Meatless Monday No. 3: Odds and Ends

My friend loaned me her DSLR, and I couldn't be more excited. Except for the part about learning a new camera. And the part where I shot photos of three recipes and none of the pictures turned out. Eek! So there's going to be a learning curve. Until I get the hang of things, I'll be sure to take some photos with my camera, too, just to be certain I have something to share on the blog. 

All that said, I don't have a new recipe for you, for this Meatless Monday. Could there be a more perfect moment to beg you to vote for me? I would really love to be a top 25 veg blogger, and I'm slipping in the rankings a bit. Click the button below, then give Vegan Mother Hubbard a thumbs up. Please? 

No new recipes, but that doesn't mean I have nothing for you today. Rather than a single recipe, I've curated a day of meals, perfect for any Meatless Monday. 

creamy, vegan crock pot chai

Kick off the day with creamy, vegan chai. If you need a caffeine boost to get going in the morning, use caffeinated black tea. If you don't, just use decaf tea, instead. If you are home all day, keep the crock pot going and sip all day long. If you have to go to work, put some in a thermos, or put it in the fridge, then warm it up again in the evening.

vegan Grape Nuts pancakes

Pancakes are a quicker option for breakfast than you probably think. You can whip the batter together in a matter of minutes, and there are plenty of little tasks you can do, while they are cooking. Seriously. While making pancakes, I do fold laundry, wash dishes, pick up toys, make beds. The Grape Nuts pancakes are hearty and offer an extra boost of fiber in your breakfast. If you want something lighter, the post also has a recipe for light and airy pancakes. 

vegan un-tuna salad sandwich

Another thing you can do, while you're cooking up some pancakes: make un-tuna salad for lunchtime sandwiches. It is surprisingly quick. The most complex and time consuming parts of the recipe include mincing a couple of pickles and grating a carrot.

vegan layered Mexican casserole

For a simple supper, make a Mexican casserole. Use your favorite taco or burrito ingredients, minus the meat, and layer them in a big casserole dish. Throw it in the oven. I like to make this dish, because I can do the majority of the supper dishes while the casserole is baking, so after dinner clean-up is really quick. 

vegan chocolate chip-almond-coconut cookies

Cookies can take a long time to bake off. If that's a concern, you can freeze the dough, then just bake as many as you need at any given time. For this recipe, scoop the dough by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Throw the tray in the freezer and chill until the dough is hardened. When it is, place the balls of dough in an airtight container and place back in the freezer. When you want to bake them, remove the number you need and allow to warm a bit on the kitchen counter-just five or ten minutes is sufficient. Then bake according to the recipe. You could serve warm cookies any night of the week!

No new recipe, but a day of meatless meals that you could make any day of the week. Will you be meat-free today? I hope so! Since I don't have a new recipe, I'm skipping the linky today. Save your recipes, or put one together today or this week, and be sure to come back to link up next Monday. 

How did I do? Did I earn a vote for the Circle of Moms contest? I hope so!