Month: December 2023

December affirmations to get you through the Holidays

/ thevegancatlibrarian / Leave a comment

Hi everybody! I hope you are well – as I said in the last post, things aren’t looking great for my library and this is contributing to the already stressful time of the year. As part of my morning routine, after I finish yoga I repeat some affirmations to get me through the day – I also chose one word that I can remember easily and that I repeat during the day (something like “balance”, “patience” or “serenity”). Because not everybody loves this period, as it can bring a lot of anxiety, social and family expectations and pressure. There is this idea that we all have to be jolly happy, ready to give and receive presents, participate in conversations with relatives that sometimes are not all that comfortable, and feel the absence of loved ones who are not with us anymore.

So, I thought I could share some affirmations, words, sentences that are helping me look at this time with more gratitude and try to find serenity and balance in the next few weeks or so.

Day 1 of the December Affirmations

I am centered

Recipe Sunday – 5 Ingredient Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese

/ thevegancatlibrarian / 1 Comment

Happy Sunday, dear cats! How has the past week treated you? Here it has been really cold: you know me, I love the cold, but the heating has stopped working in my library and it’s been really cold inside – luckily, we have quite a few portable electric heaters and we are allowed to wear hats, gloves, extra layers and have a bit more tea breaks to keep us warm. The price to repair the system is probably going to be too much for the current financial situation and this is causing stress and anxiety to my colleagues and me. It has been a long week and the whole affair just calls for some serious comfort food and what’s better than a Mac and Cheese? This 5 Ingredient Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese by TheBananaDiaries is a nice, easy, and quick recipe that will lift the spirit of anyone who eats it. Trust me! Also, I would suggest adding 1 tablespoon of mustard to the cheese sauce, I’ve tried it once and now I am adding it in most of the white sauces.

5 Ingredient Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese by TheBananaDiaries

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces macaroni pasta
  • 480 ml unsweetened dairy free milk (oat milk recommended), room temperature
  • 8 ounces shredded vegan cheddar cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
  • 5 tbsp oat flour
  • 66 grams salted vegan butter
  • Optional: 2 tbsp plain pea protein

Vegan Gluten Free “Breadcrumbs:”

  • 45 grams rolled oats, ground into flour
  • 66 grams salted vegan butter, melted
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a large casserole dish with olive or cooking oil and set aside. Measure out all ingredients before beginning.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the macaroni pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, you’ll make the vegan cheese sauce.
  3. In a medium pot, heat the vegan butter until melted, then add in the oat flour. Whisk for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Then add in the dairy free milk, along with the reserved pasta water, and whisk until combined. Allow the mixture to begin to boil then reduce the heat to medium. Add in the vegan cheeses, and whisk together on medium-low heat until the vegan cheese has completely melted into the milk mixture. This should be about 4-5 minutes. (this is where I added the tablespoon of mustard).
  4. Stir the pasta into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Then spoon the mac and cheese into the casserole dish and set aside as you make the breadcrumbs.
  5. Combine the oat flour with the rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg. Whisk in the melted vegan butter, then sprinkle the oats over the mac and cheese.
  6. Place the casserole dish into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Turn the broiler on for the remaining 2 minutes of baking to evenly brown the breadcrumbs.
  7. Remove the mac and cheese from the oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx