in hearing what the RDs say about following what we call a "Vegan Paleo" diet... one that contains no animal products but is focused on the concept of eating a higher amount of protein and healthy fats? Another thing she commented to me that I really want to know... as a vegan will my skin lose elasticity faster causing me to look more aged at a younger age than a meat eater based on the fact collagen is only found in meat? assuming I don't use ANY products on my face. Help me bust that one!!

Answer: There has been one four-week clinical trial that put people on a low-carb vegan diet which they called "ECO-Atkins" with positive results. I personally don't think it's necessary for most people but if someone feels good on it then more power to them. I'd say the same about gluten-free. Gluten has become an easy molecule to hate but it's just a protein that most people can break down into amino acids as they do with most protein. Some people have an autoimmune reaction against it but that puts it in good company with a host of other proteins. If you have celiac disease then avoiding gluten is very important but a knee-jerk reaction to avoid gluten by people without celiac disease is in my opinion a waste of time and energy. For what it's worth one study showed that avoiding gluten can have harmful effects on beneficial gut bacteria.

In terms of looking old because of not getting enough collagen just make sure you are getting enough protein by eating at least 2 servings of legumes including soy foods or quinoa per day. There has been no research indicating vegans have collagen issues and many vegans look younger than their age. People often mistake me for being 10 years younger than I am. I don't know that it's only due to being vegan but the high level of antioxidants in the vegan diet might be at least part of the reason I stay looking relatively young.

Amy Davidson asked:
How much DHA should a vegan take daily?

Answer: 200 to 300 mg every 2-3 days should be fine for vegans under 60. For vegans 60 and older I recommend 200-300 every day.

Terri Cole asked:
I need to lose 100 lbs. Are there any structured diet programs that have vegan options? It also needs to be affordable; my budget is already stretched to the breaking point!

Answer: I would recommend PCRM's program for treating type 2 diabetes even if you don't have type 2 diabetes: http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=1733

If you do this program make sure you get all the nutrients that vegans need by seeing the recommendations here: http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs

Jane asked:
I want to know whether or not it's worth taking a B12 supplement even if you consume a good amount of soy products.

Answer: Soy doesn't naturally contain vitamin B12. See this page for how much vitamin B12 someone needs from either fortified foods or supplements: http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs

Jennifer Lipinski asked:
Obviously too much of anything can end up being a bad thing but I have heard that too much soy can be rather unhealthy for you. How can I continue to get enough of my daily nutrients without going overboard on the soy?

Answer: You can get everything that you get from soy from other legumes. Here is an article discussing the harmful effects of soy: http://jacknorrisrd.com/?p=1778

Kristen Wilk asked:
Are there particular vitamin/mineral supplements that are recommended for every vegan?

Answer: See this post: http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs

Sferd asked:
I am concerned about bone loss my mother has Osteoporosis which is one of the reasons I went vegan. I feel that my calcium intake is currently sufficient but isn't Magnesium also needed? Do I need a Magnesium supplement?

Answer: Vegan diets generally have enough magnesium which is found in a wide range of plant foods legumes whole grains leafy greens. Leafy greens also have a lot of other important nutrients for bones such as vitamin K and potassium.

Scooby asked:
I am wondering if Vitamin D2 is as effective as D3. It is my understanding that D2 is vegan and D3 is not. I have low vitamin D levels and am concerned about this.

Answer: In amounts of about 1000 IU per day vitamin D2 and D3 appear to be about the same. In large amounts of 50000 IU per week vitamin D3 is more effective at keeping vitamin D levels high.

Mirkat asked:
I've heard that there are vegan sources of D3 but there has been some disagreement as to whether they are really vegan.  Are there D3 supplements that are truly vegan and nutritionally reliable?

Answer: There is now a vegan version of vitamin D3 from Vitashine. It should be the same as any other vitamin D3.

Gabrielle Smith asked:
I would like to know the best vegan sources for Omega 3 fatty acids other than walnuts.

Answer: flaxseeds flaxseed oil canola oil chia seeds are all great sources. You can read more here: http://veganhealth.org/articles/omega3

Dhonna Schwertl asked:
I am also interested in getting enough Omega 3s.  I'd like to know how they are affected by cooking/baking.

Answer: Flaxseed oil should not be heated but flaxseeds are okay if baked. As a general rule you should not rely on cooked oils for omega-3s.

Lauren Culp asked:
What tests should I vegans ask the doctor at my annual check-up to make sure I'm not missing anything with my diet?

Answer: iron vitamin D homocysteine an indirect measure of B12 and folate

Keya Millionie asked:
What should vegans take if they're pregnant?

Answer: Typical pre-natal vitamins and a DHA supplement of 300 mg/day.

Jane asked:
Is it better to err on the side of too many vitamins or less? I usually drink fortified soy milk and plan to start taking B12 vitamins too but I don't want to overdo it!

Answer: It's pretty hard to overdue B12 or other B vitamins folic acid may be an exception – it's good to get that mostly from the diet unless you might become pregnant in which case you should take a folic acid supplement. But if you are supplementing you can get too much of some minerals and fat-soluble vitamins. You can check at VeganHealth.org for any particular nutrient. The Linus Pauling Institute also has good information on nutrients.

