Grilling with Lightlife and Stuffed Chili Bacon Cheese Dog Recipe!

Lightlife has always been one of my favorite companies for their vegan stuff. I have always loved their tempeh and was excited when they rolled our their tempeh bacon, which tastes absolutely amazing. They have been adding some awesome new plant-based products to their line, but I'm still so hooked on their vegan hot dogs, Smart Dogs.

Lightlife's Smart Dogs come in two sizes, their regular (7g protein) size or their jumbo (14g protein) size. These awesome veggie hot dogs are Non-GMO Project Verified, in addition to being vegan they are also Kosher, and they are a great price, usually retailing at 3 to 4 bucks at most stores.

I have been using these Smart Dogs for grilling for years now, so I wanted to share a recipe that was really fun and not just "throw the veggie dog on the grill", although that's fun too! Here I decided to stuff them with cheese using a method I thought up, that ended up working pretty perfectly. Also, some sides when grilling with these awesome Smart Dogs are grilled vegetables, like corn on the cob; that is what I enjoyed on the side with my chili bacon cheese dogs. Lightlife Smart Dogs are the perfect addition (or star, in my opinion) to any vegan cookout. Let's get to this crazy-delicious recipe!

Stuffed Chili Bacon Cheese Dogs

makes 5 servings

What you will need:

-1 package Lightlife jumbo Smart Dogs

-1 package Lightlife tempeh bacon

-about 5 vegan cheddar cheese pieces, cut into "matchsticks"

-1 cup prepared vegan chili 

-your favorite condiments or additional toppings (like ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, relish, etc.)

 -a hard plastic straw for stuffing them with cheese (a hard plastic or stainless steel smoothie straw will work great!)

-5 hot dog buns

What to do:

Carefully light and prep your grill using all the proper safety precautions for grill use. Take each Smart Dog and gently push the straw through the middle, about halfway, twist then remove. Do the same to the other side of the veggie dog. You will now have a small well; push the vegan cheese sticks into it (use the straw to help push them in if you are using softer cheese instead of hard cheese - hard cheese works best). When your grill is ready for food, place the stuffed Smart Dogs directly on the grill. Place the tempeh bacon on the top basket that you warm buns, if you don't have that, place on a spot on the grill that isn't directly near the flame and cook for less time. Grill veggie dogs and tempeh bacon for 2-4 minutes on each side, or adjust to your liking/ grill type. In a small saucepan, warm up your prepared chili then transfer to a bowl. Now it is time to construct your chili bacon cheese dogs! Place your hot dog in a bun and top with chili, then take some tempeh bacon and crumble it on top. Add additional toppings, if desired. Do the same for all five stuffed chili bacon cheese dogs.

What I love most about Lightlife Smart Dogs is that they taste just like classic, juicy hot dogs, but without the animal products or cholesterol. They are perfect for tailgating, camping, grilling, or any other recipe that calls for hot dogs.

These came out amazing! They were easy because the melted cheese is already inside the veggie dogs and it also gave you just enough cheese amount in each bite

Mouthwatering! You can follow Lightlife on social. They are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and they are always posting delicious pictures!

Big shout out to Lightlife for sending me a portable grill that doubles as a cooler, grilling tools, condiments and for sponsoring this post. You rock!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - hope your day is relaxing like a cookout day!

This blog post was sponsored by Lightlife Foods.

Random Post: Hair Dye?

I stopped dying my hair around 2010 and the last hair dye that I used was temporary and it washed out after however many showers. It was to bring my color back to brunette after highlights, even it all out. Since then, I've grown and donated my hair several times, at one point a couple years ago cutting my hair super short, in a real micro-bob.

I'm not opposed to hair dying whatsoever. I used to love changing my hair color, but I didn't like the way it made me feel after the excitement wore off. I didn't feel like myself anymore. It always felt like this sigh of relief whenever I was able to get that box of black hair dye and turn myself back into myself. I felt like "me" again. So that is why I stopped dying my hair. I probably will do it again someday, at some point. Probably will do it when I start to get gray hairs because I'm vain. Nothing wrong with gray hair, I think natural aging is beautiful and I admire it so much on others. Women with gray hair are beautiful and gorgeous in their age and salt and pepper haired men like John Slattery are sexy as hell, but for me I like being brunette, the way I was born. I'm sure that will change once I do get a gray hair or two because maybe at that time I will be ready for it, who knows.

Sometimes it looks like I have streaks of gray in my pictures where my shiny hair hits the light, but it is just lighting. I don't like it. My hair has gotten so shiny from my healthy vegan diet that I can skip hair conditioner sometimes after shampooing because my hair is rich with natural oil.

