Slacker!!

I've been slacking on posts lately - my apologies! 

Life hit me like a big ol' sack of nuts, and I've been busy during regular time, and lazy during the little down time I've had.  

I have been cooking up some great recipes that I haven't been taking any pictures of though!  Yah, my camera has been taking a break as well. ;)  Lazy lazy lazy. 

Here's a recipe for you though - I made it for a cookout on Friday, and everyone devoured it!  It sounds kind of weird, but it's one of my favorite recipes ever, handed down from my mom.  Everyone else thought it sounded weird too.... until they went for seconds! 

Mom's Seven-Layer Salad* (that's actually eight layers**)

*I highly recommend making this recipe with ALL of the ingredients listed.  I don't usually recommend that (I am a big believer in "making it your way"), but this time, trust me.  I'm not a big fan of celery, but every layer plays it's part!  The quantities are where you can judge on your own, as you kind of have to eyeball it.

**My mom has been calling this a 7-layer for years, but I realized when I made it for the umpteenth time that she listed it incorrectly, and it's actually 8 layers!  Ha!  It makes it kind of funny, although John says that "sugar" doesn't count as a layer.  Whatevz.
INGREDIENTS (bottom to top)
1st Layer: Iceberg Lettuce (I used about 1/2 a head, chopped)
2nd Layer: Green Peas (I used frozen ones, thawed)
3rd Layer: Celery, chopped
4th Layer: Green onions, chopped
5th Layer: Bacon (I used fake bacon), cooked and chopped into small pieces
6th Layer: Sugar (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
7th Layer: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8th Layer: Mayonnaise (use the full-fat kind, people)

DIRECTIONS
Layer everything in a large bowl (glass is best so that you can see all of the layers!), and be sure that when you serve it to get allllll the way to the bottom!  Best to not add the mayo until just before serving, too.  No need to add additional salad dressing either - the mayo is your dressing!

I also made some Banana Chocolate Chip Coconut Muffins based on a basic muffin recipe I found in How it All Vegan (my favorite cookbook EVER)!  I'm not going to put the recipe here, because you should really do yourself a favor, and just buy the book!  Or at least rent it from the library and try some stuff out.  

I just love that even though we were out of eggs, I knew I could find a super easy go-to recipe in that book with whatever I had in the cupboard.  Since it's all vegan, we didn't need no stinkin' eggs! ;) 

More soon - I promise! XO