Beth Mickens asked:
What's your opinion on using whole food whole meal powders that contain 50-100 of you daily needs for vitamins minerals etc as opposed to pills concentrated on one vitamin or mineral?

Answer: Not surprisingly I think people should get what they can from foods and get what they can't or don't get from foods from supplements. I don't have an opinion on meal powders other than to say that you cannot get vitamin B12 from any vegan food that is not fortified with it.

MizzB asked:
I read Dr. Norris' blog regularly and would thank him for the information he provides and the research he does to back it up. How does he stay motivated to do what he does?

Answer: I appreciate the question! I am motivated by my concern for animals and I generally have a desire to help people who need it.

We would like to once again thank Jack Norris for being so generous with sharing his expert information with us… we’ve all learned so much from him and hope to have him back again soon! You can visit his website at: http://www.jacknorrisrd.com

Have you made any changes to your diet based on nutritional info you learned here in recent weeks? Let us know if you found any of these tips useful... we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

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The colorful pea soup is very easy to prepare and has wonderful texture and flavor you will enjoy! It was submitted to our recipe gallery by our current Member of the Month Donna Bardocz.

Ingredients: Servings: 16
4 cups of peeled and cubed potatoes
1/4 cups of Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Sticks melted
1 cup of Earth Balance® Organic Soy Milk
11 cups of cups good quality vegetable stock or broth
4 cups of cups fresh or frozen baby peas
1/4 cups of chives
3 pinches of smoked paprika

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large pot sauté potatoes in melted Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks until lightly browned. Stir in the Earth Balance® Soy Milk along with the stock or broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 5-8 minutes longer or until potatoes and peas are tender. Cool slightly.

In a blender process soup in batches until smooth or use an immersion blender right in the pot instead. Return all to the pot and heat through. Sprinkle each serving with chives and serve topped with a sprinkling of smoked paprika.

Mmm so warming yet perfect for spring!

The seasons are changing and we want to know: what's your favorite spring food? Let us know in the comments below for a chance to win today's Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance!

The lucky winner from the month of February is Donna Bardocz… congratulations Donna and thanks for being a part of our community!

Here’s what Donna told us about herself:
Hello everyone! I can tell you in all honesty that I have never been a true vegan although my sister is. However I have always been a health addict but also a big sweet lover. So I was always at odds with trying to figure out how I could "Have my cake and eat it too" as that saying goes. I love to cook and especially love to bake so I am always trying to find products that I can use that are more healthy but have lots and lots of good taste. Earth Balance products are helping me do just that!

I have 8 grandchildren and their parents are always concerned about adding too much processed foods animal fats and trans-fats into their diets along with worrying about their families cholesterol intake too. So it only makes sense to seek out products that taste good and yet are a lot more healthy! Thanks Earth Balance for bringing us bakers some great products with your all-natural and non-dairy products you offer! Good Health = Good Life!

Check back later this afternoon for a delicious recipe from Donna for Spring Pea Soup!

We'd love to hear from the rest of you out there about why you like to visit MadeJustRight.com. Tell us what you enjoy most about visiting this website and we'll pick one of you to win today's Everyday Giveaway for free Earth Balance®!

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Our Pinterest contest is up and running and we’re amazed by all the delicious “boards” you all have been creating!

Consider this your mid-week reminder as there is still time to enter the contest by creating your own "Earth Balance Favorites" board in order to win your very own Blendtec Blender! The grand prize winner will also receive a year’s supply of Earth Balance® coupons and an Earth Balance® cutting board.

For a reminder of how to enter read all the info here:
http://www.madejustright.com/post/earth-balance-pinterest-contest

For some great Pinterest inspiration take a look at some of our favorite pinboards:

Carolyn Scott-Hamilton: http://pinterest.com/healthyvoyager
PlantasticLiving: http://pinterest.com/plantasticlivin
Kathy Patalsky: http://pinterest.com/kpatalsky
Noelle PeacefulPlate: http://pinterest.com/sweetsoul
Kathy Hester: http://pinterest.com/kathy_hester

You have until Sunday March 25th at 9pm PST to create & curate your own "Earth Balance Favorites" board on Pinterest and post the link to our Facebook page.

Good luck!

A special note to the Made Just Right™ community

Thanks for the great response and feedback we received for our recent gluten free week with Gluten Free Gigi. We're happy to know so many of you benefitted from her information and this type of content. We'll have more on food allergies and intolerances in the future so keep an eye out!

Gigi is grateful for the response too and wrote the following note which she asked us to send along to you. In it you'll find a special link to sign up for her free e-Letter and get entered for her giveaway of coupons for FREE Earth Balance®! Gigi's regular e-Letter includes great gluten free information and recipes that routinely include Earth Balance® products. It's a great resource for keeping up with the gluten free lifestyle!

Thanks again for a great week and good luck in the Gluten Free Gigi / Earth Balance Giveaway!

Below is an invitation to the contest from Gigi to you!

Hi Everybody!

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my gluten free guest posts last week at MadeJustRight.com. It's a real treat to connect with such a great group of people who share my desire to eat and live a healthy lifestyle!