I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of a wig either. Imagine that? Never having to style your hair or throw it back in a messy bun (screaming to the world I AM LAZY TODAY). Then you can color your hair differently every single day with just the change of a wig. I feel like a Marilyn today... bam... blonde bombshell.

Ehh, I never looked good as a blonde. Oh yeah, I did the blonde thing before, believe it or not. It was 1999 and I was doing one of those blonde highlight with the holes in the cap and plastic pick things. It went terribly wrong because my thick hair wasn't going thru the holes properly and I panicked since I already had the hair bleach mixed up and sitting in the tray. I just slathered it all over my head then used a comb to kind of even it out. So it was like a frosted look. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I could post the picture right here, but I'm not gonna. That was another one of those times where I truly felt myself again once I took hold of that brunette hair dye and made myself feel old-and-familiar again.

I have no idea what the point of this blog post is. What is the lesson here? I guess, do whatever it is that makes you happy. I don't judge and you shouldn't judge yourself or others either. If you like your hair a certain color, do it. If you want to change your hair color or style like the weather, go for it. If it makes you happy, how can it be bad? Don't worry about the haters or the judges; they aren't happy with themselves that is the only reason they are judging others.

And for now, The Dirty Vegan is signing off. I hope your day is super sunny and colorful! It's gloomy out here in New England right now, but I hope we all see rainbows today - no - double rainbows!

The Dirty Vegan Cookbook

Howdy!

For anyone who hasn't read the news about my vegan cookbook on social media, it is coming along very well and will be released this Fall.

This cookbook is everything you'd expect from me: cheesy, gooey, buttery, sweet, savory, delicious (and everything in between) recipes for any occasion. This book will change the world, I just know it. Veganism has been scientifically proven to be the best lifestyle for the health of humans, the environment and of course for the animals. My cookbook is your one-stop resource for how to eat and cook vegan in the easiest way possible. I've taken the guesswork out of it because it is crucial to be including animal-free products in your diet, and I want everyone to be able to do it. You don't need fancy or hard-to-find ingredients to follow any of these recipes; this book is unlike any other vegan cookbook. Put it this way, if you make any one of these recipe for a non-vegan, I bet you'll make a believer out of them.

Here is the link to sign up for e-mail news about The Dirty Vegan Cookbook and you can also pre-order from this page as well. I recommend reserving your copy to ensure you won't have to wait or struggle to find a copy when they sell out, and you'll be able to get your copy when it is released. 

The Dirty Vegan Cookbook is available everywhere books are sold. If you are unable to pre-order online, you can call your local Barnes and Noble or book retailer and reserve over the phone or in person. I've personally called the wonderful folks at B&N to confirm this because I know people like to visit the store to do things in person, I prefer that interaction as well. 

Also, sorry if I have neglected this blog for a couple of months - writing a cookbook is much harder work than I thought it would be. But you know what they say, the best books are the ones that the author absolutely obsessed over, making it an easy and effortless read for the user. Maya Angelou said something like that, about when she wrote her books. Hang on, let me go get the actual quote because I think I absolutely butchered that one - be right back...

Got it! I'm not going to admit how long it took me to find this excerpt:

"Will I write a sentence that will just float off the page? Easy reading is damn hard writing. But if it’s right, it’s easy. It’s the other way round, too. If it’s slovenly written, then it’s hard to read. It doesn’t give the reader what the careful writer can give the reader." -Maya Angelou

I have been agonizingly particular about every tiny detail of this book. It is very important to me that, for animals, for the cause, this cookbook is perfect. I wanted it to be such fun to read and with instructions so detailed but simple and easy to understand, that anyone can go vegan, and they'll be absolutely compelled to. Please check it out: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557574/the-dirty-vegan-cookbook-by-catherine-gill/

Also, there is another reason for my brief hiatus on this page - well two actually. One: they deleted the Blogger app, which made it so easy for me to post anywhere or anytime. Two: I discovered the new plant-based social app, Vegan Amino, which is void of politics or trolls and is all vegan, all the time. Here's a link to my Amino page, you should definitely check it out; this is where I've been microblogging (besides on Twitter, which is where I hang out most): http://aminoapps.com/page/vegan/2520449/thedirtyvegan

But no worries, I will be posting here on thedirtyvegan.com regularly once again, going forward. I've been told by many people that they use this website as a recipe archive and resource due to how well I labeled the posts, so I'm happy that even when I took a little time off from blogging to write this book, this site is still a useful vegan source.

Ok, that's all for today. You know how I can go on-and-on. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Peace and love.

Welcome to CrazyVille, Population: Lots.

