Loving Lately H.A.G. Favorites

Don’t be scared- I have a blog post here. It’s been a minute since my last post, but I thought I’d catch you up on all.the.things! I’ve had lots to do and eat, read, watch, and buy, but here’s a short list of all of those things for a little sharing fun!

Some links are to other sites/pages and some links are affiliate links, where the HAG blog makes money if you make a purchase from them.

Eating

Besides, all.the.things, I have been eating not a lot of HAG originals, but certainly a lot of good eats. We got an air-fryer this Christmas, and that has been in heavy use! I have notably not cooked much at all, but here are some favorites, I’ve had on repeat:

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower– Nora Cooks

Zucchini Bites- HAG, made in the air-fryer!

Cabbage Saute – HAG

Poppy Seed Dressing for baby spinach salad (I sub’d vegan mayo for half of the oil)- Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen

Thai Noodle Soup – This is SO easy! From the 30-Minute Frugal Vegan cookbook from the Stingy Vegan

My Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad made into a pizza- instead of making into a pasta salad, I put on a dough- delicious!

Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad | Hardly A Goddess

Cavender’s Greek Salad Dressing recipe – I bought the seasoning (see below) and make this for a marinade or dressing

Homemade strawberry shortcake with non-dairy (!) whipped cream – no recipe, just refrigerator biscuits, cut up strawberries and whipped cream- delish!

Reading

Eligible, by Curtix Sittenfeld (Contemporary Fiction) – Loved it!! A modern Pride & Prejudice

Goodnight Beautiful, by Aimee Molloy (Thriller) – Surprising and fun

The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles (Historical Fiction) – Interesting and nice writing

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, by Amy E. Reichert (Contemporary Romance) – Fun

Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes (Literary Fiction) – Reflective and contemplative

The Shadows We Hide, by Allen Eskens (The 1st on in the series is “The Life We Bury”) (Thriller) – series fun

The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek (Biography) – Fun, interesting

Book Lovers, by Emily Henry (Summer Contemporary Romance) – Super fun, beach-read

Barrie’s bookshelf: read

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice

Barrie’s favorite books »

Watching

Blind Love, Season 2: I hate to say this but I blame my teenagers for getting me into this one! I hated it and then it drew me in. It’s actually sort of sad reality show. I thought some good conversations about healthy relationships came from this with my daughters, so I am elevating it all for this reason!

Free Guy: Such a cute family movie. I really liked it and my kids did too. Ryan Reynolds is a favorite for my kids.

West Side Story (2021 version): If you love the original, you will like this. Don’t let haters tell you otherwise. It made me cry just like the original and I loved every minute…even pausing to make dinner as I went. This is a long one!

New Girl (series re-watch on Netflix): Love this. Not for the littles, but teenagers will get the humor.

The Gemstones: It’s wacky and irreverent and I like it. Not at all for kids or teenagers. Much violence and nudity. And enjoyment for me.

Stranger Things: I recently started from episode 1, so please don’t spoil anything for me! Right now I’m right in the beginning off the 3rd season. I didn’t think I’d love it but I do.

King of Staten Island: Good but definitely not for the kids. Dark comedic drama.

Quartet: A British comedy/drama about aging musicians, was very funny and also heartwarming.

Buying

Aside from a lot of gas and groceries, I have also found some fun things for summer:

A space heater at work (the AC blasts me to a popsicle)- this one works and is silent.

Cavender’s Greek Seasoning – I use this for salad dressing, marinade, and just spicing things up.

KanJam – actually gifted to the boys for their birthdays, and it is SO fun on the beach!

I think that about rounds things out for now. I know it’s been a minute, but I hope all is well, and that you are enjoying some things of your own lately too.

Valentine’s White Chocolate M&M Popcorn

I make an addictive dessert, or snack, or anytime treat that we call salty-sweet popcorn. I have a few versions, all similar, all delicious. This version is red and pink, so I’m saying it’s a Valentine’s Day treat, but really it’s for anytime you want a salty-sweet crunchy snack.

I brought this to a potluck once and no one paid any attention to it until one mom tried it and then just raved. Then they all filled up on this snack, because it’s honestly addictive, which is fine because thankfully the recipe is easily doubled and I always bring plenty to go around! It stores well too, so if you have to bring it somewhere, just pack it all away in a Tupperware and you are set.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can change it up for any reason or special holiday or season.

Winter White-Chocolate Salty-Sweet Popcorn

For the sweet options:

Change up the fun additional sprinkles
Different colored M&Ms for the holidays or theme
Add in crushed peppermint candies (see my Peppermint Popcorn)
Mini-candies are great add ins here
Change the white chocolate to semi-sweet, butterscotch, or peanut-butter chips

For the salty options:

Fritos
Bugles
Salted Peanuts
Salted Pretzels all broken up
Combination of them all

For Valentine’s Day the pink and red M&Ms are perfect. I used fritos, as those are my favorite, and I had white chocolate chips so I used those. For the first time ever, I had trouble melting my white chocolate. It’s never happened before, but if that happens there isn’t a fix. You have to start over. So when you are buying ingredients, maybe buy two bags of chips just in case!

close up on salty-sweet valentine popcorn

To make this:

All I do is pop the popcorn (duh) and dump it in the largest bowl you have.

popcorn needs a large bowl for mixing the white chocolate over

Add the crushed chips and mix. Melt the chocolate and drizzle all over the mixture. Using a spatula or your hands- umm, gross but it works way better than any other way, and sprinkle it with M&Ms.