I want you to stay in touch with me and stay current on my new gluten free recipes and informative "A Side of Science" column each week. That's why I'm inviting you to sign up for my free e-Letter. By signing up you'll also be entered for a giveaway of coupons for FREE Earth Balance® products courtesy of our friends right here at Made Just Right™!

If you're looking for practical immediately useful ideas about nutrition and gluten free living I know you'll be pleased with my free e-Letter and of course we all love Earth Balance®! To visit the sign-up page and enter to win click here.
 
Thanks again for all of the wonderful feedback and response and thanks to Made Just Right for giving me this fantastic opportunity to share what I am doing!
 
xo
Gluten Free Gigi

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We are slightly obsessed with this recipe for Vegan Caramel Corn by Sarah from Veggie Kids! Not only is it more nutritious than the regular version but adults love it just as much as kids do! Make up a batch before your next movie night but be sure to make a lot because it will disappear quick!

Ingredients:
about 5 quarts popped popcorn if using air-popped add 1/2 tsp. sea salt into melted mixture below otherwise-do not add any extra salt
1/2 C. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
1/2 C. agave nectar/pure maple syrup blend or either one in a total combination of 1/2 cup
3/4 C. brown or turbinado raw sugar
1 1/2 tsp. blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
optional- 1 C. nuts of choice I've used pecans & peanuts

Place cooked popcorn in large bowl.

In medium sauce pan melt the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread. Add agave nectar/maple syrup sugar & molasses. Stir continuously over medium heat and add in vanilla and cinnamon optional.

Bring to boil. Turn off heat. Stir in baking soda and it will get all foamy.

Immediately pour over popcorn and nuts if you're adding them in. Stir until everything is well coated.
Let rest for 10 minutes before eating.

This is a great gift to bring to someone's house or a fun dessert the whole family will love. And the best part is it comes together so quickly plus it's made without high-fructose corn syrup!

You can find many more of Sarah’s kid-approved recipes at her blog Veggie Kids and you can even see her in action with some step-by-step preparations at her new YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/veggiekidsblogspot

What's your favorite kid-friendly veggie dish or snack? Let us know and we'll pick one lucky commenter to win our Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance® coupons!

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We are very excited today to let you know about the release of one of the most anticipated new vegan books Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps by Kim Barnouin! So excited in fact that we're going to be giving away a copy to one lucky winner today! You can enter to win at the bottom of this post.

This latest release in the now famous 'Skinny Bitch' series is being called "a must-have guide for the smart vegan". Here's the description directly from the publisher Harper Collins:

"A vegan lifestyle is the newest hot health trend—thanks in no small part to the smart fearless and number one New York Times bestselling Skinny Bitch books. But with so much conflicting information out there it’s not always easy to make the best choices. Now Skinny Bitch coauthor Kim Barnouin is back with a book that makes making the right vegan choice easy. In Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps Kim Barnouin takes the mystery out of following a plant-based diet. It’s a comprehensive user-friendly guide that tells you what foods look healthy but actually aren’t and explains how to avoid the stuff you don’t want. And because Kim knows that the concerns of today’s savvy eaters run the gamut from calories to carbon footprints she explains it all."

Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps offers exciting and tasty alternatives for vegans whether you’re just starting out or have been a vegan for years. Barnouin’s fun no-nonsense voice sparkles on every page and in helpful lists and features like:

•    The Best Places for Vegans to Grocery Shop
•    Delicious Swaps for Your Favorite Dairy Products
•    Top Ten Things to Eat While Stranded in an Airport

AUTHOR BIO:
Kim Barnouin holds a master of science in holistic nutrition. A former model she is the author or coauthor of seven books and has successfully counseled models actors athletes and other professionals using the Skinny Bitch method. She lives in Los Angeles.

To learn more about Kim visit her website at:  http://healthybitchdaily.com. You can also follow Skinny Bitch on Facebook and Twitter.

To enter to win your very own copy of Skinny Bitch Book of Swaps:
Leave us a comment below letting us know what your best healthy vegan eating secret is. One example would be "I like to add a tablespoon of hemp seeds to my morning smoothie for an extra boost of protein". Share your best tips with us and we'll pick one of you to win the book! You have until this Friday March 23rd to enter and the winner will be announced next week. Good luck!

If you would prefer to skip the contest and purchase the book directly you can find it at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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One of our favorite vegan bloggers Hannah Kaminsky recently did a great review of the new Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread as well as the MindfulMayo® Dressing and Sandwich Spread. Using the MindfulMayo® she created a simple green garlic dip that’s an excellent accompaniment to any party platter of crackers veggies or chips. Thanks to a serendipitous find of frozen garlic scapes it took just a push of the “blend” button to churn out a gloriously emerald-hued and garlic-imbued dip.

Ingredients: makes about 1 cup
6 Ounces 1/2 Package Extra-Firm Silken Tofu
1/2 Cup Frozen Chopped Garlic Scapes Thawed
1 Cup Fresh Spinach Packed
1/2 Cup MindfulMayo® Dressing and Sandwich Spread
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Teaspoons White Miso Paste
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Simply toss everything into your food processor or blender and blitz until perfectly smooth. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure that everything gets incorporated. Season to taste and chill thoroughly before serving.

Wow so easy to make yet so delicious!