I've been blogging since 2010. During this time as a writer, I have apparently touched some lives. I get lots of feedback from readers, whether they are emails, tweets, or meeting people at events (or even just out and about at places like Whole Foods!). I have gotten heart-warming emails from people telling me that I have encouraged them to go vegan, to change their lives, gave them courage to tell their doctors or their children's doctors (and "stick to their guns") about their vegan lifestyle, armed them with information that gives them strength to live a different lifestyle than their friends, family, and co-workers, helped their family lives by sharing recipes that they make and enjoy as a family, inspired them with my words, and so many other beautiful things that make my blogging such a special act for me to take part in. Whenever I receive this touching feedback, it is truly surreal and flattering, because I still think that I'm a capacious bore and I'm still surprised that ya'll like to read what I have to say. Thank you for that. And if you have stuck with me since 2010, you'll know how much I love the old saying, "the sweet ain't as sweet without the sour". With that being said, I have to share some of the zany feedback that I get too. I get a lot of crazy-town stuff, but here are a few standouts that are pretty amusing...

• I have had people ask why I care so much about animals but don't care about the vegetables's feelings.
• I was sampling out my vegan baked good once and a woman walked up to my table. I said, "these baked goods have no animal products, no GMOs, no artificial ingredients, etc.", and she said to me, "and they also have no taste".
• When I was pregnant someone once told me that my daughter is going to be mad at me for not feeding her cheeseburgers.
• People have told me that tofu is a gross alternative to meat.
• I like to post about vegan options that I find at restaurants. Someone once said that I had to have eaten non-vegan food because they know that restaurants do not serve vegan food.
• I hear this one a lot, "I used to be vegan, but I got sick and had to go back to eating meat". If these people were eating a healthy vegan diet, chances are they were detoxing all of the toxins out of their bodies from years of unhealthy eating. That could be why they felt sick, if they were even sick to begin with.
• Someone told me that soy beans are poison.
• I'll get random emails and tweets from people telling me that they just ate meat and that it was so delicious (gag!).
• Or people telling me that I don't get enough protein.

The point of this post is to remind you not to let antagonistic stuff get you down. Without the negative, the positive stuff wouldn't seem as wonderful. Simply, the sweet wouldn't be as sweet without the sour. And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Have a happy day!

Sunday Ramblings: Aliens Eating People

I have a tiny cold today. Vegan colds don't last very long, in the rare cases that we get them, so don't feel sorry for me. It will be gone in a second. I like tea, but especially when I'm not feeling very well. I sat down this morning with my Yogi Tea (I included the link just in case any of you don't know what that is). Now I love Yogi teas for their taste, flavors, varieties, and holistic benefits...however what I love the most is the little fortune on the tea tag. They were smart marketers those Yogis! I rip open a Yogi pouch every chance I get to see what today's insight will be. Today mine read...

The art of happiness is to serve all.

I smiled. That is kind of what I do. Serving animals and sharing my blog with humans. Blogging about both animal and human rights and also about the environment. Being an activist everyday, in everything that I do. Pretty cool. And then, I thought, remember that Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man???!! Oh yeah, ya'll thought I was totally normal-blogging with this cold and I totally just threw a curve-ball atcha!

Here is a clip from the Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man, set to some cool trippy music:

Basically, what happened was when communicating with space aliens, humans were averse, but then after humans were able to decipher the title of the aliens book, "To Serve Man", they thought that was really nice of the aliens. The episode is really great and you must see it if you haven't already.

Side Note: I watch these on Chiller network and for free on CBS online. Also, since I was a tot, I've been watching the holiday marathons that come on television at Fourth of July and New Years. I've also been on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. All of which are pretty neat! It happens to be my dream to own the Twilight Zone series, The Complete Definitive Collection. Yes, ALL the episodes ever made. Then no one will ever be able to pry me away from the tv and you'll be getting a lot of weird

posts from me that are Twilight Zone related but somehow connect to veganism. And perhaps some odd recipes as well.

In a nutshell, the black book is a preparation of how to serve man as a meal. I thought this was funny that I thought of this while I was drinking my Yogi. Humans have been eating animals without a care for years, what makes us think we are the highest on this so called "food chain"? I have always been interested to know who else is out there in other galaxies, dimensions, and spaces. We would be foolish to think we are

the only ones. And also slightly arrogant. We are minor specks in this vast universe, but we think we are so big, so mighty. I am happy I am vegan, and if we were ever to run into space aliens, perhaps they would spare us, perhaps karma would kick in at that very moment. I'd also be interested to know if aliens would even want to eat us at all. And I would want to know what the heck they eat!

So what are your thoughts on extraterrestrial life? Comment below; let me know what you think, or if you have been on the Twilight Zone Disney ride, or if you watch these shows, or whatever. Or you may just want to know where I purchased my satirical coffee mug, who knows. Talk to me. Don't leave me alone with my cold and my madness. And for now, the Dirty sci-fi Vegan is signing off.

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