Use a rimmed baking sheet to lay out the popcorn to harden.

Spread it out on a lined pan and let it get hardened up. Break it up and store it for later. You are welcome!

Here’s the printable version:

Valentine’s White Chocolate M&M Popcorn

Hardly A Goddess

A super easy to make snack made with sweet white and milk chocolate and salty Fritos making a perfect salty-sweet combination perfect for any celebration.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

8 cups popped popcorn
6 ounces white chocolate chips or white chocolate melts
2 handfulls crushed corn chips (like Fritos, Bugles)
1 cup Valentine theme M&M candies

Instructions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.
In an oversized bowl, mix your popcorn and crushed chips.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish until soft, and stir until smooth (Mine takes 2-3 minutes on 50%power, stirring half-way).
Pour the chocolate over the popcorn and mix with a rubber spatula.
Add the M&M's.
Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and let sit until it hardens (usually 30 minutes).
Break into chunks and serve!

Notes

If your melting chocolate seizes up, you’ll have to do it again- there’s no saving that, so prepare ahead and go slowly!

*I pop my popcorn on the stove, and I think an air-popper would be good too. I probably would use plain microwave popcorn if possible rather than any butter flavored popcorn.

Keyword popcorn

Super-Food Brekkie Sandwich (Vegan)

I need a breakfast that feels like a meal.

A breakfast sandwich, which I affectionately call a Brekkie Sandwich or Brekkie Sando, if I am feeling sassy (HA!), is the most satisfying way for me to have a hearty but vegan breakfast.

And what better time to serve up this lovely, then for your New Year’s Day start the year off right, kind of breakfast?! Or if you wake up late, your New Year’s Day, sleep in… and then, start the year off right, kind of brunch! LOL!

Loaded with super-food goodness, this sando is my new favorite:

Super Food Breakfast Sandwich fully made and pictured with homefries.

A lot of vegan “meat” products have a chemical-like taste to them. It’s hard to get a fully vegan sausage or meat substitute that tastes like food and lists actual food in the ingredient list! Making a super-food vegan breakfast (or brekkie if you love breakfast like I do!) sandwich isn’t always super delicious or easy.

I was sent a package of vegan meat products from Big Mountain Foods. Can I just tell you, you can actually SEE the vegetables in their products. The ingredient lists are understandable and don’t list a ton of chemicals. These are the real deal and they taste amazing! I am converted to finding them nearby to help start my year off with less junk and more veggies!

I used the Super-Food Brekkie Links breakfast sausage-inspired links for the recipe for this hearty vegan breakfast sandwich, but they have some Big Brat Veggie Links that would work just as well.

I just toasted up my non-extra English muffin, but you can get fancy with your bread if you wanted to. I mix together a vegan mayo-siracha sauce, massaged some kale, sliced some tomato and cooked up my Super-Food Brekkie Links. Tah-dah.

Siracha mayo, massaged kale, sliced tomato, cooked vegan breakfast sausage all on an english muffin

So, so easy and oh so good. Each link has 6g. of vegan protein, and my kale is a superfood powerhouse in itself. Siracha makes it just a little bit spicy and I am in my early morning happy place. Yes please.

Big Mountain Foods Brekkie Links sandwich

Here’s how you make it:

Super-Food Brekkie Sandwich (vegan)

Hardly A Goddess

This vegan breakfast sandwich is satisfying, yummy, easy to whip up, and super healthy, loaded with super-food goodness.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 10 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 english muffin or bread of choice
1/2 cup kale greens
1 tsp olive oil
4 grapesize tomatoes or one slice tomato
1 link Vegan Breakfast Links I used Big Mountain, Super-Food Brekkie Links
1 TBSP vegan mayo
1 tsp sriacha sauce

Instructions

Ready the ingredients

Split your english muffin and set to toast lightly.
While this toasts, heat a small non-stick pan to medium, and add the breakfast link. Add a bit of water to keep it from sticking, and cook until browned and heated through.
While this cooks, in a small bowl add your oil to the kale and massage around using your fingers until the kale is covered and rubbed a bit (this makes it softer).
Slice your tomatoes, and set aside.
In another small bowl, add the mayo to the sriacha and mix until combined.

To Assemble the Brekkie Sandwich

Smear the sriacha-mayo mixture on your english muffin. Add the kale to one side, and the tomatoes to the other. Cut your breakfast link in half and lay it across the kale. Season with salt or pepper as desired. Put the two sides together and you are done. Brekkie Sandwich complete.

Keyword breakfast, vegan

I can’t encourage you enough to try to find this brand of vegan protein meat-substitute. It is soy-free, gluten-free and most important, it tastes so good. They are harder to find, but worth the look! You can read more about Big Mountain Foods on their website, and search up some other great recipes to make with their products.

Hardly A Goddess

…but trying to make every day better than the last.

Loving Lately H.A.G. Favorites

Eating

Reading

Barrie’s bookshelf: read

Watching

Buying

Valentine’s White Chocolate M&M Popcorn