To see more of Hannah’s creations including her many spectacular desserts visit her blog at http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com

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With our recipe gallery now boasting over 500 delicious vegan recipes we are curious to know what your favorites are! So much so that we're holding a contest to see whose combination of favorites can impress us the most! The winner will get a Blendtec Blender! It truly is an ‘all-in-one’ appliance that makes smoothies fresh juice ice cream milkshakes cappuccinos margaritas soups sauces bread dough dressings salsas and more! Make no mistake about it this is a professional quality appliance that will transform your kitchen forever more!

We'll be switching things up with this contest by asking you to share your favorite recipes with us by pinning them to Pinterest. If you're not yet familiar with Pinterest it's basically a virtual pinboard where you can save your favorite links and images to boards that you curate. Think of it as your own personal online bulletin board from where you can save and share the great stuff you find online.

You can easily create your free Pinterest account by requesting an invite by clicking here- within a few days of making your request your account will be created and then you will be able to start pinning all of your faves!

Here's how to enter the Earth Balance® Pinterest Contest:

Step 1: Follow our Pinterest account at: http://pinterest.com/madejustright

Step 2: Create a pinboard and name it "Earth Balance Favorites"

Step 3: Pin 10 of your favorite Earth Balance® recipes to your board from www.madejustright.com - or simply repin recipes straight from our Made Just Right™ Pinterest boards. You can mix and match as long as you have at least 10 recipe pins. Eligible repinned recipes must be those that link back to and originate from www.madejustright.com

Step 4: Tag all 10 eligible recipes in your board with "earthbalance"

Step 5 optional: You can also then pin any other links to your board of plant-based vegan recipes that you like which contain Earth Balance® products in the listed ingredients. These do not have to link back to www.madejustright.com and can be from anywhere on the internet as long as they are plant-based and are made with at least one Earth Balance® product.

Step 6: Once you have created and organized your board the way you would like it to appear post the link to your board on our Earth Balance® Facebook page. To do so you will first need to "like" Earth Balance® on Facebook if you haven't already then you will be able to leave a comment with your link on our wall. Don't already have a Facebook account? Creating one is easy at: www.facebook.com

If you’re new to the whole Pinterest thing here is a quick and easy guide to get you started: http://pinterest.com/about/help/

Get creative with your board; we want to see your favorite delicious recipes!

The winner will be chosen based on how creative and appetizing their board is. So start looking around Made Just Right™ as well as the rest of the web for the most amazing Earth Balance® recipes you can find and pin to win!

The grand prize winner will receive:
-a Blendtec Blender
–a year’s supply of Earth Balance® coupons
-an Earth Balance® cutting board.

You have until Sunday March 25th at 9pm PST to create & curate your "Earth Balance® Favorites" board on Pinterest and post the link to our Facebook page. The winner will be notified by email.

Good luck!

Official Rules
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THE CONTEST. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW OR REGULATIONS.

-You must be a registered Made Just Right™ member in order to enter the contest. To register click the “Sign Up” link on the top right of the homepage at MadeJustRight.com – registration is free.

-You must have a Facebook account and “like” Earth Balance on Facebook in order to enter.  http://www.facebook.com/earthbalancenatural. Alternate forms of submission will not be accepted or eligible. You will need to post a link to your Pinterest board entry on the Earth Balance Facebook Page to be eligible to win. Facebook account may be created at http://www.facebook.com –registration is free.

-You will need to have a Pinterest account in order to enter the contest. Pinterest accounts are free though you must first receive and accept an invitation to join. Invitations may be obtained by clicking the “Request an Invite” link at http://www.pinterest.com

-You must follow the Made Just Right on Pinterest in order to enter: http://pinterest.com/madejustright

-You must be at least eighteen 18 years of age as of March 19 2012 to enter the contest.

-This contest is open to all legal U.S. residents.

-Winners will be contacted via email at the email address listed on their Made Just Right profile account. If our team does not hear back within 48 hours after notification has been sent a new winner will be selected in your place.

-Limit one entry per person. Multiple entries or boards will not be considered.

-This giveaway ends at 9:00PM PST on March 25 2012.

-Winner will be announced during the week of March 26th once judging has been completed.

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"Irish" and "vegan" aren't two words that you would usually put together but this St. Patrick’s Day why not day try a dairy-free twist on a classic Irish dish? We promise you won't be able to tell the difference! Colcannon is a traditional Irish preparation made with mashed potatoes and greens two perfect ingredients with which to create the perfect vegan dish! We adapted this colcannon recipe from the original by Lauren Reskin.

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Kale roughly 1 pound
2-4 lbs of potatoes skins on or off as per your preference
6 scallions/green onions
1 cup Earth Balance® Organice Soy Milk unsweetened
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and remove the large stalks from the kale. Place it in a covered pot with a 1/4 inch of water at the bottom and steam on medium heat until the leaves turn bright green about 5-7 minutes.

In a large pot cover the washed and quartered potatoes with water and boil until a sharp knife can slice through the potato chunks with ease. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot over low heat. Add the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread and Soy Milk and then mash everything together. If it needs more liquid add more Soy Milk until you get the consistency you desire.

