Homemade Dill Pickles

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions are my own.

Hello everyone,

Can you believe it’s August? I can. Because every  time I go check on my garden it looks like a jungle! My cucumbers and squash are going for gold this year, while my tomatoes seem to be slow starters. I’ve harvested so many cucumbers lately that I decided to make *drum roll please* … Homemade Dill Pickles!

I really should have been making dill pickles all along. Making the brine fills the house with an amazing dill-vinegar aroma. It’s also really simple. I thought there was way more to it, but all you need to do is bring a few ingredients to a simmer, chop your veggies for pickling, and put them in Ball jars. Once canned, you simply gently flip the Ball jar upside down a few times each morning to ensure it’s all mixing properly. These quick pickles keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks and are perfect for snacking, sandwiches, and so much more!

I went traditional, but what other veggies would you like to pickle? Let me know in the comments!

Happy snacking!

Jocelyn

PS – I found a new rebate app that I want to share. Makeena is an app that specializes in organic and produce savings. Yes, I said it, produce savings! Plus, the app can be used at any store that sells the products on the rebate tab. It’s very simple to use – you just scan your receipt and earn savings. Once you save $20, you can cash out to your PayPal or Venmo account. Get $1.00 by joining now – use my promorcode TXHRNK. Happy saving!


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Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers with Vegan Cream Cheese

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions are my own.

Hello everyone,

I am so excited to share a newly tested recipe that is sure to be a hit at your next summer soirée! Give my recipe for raw Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers with Vegan Cream Cheese a try!

This recipe simply calls for a handful of raw vegetables, vegan cream cheese, a few select spices, and requires minimal prep time and no cooking. How much simpler can it get? The best part—it’s a truly hassle free recipe but the end result still packs a serious flavor punch!

Raw Mini Sweet Peppers

I made these Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers with Vegan Cream Cheese as an appetizer for my friend’s veggie BBQ, and the entire plate with gone within the hour. People kept going back for seconds due to the bright colors and great taste. I believe I found another “goto recipe” to keep in rotation with my time-tested indulgent vegan macaroni salad and fresh summer pasta salad!

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! Printable recipe below!

Cheers & happy eating!

Jocelyn

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Summer Zucchini & Corn Chowder

Hello everyone,

Today I am so excited to share my latest recipe for Summer Zucchini & Corn Chowder using Pacific Foods Cashew Vanilla Unsweetened Non-Dairy Beverage. I just love a creamy, sweet and savory soup for a long summer day. If you’ve sought out a non-dairy beverage to replace milk, you’ve probably seen Pacific Foods on the shelf at your local grocery store. Pacific Foods actually offers the broadest range of shelf-stable plant-based beverages including almond, coconut, hazelnut, soy, rice, oat, hemp, and cashew.

For today’s recipe, I used Pacific Foods Cashew Vanilla Unsweetened Non-Dairy Beverage. It added the perfect touch of sweetness and contributed to a creamy base for this dish. Using summer fresh veggies and a limited amount of spices, this soup tastes fresh and light, yet comforting.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! Printable recipe below!

Cheers & happy eating!

Jocelyn

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Summer Pasta Salad

Hello everyone,

Happy almost summer! One my most often requested recipes by friends and family is my go to Summer Pasta Salad. In fact, a coworker just asked me for my secret ingredients! Well, I decided to give a video recipe a try. How’d I do? A printable text version of the recipe is below. Comment and let me know what your favorite summer side dish is!

Cheers & happy eating!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

5 from 1 vote
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Summer Pasta Salad

This quick & easy dish will be a hit at your summer picnic!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pasta salad, side dish, summer side, vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Chill 2 hours
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings 12 people
Author The Vegan Hostess

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

  • 1 box elbow, spiral or other dry pasta
  • 1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15.5 oz can large olives drained and rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper diced
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion diced
  • 1/2 cup banana pepper rings chopped

Dressing

  • 1 cup italian dressing I like Wishbone Far Free Italian.
  • 1/2 cup liquid from banana pepper ring jar
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse and drain all canned ingredients and set aside.

  2. Chop/ dice all vegetables and set aside.

  3. Combine spices, Italian dressing, and banana pepper juice and set aside.

  4. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

  5. Combine the vegetables, beans, olives, and pasta. 

  6. Pour the dressing mixture over top and mix well.

  7. Chill for two hours. 

  8. Garnish with your favorite vegan cheese, freshly mined parsley or other herb and enjoy!

 

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FREE Avocados with Rare Coupon & Homemade Spicy Guacamole

Hello everyone,

Tonight I’m having some company over to help me celebrate another year down. Is it just me or do birthdays lose a little something after 30? Well, I’m using the day to relax, take a bath, bake a cake, and make some guacamole …. because I stumbled on FREE Avocados with a Rare Coupon!

For a limited time, you can get up to $2.00 worth of avocados for free at Target. How? Simply download the Coupons.com app, sort by Target, and select the coupon offer for free avocados. You must clip the digital coupon by 11:59 PM PST May 6th, 2018 and then submit your receipt. Voila! You will get up to $2.00 cash back. Note, this offer cannot be combined with any other and does not includes taxes.

Why not get some free avocados and start planning your Cinco de Mayo celebrations? Check out my favorite homemade fresh spicy guacamole recipe below!

Cheers!

Jocelyn

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!


 Homemade Spicy Guacamole

***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back

  • Prep Time: ~10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • ¼ cup, red onion, finely diced
  • ¼ cup, tomato, diced/ seeds removed
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed/ minced
  • 1-2 tbs, lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbs, cilantro, minced
  • 2 tsp, pimenton/ paprika
  • ½ tsp, course salt
  • pinch, cayenne
  • pepper, to taste
  • Green onion, finely sliced

Directions

  1. Cut the avocados in half. Remove the seeds.
  2. Score the avocado and scoop out the chunks with a spoon and place in a large salsa bowl. Discard the avocado flesh.
  3. Finely dice the red onion and tomato and mince the garlic and jalapeno. Finely chop the cilantro.
  4. Add all of the dry the ingredients to the salsa bowl.
  5. Next measure and add the liquid and spice ingredients.
  6. Combine all of the ingredients gently by folding with a fork while lightly mashing the avocado.
  7. Garnish with green onion. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!