Slice the scallions and add them and the drained cooked kale to the potatoes and re-mash until it's all well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve make a little "moat" in your pile of colcannon and add a fat pat of Earth Balance® Buttery Spread.

Variations:
As seen in the photo cabbage can be used instead of kale. The name is actually from "cal ceann fhionn" which means white-headed cabbage. Slice a head of cabbage into thin strips and steamed until soft.  Add lightly sautéed leeks instead of green onions. Throw in a small handful of chopped parsley. Add chopped garlic to your heart's content.

Enjoy your St. Patty’s Day everyone!

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A guest post by Gluten Free Gigi

If you have Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity and are on a gluten free diet you already know how life changing special diets can be. This week let’s talk about going dairy free. That’s right... No milk no cheese no butter! 

At first it can be a challenge; however removing dairy from your diet regardless of food sensitivities or food allergies can improve your overall health and daily performance. Once you learn the basics dairy free living is simple and affordable and may actually extend your life!

I’ve done the research so let’s take a look at why you may want to go dairy free. Then I’ll reveal a few “dairy myths” that may surprise you. Next we’ll take a look at the best substitutes for the most common dairy products you’re used to eating.

Why Go Dairy Free?
An estimated 75 of the world’s population is lactose intolerant meaning they cannot digest milk or milk products. While this is not a serious health risk consuming dairy products causes extreme discomfort for lactose intolerant individuals.

Some symptoms of lactose intolerance are abdominal pain bloating and nausea. In addition dairy products contribute to a variety of health issues such as sinus problems ear infections and Type I Diabetes. Research also links dairy to increasing the risk of cancer and heart disease as well as exacerbating the symptoms of autism and worsening Iron Deficiency Anemia by inhibiting iron uptake. With all these negatives why are we so convinced that we must consume dairy?

Dairy Myths Revealed!
Let’s take a look at the science behind two common myths about why we need dairy in our diet.

Myth: Calcium is vital to strong bones and fracture prevention.
Fact: Vitamin D is more critical than calcium in preventing fractures. Vegans and raw foodists can get over 7 of your daily requirement of Vitamin D by simply adding 1 cup of raw Shiitake mushrooms to their diet. No dairy required!

Myth: Milk is good for your skin.
Fact: Milk can cause acne. The anabolic steroids and growth hormones in a mere two servings of milk per day can increase the chance of severe acne by 44! On the other hand a diet of fresh fruits vegetables legumes and whole grains leads to clearer skin and a lower risk of acne.

Product Substitutes for Your Dairy Free Life
The three most common forms of dairy consumed are milk cheese and butter. For each there are delicious substitutes that will have you living a longer healthier dairy free life in no time!

Of course there are various soy- and nut-based products available as dairy substitutes. Our focus though is on products that fit a soy free nut free lifestyle.

Rice coconut oat hemp and flax milks are some of the more common milk substitutes available. Milks made from hemp and flax have a stronger flavor than those made from rice oat or coconut. These milks have a sweeter milder flavor. Rice and coconut milks seem to be more palatable for adding to breakfast cereals while those with strong flavors can add depth to recipes like breads and muffins.

For cheese substitutes Daiya dairy free vegan shreds win hands-down! This shredded “cheese” product melts and stretches like real cheese and the taste is surprisingly comparable.
 
Earth Balance® Buttery Spread makes and excellent butter substitute and can also be used for baking! You can check out my review of Earth Balance® dairy free products for more info.

For more information on nutrition gluten free living along with plenty of delicious recipes visit Gluten Free Gigi at www.glutenfreegigi.com

Has anyone out there experienced any significant health benefits after giving up dairy? Share your story with us in the comments below and one of you will picked as the winner of today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!               

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Today we are sharing an especially delicious gluten free nut free vegan treat from Gluten Free Gigi!

There is one recipe from my childhood holidays I never refashioned to fit my gluten free dairy free soy free nut free life. In fact until I started thinking of what to share for an event I was attending I hadn’t even considered the super-simple bars my mother used to make.

“Magic Bars” “Seven Layer Bars” “Everything Bars” “Homemade Candy Bars”. I bet you’ve even got other names for them I’ve never heard. Whatever you call them if you’ve had them and if you’re honest about it you know they’re just plain yum. There’s not one healthy thing about them in their original form… they are loaded with fat and sugar and all sorts of things you should probably never feed anyone especially children!

Every ingredient in the original recipe is off-limits to me. Some were easy to substitute others were a challenge. Namely butterscotch chips and sweetened condensed milk. I made my own version of each and I'm including links for those recipes here too in case you're like me and need gluten free dairy free options for these ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup Earth Balance® Soy Free Buttery Spread melted
1 recipe dairy free sweetened condensed "Milk" Recipe
1 cup dairy free butterscotch chips Recipe
1 cup Enjoy Life Foods or any non-dairy mini chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened grated organic coconut
1 cup roasted salted or unsalted whichever you prefer organic sunflower seeds I used salted to offset the sweetness of the bars a bit

Gluten Free Gigi Tip: If you're making the dairy free sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch chips do that first. It takes a little time to prepare those.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan I like to use a glass baking dish for these bars with a cooking spray or grease lightly. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl stir graham crumbs and Earth Balance® Buttery Spread together. Press into the prepared baking dish.

Pour sweetened condensed "milk" evenly over top of graham crust.

Layer butterscotch chips chocolate chips coconut and seeds. Press gently with palm of your hand.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.

Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen the bars then cut into squares. Allow bars to cool completely before removing from pan.

I love to chill these bars just a little before serving. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Do you have a favorite beloved recipe that you've managed to succesfully veganize? Let us know about it in the comments and we'll pick one winner for today's Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®... your comment is your contest entry!

Here is one more final push to get you guys signed up on Pinterest so that you will be ready & eligible to enter the contest we will be running next week!

We introduced you to Pinterest earlier this week so we just wanted to remind you once more that in order to participate in the contest you will need to have a Pinterest account. Getting an account set up is easy but you need to be invited a process which can take a few days. We don’t want you to be left behind!

If you haven’t created your Pinterest account yet visit http://pinterest.com/landing and enter your email address. You should receive your invite to create your account within a few days. If you are having trouble receiving an invitation or have questions about the contest once it's been officially announced visit our forum for help.

Please note that you will also need to have a Facebook account as well as be a registered member here on Made Just Right in order to enter this contest. So if you haven't set up your Facebook or Made Just Right profiles yet it's free to do both! get a head start by registering today so that you can enter to win big on Monday!

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This gluten free vegan soy free recipe is brought to you by Gluten Free Gigi.

A recipe at Epicurious for Glazed Turnips with Scallions & Parsley appealed to me so I went with it modifying it to be dairy free and vegan by omitting the copious amount of butter used and switching from chicken broth to veggie broth.

The turnips are tender yet not mushy and their mild earthy flavor shines through. The green onions cooked down to an almost buttery consistency and lent the perfect accent flavor to this dish.  This dish is so healthy and simple to prepare I know you'll love it as much as I do!

Ingredients:
2 T. Earth Balance® Buttery Spread I used soy-free
3 pounds turnips peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch thick wedges or chunks
2 1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. sea salt
2 scallions thinly sliced
1 T. roughly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt the Earth Balance® Buttery Spread in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add turnips and stir until well coated. Add veggie broth scallions sugar and salt; bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer covered until turnips are fork tender. This took approximately 30 minutes for me.

Uncover the pot and continue to boil stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced enough to just glaze the turnips. This took about 20 minutes for me. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

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A guest post by Gluten Free Gigi

Even though I'm not vegan or vegetarian many people on a gluten free diet are one or the other. That's why this is among the top nutrition questions I receive: "How can I get enough protein if I don’t eat meat or dairy?"

The answer is simple and gives us another reason to LOVE living gluten free! My answer also provides great information for EVERYONE not just those who don't eat meat or animal products. Adding healthy variety to our gluten free diet keeps it interesting and tasty! Incorporating certain gluten free whole “grains” into our diet is a fantastic way to get healthy protein on our plate and much much more! Today’s focus... QUINOA!

What is Quinoa?
Quinoa pronounced keen-wah while referred to as a whole grain really isn’t a grain at all. It’s a tiny seed from a plant in the Goosefoot family. Some familiar relatives of quinoa are beets Swiss chard spinach and amaranth. Like its familiar relatives quinoa is a great way to add nutrition to our gluten free diet!

Important Health Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa is...
-considered a complete protein because it contains all essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are necessary for supporting life due to their involvement in various biochemical reactions in our bodies. Our bodies are not able to make essential amino acids. They must come from the foods we eat.

-a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids which have important anti-inflammatory and more! properties in our bodies

-a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin E

-high in nutrients like calcium magnesium phosphorus potassium iron and zinc many with Celiac disease lack some of these nutrients!

-low in sodium

-high in dietary fiber 36 soluble 64 insoluble

-It’s also gluten free affordable and simple to prepare!

Cooking with Quinoa
Before cooking whole quinoa seeds...
Rinse dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cool water before cooking. Don't worry! It isn't going to hurt you but it will make your quinoa taste bitter if you don't rinse it off! This removes saponin the bitter-tasting substance naturally present on quinoa. Rinse until the seeds no longer produce foam this is the saponin coming off the seeds. Some brands of quinoa are pre-rinsed and indicate this on the package.

How to cook whole quinoa:
Once rinsed combine 1 part quinoa and 2 parts liquid you can use water or vegetable broth in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmering for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork when quinoa is done.

How to tell quinoa is fully cooked:
Quinoa absorbs the liquid it is cooked in so it will appear somewhat dry in the pot. The white germ in the quinoa seeds uncoils when quinoa is fully cooked so it looks like each seed has a little white tail.

How to use cooked quinoa:
Cooked quinoa makes a great substitute for rice in pilafs and other dishes. It’s also a great side dish when tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs like basil or chives. You can also add diced veggies and seasonings to the pot when you’re cooking quinoa.

Try adding up to 1 cup total for any combination of the following:
Onion carrots celery tomatoes zucchini eggplant sweet potato broccoli or cauliflower minced garlic or shredded cabbage. Diced beets are also a great addition but best when added AFTER quinoa is cooked.

For more information on nutrition and gluten free living along with plenty of delicious recipes visit Gluten Free Gigi at www.glutenfreegigi.com

Have you had quinoa before? What’s your favorite way to eat it? Share with us in the comments and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s Everyday Giveaway for FREE Earth Balance®!

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A guest post by Gluten Free Gigi

How about a simple single-skillet dish filled with flavors of the Caribbean islands? With five fantastic types of pepper this delight will make you want to Mambo!  This gluten free vegan soy free & nut free recipe is brought to you by Gluten Free Gigi.

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 whole yellow pepper chopped
2 large plantains cut into 1/2-inch thick slices not very green but also not too dark & soft in-between ripeness is best
1 tablespoon raw coconut aminos
1 Tablespoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Earth Balance® Soy Free Spread
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon habanero hot pepper sauce or to taste; I use 3 teaspoons!
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro optional

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion yellow pepper and plantains cooking for 5 minutes stirring occasionally so that the plantains do not stick to the pan.

Add aminos thyme allspice salt ginger red pepper black pepper Earth Balance® and chickpeas. Stir mixture to coat chickpeas evenly.

Add the additional 2 Tablespoons of oil. Stir in garlic; sauté 2 minutes.

Gluten Free Gigi Tip: Garlic burns easily so we'll stir often to keep it moving around. We'll pay close attention to this for two minutes.

Drizzle with hot sauce and stir well.

Finally sprinkle the dish with cilantro if you want to use some give everything a final stir and serve your meal hot from the skillet! 

Where's the Fifth Pepper? It's allspice! This seasoning is a signature flavor of island fare. It's the dried unripe berry of the Jamaican pepper tree. It is also sometimes called pimento not to be confused with pimiento... a capsicum which is a veggie not a spice!. Allspice gets its name from the fact it mimics the flavor of a combination of other spices like cinnamon nutmeg and cloves with an underlying peppery spark. In North American cuisine we typically find it only used in sweeter dishes like pumpkin and apple pie. However the uses of allspice go much further in the rest of the world where it's often used in savory dishes. Have fun trying allspice in all sorts of things for a little sweet and spicy kick!

You can find many more recipes and gluten free info at the Gluten Free Gigi website: http://www.glutenfreegigi.com

Have you ever tried plantains before? Tell us in the comments below and we’ll pick one of you to win today’s FREE Earth Balance® in our Everyday Giveaway!

We're not gonna lie... some of us here at the Made Just Right™ office are totally addicted to Pinterest! We spend way too much time online adding drool-worthy recipes to our Pinterest boards as well as browsing through all the other delicious and amazing stuff that gets added to Pinterest at a rate we can't possibly keep up with! Have you seen our Pinterest page? If not you are missing out! You can find and follow us at: http://pinterest.com/madejustright

If you're not familiar with it yet Pinterest is basically a huge virtual bulletin-board filled with images and inspiration. You can create online “pinboards” based on any theme that interests you and then curate and share links pictures ideas favorite products etc... The things you pin can then be “re-pinned” by others you follow or “pinned” from anywhere on the web using the “pin it” button you might have noticed we've started adding a "pin it" button to some of our new posts so that you can easily add our recipes and articles to your Pinterest. The pins also link back to the original website so it's a lot like “bookmarking” your favorite sites but in a visually appealing way that you get to share with others.

Browsing your favorite topics on Pinterest is a great way to find ideas on how to do or make just about anything. Food and recipes in particular are HUGE on Pinterest which is just one of the many reasons we're a bit obsessed... don't even get us started on all the shoes home organizing tips and cute baby animals!

Many of you are already happily using Pinterest but if you need further incentive to start doing so beginning next week March 19th we will be running our first ever Pinterest contest! We're going to keep the details a surprise until then but let's just say the prize is AWESOME and we're pretty sure you're going to want to win it... so let's PIN IT!

We are letting you know about this contest in advance because in order to enter you will need to have your Pinterest account up and running so we're giving you a head start. Pinterest is free to join but you need to be invited. Getting in invite is as simple as going to http://pinterest.com/landing and entering your email address. You should receive your invite to create your account within a few days. If you are having trouble receiving an invitation or have questions about the contest once it's been officially announced visit our forum for help.

Please note that you will also need to have a Facebook account as well as be a registered member here on Made Just Right™ in order to enter this contest. So if you haven't set up your Facebook or Made Just Right profiles yet it's free to do both! get a head start by registering today so that you can join in on all the fun and win something fabulous!

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A guest post by Gluten Free Gigi:

Celiac disease or Gluten Sensitivity – the diagnostic label is irrelevant. Being told you must never eat gluten again can feel like your world is over at least when it comes to food. After all everyone must eat. Many of us have families to cook for too! There is no avoiding food. Hearing you must rid your diet of gluten can be shocking...

I know you’re smart and will be just fine but in the meantime I’ve got some information from my own experience and research I know you’re going to be able to use right now. These valuable tips are sure to save you additional grief down the road as you work to master your gluten free diet.

Good-bye Gluten Dealing with the Loss
If you’re struggling with the news gluten is gone and now you must “get over it” start with these strategies. They will help you gain control of your new gluten free life and feel more positive each day.

Take it one day at a time.
While you are learning about your new gluten free diet and lifestyle keep things simple by making as many naturally gluten free choices as possible. Here are some suggestions to get you started...

•    All fresh fruits and fresh vegetables when buying frozen or canned fruits and veggies pay attention to products with added seasonings or sauces as some contain gluten.

•    Gluten free grains like brown or white rice quinoa millet amaranth and buckwheat are excellent choices. I do not recommend purchasing these or any products from bulk bins because of possible cross-contamination with gluten.

•    Natural nuts and nut butters sunflower seeds flax and chia seeds are all gluten free and make healthy flavorful additions to your diet as snacks or added to other dishes.

Of course these aren’t ALL the naturally gluten free foods out there but these are some of the simplest most affordable to find and prepare. They can really get you on your way to healthy gluten free eating while you’re figuring it all out! Check out my “No Thought Required Gluten Free Food List” for common items that you may wonder about when you first go gluten free.

If you’ve suffered any of the painful symptoms of Celiac disease or Gluten you know exactly how traumatic ingesting gluten can be to your body! Even though it can be tempting to cheat on your gluten free diet especially in the beginning DON’T DO IT! One bite of a cracker cookie or bread can be enough gluten to send your system into autoimmune over-drive. The gluten still damages your small intestine whether you realize it or not.

Getting in the kitchen is a great way to take control of your own health. After gluten is gone and you understand the damage it can do to your body don’t view your new gluten free lifestyle as a restriction. Instead view it as liberation. That’s right! By making a decision to take control of your health with your gluten free diet you can liberate yourself from health issues you may have suffered from for years! That is exactly what I did nearly 5 years ago when I went gluten free... I totally transformed my health just by removing gluten from my diet! You can too!

Food additives are one sneaky way gluten can get into your food without your knowing it. Always read labels carefully and whenever there is doubt don’t hesitate to call the manufacturer to ask! If you cannot get in touch with the manufacturer and aren't sure about a particular food don't eat it. It really is better to be safe than sorry!

Here are some additives to watch for:
While some of these may be free from gluten it depends on the manufacturing process.:

Flavorings: Artificial Natural Smoke
Flavored coffees vinegars or syrups
Color: Artificial Caramel
Starch: most starch added to food is from corn unless otherwise stated but just be aware some starches added to foods could contain gluten: Food Modified food Modified Vegetable
Processed: Meats fillers added may contain gluten Cheeses
Dextrins Maltose Maltodextrin Miso Monoglycerides Diglycerides Monosodium glutamate Some bouillon cubes Hydrolyzed Plant Protein HPP Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein HVP Textured Vegetable Protein TVP
Some dried fruits are dusted with wheat to prevent sticking especially in bulk bins.
Some ground spices have wheat added to prevent clumping from moisture.
Non-food items like toothpaste mouthwash and vitamins and supplements can contain gluten.

Always read labels carefully!

For much more gluten free info visit the Gluten Free Gigi website at: http://www.glutenfreegigi.com

Do you have any tips to share about living gluten free? Share with us in the comments and we’ll pick one winner for today’s Everyday Giveaway of FREE Earth Balance®!

Thanks for joining us for another tasty week here on Made Just Right™! We're going to try something a little different this week with our focus turning to Gluten Free recipes and Celiac awareness. While wheat products and gluten are not really a concern for those not affected by sensitivities for those who do suffer from gluten intolerance life and especially eating can sometimes become a nightmare. Thankfully due to greater awareness and public demand more and more gluten free information as well as products are becoming available every day. We are pleased to let you know that all of the Earth Balance® family of products are naturally gluten free!

On that note we have a special guest sharing her gluten free expertise with you all this week Gigi Stewart aka Gluten Free Gigi. After coming to terms with her own gluten sensitivities Gigi began to share her knowledge and unique experiences with the growing gluten free community through her website GlutenFreeGigi.com. She covers the latest research on eating gluten free nutrition and special diet insights. She also releases gluten free recipes accompanied by her unique How-To videos with a big focus on dairy free soy free and nut free recipes perfect for those with allergies. We are very excited to have Gigi on board as a guest blogger with us this week!

You can look forward to her Five Pepper Plantain Chickpea Skillet Glazed Turnips with Scallions & Parsley Magical Seven-Layer Bars and even a Vegan Coconut Cream Pie Ice Cream! Yum!

Before we jump into all that we have some winners from last week's contests to announce...

Here are the 5 lucky winners of the book contest we ran for 'Vegan For Life!' by Jack Norris RD and Virginia Messina MPH RD:
Jennifer Lipinski
M.J.
Marzipan
Donna Bardocz
Shannon Murray

5 lucky Made Just Right members have also earned themselves FREE Earth Balance® coupons! Made Just Right™ gives away coupons for free Earth Balance® products every day. To qualify all you have to do is comment on our posts. We love to hear from you and enjoy rewarding you just as much! Click here for more info...
 
The winners from last week are:
Robyn Putney
Shelley Seidman
Lady
Darla Shepherd
Debbie Chioffe

Congratulations to all! Winners will be contacted soon with further instructions.

Do you eat gluten free? Let us know in the comments below for a chance at today's Everyday Giveaway for free Earth Balance® coupons. We'll pick a winner from the replies we get and you never know you might see your name posted up here next week!